At a town hall meeting on Thursday, City Councilman and mayoral candidate Keiffer Mitchell called for direct mayoral control over Baltimore schools and a new chancellor of education.
Mitchell?s 16-point proposal for city schools includes a comprehensive school safety audit, school-based budgeting, and giving more operational control to principals.
But Mitchell said the key to his plan was direct control of schools, a move that would improve education in the city.
“There are mountains of research that show direct control of schools by the mayor increases student performance,” said Mitchell, D-11th District.
“The city-state partnership is broken ? it?s the same system that created a $58 million deficit, that lowered the passing grade and lowered academic standards,” he said.
Mitchell criticized Mayor Sheila Dixon?s stewardship of the schools, arguing that legislation to return control to the city could pass the state legislature.
“Currently we have a governor that I?m sure would be sympathetic to the plight of the schools in the city, that I think can understand the need for the mayor to have control,” he said.
But Dixon campaign spokeswoman Martha McKenna said the mayor also wants control of the schools.
“The mayor supports Baltimore City having direct control over city schools, but she wants to make sure the state funding formulas are maintained,” she said.
“Before any changes are made, we want to make sure that no students are short-changed,” she said.
McKenna said the mayor is committed to improving city schools.
“She has appointed senior-level staffers in education from City Hall, and certainly it is a high priority for this mayor,” she said.
But Mitchell said more drastic change is needed to salvage a school system plagued by low graduation rates and poor student performance.
“When the voters go to polls, they?re going to have to ask themselves who is willing to take the political risk and risk his political career for children,” he said.
