Baltimore City Elementary Schools - Any you recommend?

[Anonymous]

By and large, Baltimore City schools do not have a good reputation. We are considering using private schools instead. That said, does anyone have positive experiences with the elementary schools or the public charter schools that would lead you to recommend them? I do not know how hard it is to get in, but there is a lottery system for the charters? (There is for the public schools too, but at this time I have no idea how it works.)

Would parochial schools, of which Baltimore has MANY, be any smaller/more nurturing/fewer bullies? Or Wilkes School?

I care very strongly about academics, but--if I had to pick--I would chose nurturing/safe environment (bullying not tolerated, very concerned teachers) over academics. In the early grades, it is much easier to supplement at home.

[Anonymous]

My cousin got kicked out of Gilman and had to enroll in Roland Park Middle. It was surprisingly very good for him. That's my only experience, though. I'd start with the Roland Park schools with respect to research.