A “persistently dangerous” label will no longer be threatened on five Baltimore schools that last year doled out fewer suspensions for violence.
The schools had suspended at least 2.5 percent of students for serious offenses — including arson or physically attacking an employee. Four schools did so for one year and were placed on a “watch” list; another, Thurgood Marshall Middle, did so for a minimum of three consecutive years, making it “persistently dangerous.”
“Schools are not sitting in a vacuum — they?re sitting in a social context,” said Andres Alonso, head of the Baltimore City school system, where all the schools are located. “These aren?t dangerous schools; these are dangerous communities.”
There are now five Maryland schools with the “persistently dangerous” distinction and 10 others on probation for meeting the mark for two consecutive years.
All are in Baltimore, but Alonso expressed optimism because no new schools were added to the list. Last year, 14 were added.
New principals were placed in most of the new schools, and metal detectors were installed in some this year, but the best way to improve safety is to help kids perform better in the classroom, he said.
State school board members expressed frustration as they approved the labeling Tuesday, a requirement of the No Child Left Behind law. They said the “persistently dangerous” label misrepresents a school that may be tarnished by a small fraction of students.
“I don?t like the label at all,” said state Superintendent Nancy Grasmick. “I would hope the law would be reauthorized to eliminate this.”
While it is helpful to identify dangerous schools, the name used for them gives an incentive to under-report the number of incidents, said Blair Ewing, the board?s newly elected vice president.
“How that label helps us is, to me, a great mystery,” Ewing said. “It is indeed a perverse incentive.”
The board planned to write a letter to the federal government to show their disapproval of the mandate. Members also discussed changing the percentage requirement so that the dangerous schools could still be identified and improved but that the label would not be slapped on them.
Students at a “persistently dangerous” school are permitted to transfer to another, safer school. The city school system must notify them of the option at least 14 days before the start of the school year.
OFF THE ‘PERSISTENTLY DANGEROUS’ LIST
- Thurgood Marshall Middle
OFF THE ‘WATCH’ LIST
- Heritage High
- Forest Park High
- Doris M. Johnson High
- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elementary
CURRENT ‘PERSISTENLY DANGEROUS’ SCHOOLS
- Calverton Middle School (since 2005)
- Dr. Roland N. Patterson Sr. Academy (since 2006, but is closing)
- Dr. W.E.B. DuBois High School (since 2006)
- Hamilton Middle School (new)
- Reginald F. Lewis High School (new)
Source: Baltimore City Public School System
