Mayor Sheila Dixon said she wants to join a growing national trend and take control of the nearly 200 schools in the Baltimore school system.
The city often takes criticism for underachieving schools, and the government should take over the schools in about a year to increase its authority to make changes, she said last week on a radio show hosted by former Baltimore police Commissioner Ed Norris.
“We get the blame, so why not?” Dixon asked.
Mayors in several major cities have praised New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg after he took over the nation?s largest school district in 2002.
Bloomberg abolished the school board and began a massive reform that included improved training for principals and using his Wall Street connections to raise millions in donations. Test scores have since improved.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa attempted to gain control of the Los Angeles schools two years ago but was blocked by courts. Mayor Adrian Fenty took over the Washington, D.C., school system last year after meeting with Bloomberg.
“It?s something that is a national trend in the big cities, especially in the big cities where the schools are very poorly performing,” said Jack Jennings, head of the Center on Education Policy, an independent Washington, D.C.-based research group. “But it?s not guaranteed success.”
Andres Alonso has served as chief of the Baltimore schools for about a year, making sweeping changes ? including offering money to students who boost grades or attendance and moving about 300 central office employees into schools.
Alonso and Dixon have worked well together as partners, he said, and the focus should be on helping students learn rather than on bureaucracy.
“What I hope is whether it?s an appointed board, an elected board or a mayoral system, the resources are in the schools,” Alonso said. “The entire city understands that it?s not going to move forward unless the school system does.”
