Interim Baltimore schools CEO Charlene Cooper Boston responded Wednesday to a report released by the Maryland State Board of Education labeling six city schools as “persistently dangerous.”
Boston said the city schools system intends to follow state education department suggestions and is building a comprehensive approach to reducing the number of violent incidents.
The six schools listed as persistently dangerous are: Calverton Middle, Highlandtown Middle, Thurgood Marshall Middle, Dr. Roland N. Patterson Sr. Academy, Dr. W.E.B. Dubois High School and the Liberal Arts Academy-Walbrook Campus. The Academy for College and Career Exploration was placed on probationary status, having met the criteria for persistently dangerous schools for two years. Canton Middle School, Harlem Park Middle School and Lombard Middle School were listed last year, but demonstrated enough improvement to be removed.
“Starting this year we?re going to have student deans in the schools, filled by vice-principal level staff, who will coordinate the social work services, counselingand other support services,” Boston said. “Staff training will play an important part as well, expanding the curriculum to include a code of conduct and conflict resolution classes.”
A persistently dangerous school is one which ? for three consecutive years ? the total number of 10-day student suspensions or expulsions equals 2.5 percent or more of the total number of enrolled students.
Although Calverton Middle and Thurgood Marshall were named again, Boston said the percentage of incidents fell at both schools.
