Baltimore City Public Schools
Encyclopedia
The Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS) is a public school district
in the state of Maryland
, United States
, that serves the youth in the city of Baltimore (in distinction to the county of Baltimore
). Its headquarters are the Dr. Alice G. Pinderhughes Administration Building.
appointed by the school board in the summer of 2007, Dr. Alonso officially began work on July 1, 2007. Dr. Alonso comes from the New York City Department of Education
, where he served as deputy chancellor to the current chancellor
Joel I. Klein.
The BCPSS was desegregated
in 1954 following the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States
in Brown v. Board of Education
. Limited desegregation had already happened with the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
being forced to admit African-American students on its prestigious "A" course in 1952, as none of the black school
s in Baltimore offered an equal or equivalent course.
There are several public elementary school
s, middle school
s, and high school
s in Baltimore City. The largest school in physical size in Baltimore City is Lake Clifton Eastern High School
. The district also holds the third oldest public high school in America, Baltimore City College
; and the oldest all girl public high school, Western High School
.
BCPSS is often cited as by far the most under-funded school system in the state, currently being 21st in overall spending, after falling from 4th approximately one generation ago. (This lacks a reference.) In the 2009-2010 school year there were approximately 82,866 in the entire school system (non-charter and charter). The projected operating budget for the 2011 school year is $1.23 Billion ,. This leads to an average expenditure of over $14,800 per student.
From March 1, 2006 to March 4, 2006, BCPSS students from high schools across Baltimore City held a three-day student strike to oppose an imminent plan to "consolidate" many area high schools into fewer buildings. The school system asserted that these buildings are underutilized. The students and other advocates assert that the reason there extra space exists in these buildings is because class sizes often are about 40 students per class. Martin J. O'Malley, then-mayor of Baltimore, apparently gave an ear to the students' demands in this latest round of strike actions, fearing it could have an impact on his status with the general public in a gubernatorial election year. The end of March saw a change in the balance of power, with the State of Maryland threatening to take over 11 City schools.
On April 8, 2007 the Baltimore Suns Sara Neufeld stated in an article that the Baltimore City Public School budget was full of errors.
A recent poll conducted by the Baltimore Sun and Annapolis pollster OpinionWorks July 8–10, 2007 recently revealed Baltimore citizens grim opinion of the system. Asked to grade the Baltimore public schools, 2 percent of respondents gave the system an A; 10 percent gave it a B; 32 percent chose C; 22 percent D; and 20 percent Fail, with 15 percent unsure. If the system were assigned a mean grade-point average based on the poll, it would be a 1.45, the equivalent of about a D-plus".
A December 2010 article in the New York Times characterizes the school system as having improved under the leadership of Dr. Alonso.
School district
School districts are a form of special-purpose district which serves to operate the local public primary and secondary schools.-United States:...
in the state of Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, that serves the youth in the city of Baltimore (in distinction to the county of Baltimore
Baltimore County, Maryland
Baltimore County is a county located in the northern part of the US state of Maryland. In 2010, its population was 805,029. It is part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Towson. The name of the county was derived from the barony of the Proprietor of the Maryland...
). Its headquarters are the Dr. Alice G. Pinderhughes Administration Building.
History
The BCPSS was part of the Baltimore City Government since 1829, but became separate from the government in 1997 when partial control was ceded to the state in exchange for increased funding. Now, the mayor and the governor jointly appoint the school board that oversees the system. The school system is currently run by CEO Dr. Andres AlonsoAndres Alonso
Andres Alonso is the chief executive officer of the Baltimore City Public School System in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Alonso came to Baltimore from the New York City Public School system in July 2007...
appointed by the school board in the summer of 2007, Dr. Alonso officially began work on July 1, 2007. Dr. Alonso comes from the New York City Department of Education
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
, where he served as deputy chancellor to the current chancellor
Chancellor
Chancellor is the title of various official positions in the governments of many nations. The original chancellors were the Cancellarii of Roman courts of justice—ushers who sat at the cancelli or lattice work screens of a basilica or law court, which separated the judge and counsel from the...
Joel I. Klein.
The BCPSS was desegregated
Desegregation of the Baltimore City Public School System
Desegregation of the Baltimore City Public School System happened in 1956 after the United States Supreme Court ruled, in the case of Brown v. Board of Education, that segregation in schools went against constitutional law...
in 1954 following the ruling of the Supreme Court of the United States
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
in Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, 347 U.S. 483 , was a landmark decision of the United States Supreme Court that declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional. The decision overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson decision of 1896 which...
. Limited desegregation had already happened with the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Baltimore Polytechnic Institute is a US public high school founded in 1883. Though established as an all-male trade school,it now is a institution that emphasizes mathematics, the sciences, and engineering. It is located on a tract of land in North Baltimore at Falls Road and Cold Spring Lane,...
being forced to admit African-American students on its prestigious "A" course in 1952, as none of the black school
Black school
Black schools originated under legal segregation in the southern United States after the American Civil War and Reconstruction era, in southern states' public policy to keep races separated and maintain white supremacy. In the United States white opposition to African American success resulted in...
s in Baltimore offered an equal or equivalent course.
There are several public elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s, middle school
Middle school
Middle School and Junior High School are levels of schooling between elementary and high schools. Most school systems use one term or the other, not both. The terms are not interchangeable...
s, and high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
s in Baltimore City. The largest school in physical size in Baltimore City is Lake Clifton Eastern High School
Lake Clifton Eastern High School
Lake Clifton Eastern High School, now referred to as Lake Clifton Campus, was a public high school located in Northeast Baltimore City, Maryland in an area known as Clifton Park, the result of a merger of Lake Clifton High School and Eastern High School.-History:Lake Clifton Eastern High School was...
. The district also holds the third oldest public high school in America, Baltimore City College
Baltimore City College
The Baltimore City College , also referred to as The Castle on the Hill, historically as The College, and most commonly City, is a public high school in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. The City College curriculum includes the International Baccalaureate Programme and emphasizes study in the classics...
; and the oldest all girl public high school, Western High School
Western High School (Baltimore, Maryland)
Western Senior High School is the oldest public all-girl high school in the United States. Part of the Baltimore City Public School System, Western was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence in 2009.- History :...
.
Criticism and recent developments
In late 2003, BCPSS was discovered to be in a severe fiscal crisis, with a deficit estimated to be anywhere from $54–64 million (depending on the reporting source). As a means of reducing the gap, extensive layoffs of teachers and staff took place and new controls were enacted to ensure that spending was more closely monitored. A loan from the city temporarily ended the deficit and BCPSS paid the loan back over a two-year period. Criticism of the system still takes place with regard to the awarding of "emergency" contracts.BCPSS is often cited as by far the most under-funded school system in the state, currently being 21st in overall spending, after falling from 4th approximately one generation ago. (This lacks a reference.) In the 2009-2010 school year there were approximately 82,866 in the entire school system (non-charter and charter). The projected operating budget for the 2011 school year is $1.23 Billion ,. This leads to an average expenditure of over $14,800 per student.
From March 1, 2006 to March 4, 2006, BCPSS students from high schools across Baltimore City held a three-day student strike to oppose an imminent plan to "consolidate" many area high schools into fewer buildings. The school system asserted that these buildings are underutilized. The students and other advocates assert that the reason there extra space exists in these buildings is because class sizes often are about 40 students per class. Martin J. O'Malley, then-mayor of Baltimore, apparently gave an ear to the students' demands in this latest round of strike actions, fearing it could have an impact on his status with the general public in a gubernatorial election year. The end of March saw a change in the balance of power, with the State of Maryland threatening to take over 11 City schools.
On April 8, 2007 the Baltimore Suns Sara Neufeld stated in an article that the Baltimore City Public School budget was full of errors.
A recent poll conducted by the Baltimore Sun and Annapolis pollster OpinionWorks July 8–10, 2007 recently revealed Baltimore citizens grim opinion of the system. Asked to grade the Baltimore public schools, 2 percent of respondents gave the system an A; 10 percent gave it a B; 32 percent chose C; 22 percent D; and 20 percent Fail, with 15 percent unsure. If the system were assigned a mean grade-point average based on the poll, it would be a 1.45, the equivalent of about a D-plus".
A December 2010 article in the New York Times characterizes the school system as having improved under the leadership of Dr. Alonso.
Further reading
- "The Learning", documentary film about teachers from the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
brought in from overseas to be employed in the Baltimore school system - Tancinco, Lourdes Santos, "Hundreds of Filipino teachers in Maryland face uncertainties", Philippine Daily InquirerPhilippine Daily InquirerThe Philippine Daily Inquirer, popularly known as the Inquirer, is the most widely read broadsheet newspaper in the Philippines, with a daily circulation of 260,000 copies. It is one of the Philippines' newspapers of record...
, April 16, 2011