Those fighting to keep strong public schools in each community controlled by our parents, teachers, and community citizens we must know who want to privatize and corporatize our public schools.
Below we see one education policy that right wing Republican voters would know was POSING CONSERVATIVE. Those pushing for free market economics understand that VOUCHERS are policy based on winners and losers-----selective and at the local level crony. There is nothing free market about VOUCHERS. The only goal of REAGAN and FRIEDMAN was to privatize all public education Federal funding to Wall Street markets. Conservative Democrats and Republicans were played by their 5% more so than the left social Democrats. The mantra of free market in REAGAN's era was just as POSING AS TODAY because they goals were always global market monopolies.
Here we see KOZOL at that same time educating ---shouting this policy was the worst thing for WE THE PEOPLE and public democratic education. The media-----the publishing companies-----the journals of that 1980s-90s was still free and open-------it was Clinton era 1990s that all those venues were closing and left social progressive voices not heard.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THESE LEFT PUBLIC EDUCATION FIGHTERS----TO UNDERSTAND TO WHERE WE NEED TO RETURN.
'To make the case for vouchers, free-market conservatives, corporate strategists, and opportunistic politicians looked for any way to build a myth that public schools were failing, that teachers (and of course their unions) were at fault, and that the cure was vouchers and privatization.
Jonathan Kozol, the author and tireless advocate for public schools, called vouchers the “single worst, most dangerous idea to have entered education discourse in my adult life.”
Armed with Friedman’s ideas, President Reagan began calling for vouchers'.
The goal of global Wall Street is that only private and IVY LEAGUE schools will be funded and carry on as what was broad Democratic public education. The 99% of citizens will be tracked into corporate campus vocational apprenticeships-----and it is indeed the Jesuit Loyola partnered with private IVY LEAGUEs----now basically hedge funds from all the massive frauds from these few decades. Everyone knows this creates the same education dynamic as the DARK AGES---
Md. Legislature Passes Private School Voucher Program
May 2016
AU Bulletin
Maryland legislators voted in March to approve a budget that includes $5 million in grants for low-income students who wish to attend private schools.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has indicated he will sign the bill. The proposal is the culmination of a decade-long attempt by voucher advocates to funnel public money to private schools.
Teachers unions had opposed the measure. Sean Johnson, who represents the Maryland State Education Association, told The Washington Post the group will continue to lobby against it.
“We’re hoping to make it a one-year bad idea and not a permanent bad idea,” he said.
Voucher bills had died in previous years in Maryland, but this year two Democratic lawmakers from Baltimore lobbied hard for the measure and apparently persuaded some opponents, including Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller (D-Calvert), to change their minds.
Students will be able to use the funds for tuition at religious schools, which critics like Americans United deem a violation of the separation of church and state.
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We see in fact how Republican this policy is-----but as much as a left social Democrat hates having a return to only the global rich having an education------again, global Wall Street pols are POSING PRIVATE RELIGIOUS ----when the goal will be ONE WORLD ONE GOVERNANCE ONE RELIGION ----OR NONE.
If the Catholic Church takes that religious spot----they are already a global corporation----partnered with global 1%---so it is not a real extension to community religious schools.
Now, here in Baltimore those global Wall Street players pushing vouchers in a city starved of public education no doubt are selling this idea as creating small business private schools----they will throw a few million to pretend some people in Baltimore are winning----but the goal will have all Federal funding going to private IVY LEAGUE universities and their K-12 corporate charter chains.
'Maryland joins 16 states that contribute public money toward private-school scholarships. Most of the others, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Alabama, have Republican-controlled legislatures and offer tax credits to companies or individuals who donate to the scholarship programs'.
The goal of global Wall Street is that only private and IVY LEAGUE schools will be funded and carry on as what was broad Democratic public education. The 99% of citizens will be tracked into corporate campus vocational apprenticeships-----and it is indeed the Jesuit Loyola partnered with private IVY LEAGUEs----now basically hedge funds from all the massive frauds from these few decades. Everyone knows this creates the same education dynamic as the DARK AGES---
TWO DEMOCRATIC POLS FROM BALTIMORE PUSHED HARD FOR VOUCHERS--------this education policy has always been right wing-----never Democratic----and indeed all pols from Baltimore want extreme wealth and extreme poverty working for global Wall Street Baltimore Development and Johns Hopkins...............
'Voucher bills had died in previous years in Maryland, but this year two Democratic lawmakers from Baltimore lobbied hard for the measure'
THESE TWO POLS ARE GREAT BIG GLOBAL WALL STREET PLAYERS AND ARE INDEED CONNECTED TO THE CRONY POLITICAL SYSTEM----SHOW THEM THE MONEY AND THEY WILL DO ANYTHING GLOBAL WALL STREET TELLS THEM.
'This month, Busch hinted that his opposition was softening, in part because two African American lawmakers from Baltimore — Dels. Antonio Hayes and Keith E. Haynes'
It's always those Baltimore pols pushing the most repressive, oppressive, and enslaving policies---and this is why Baltimore is at the bottom nationally for every quality of life, injustice-----people like ANTONIO HAYES AND KEITH HAYNES----of course we just got another raging global Wall Street player in NICK MOSBY.......so things are getting worse for citizens in Baltimore wanting strong public education so their children can be citizens and not slaves.
Maryland Politics
After 10-year fight, Md. lawmakers vote to fund private-school scholarships
(Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
By Ovetta Wiggins March 29, 2016 After years of resisting, and over the objections of the state teachers union, Maryland lawmakers have agreed to state-funded private-school scholarships.
The decision to create a $5 million grant program was part of the negotiations on the state’s $42 billion operating budget, which received final approval in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly on Tuesday.
Lawmakers did away with a proposal that had been approved by the Senate and would have provided tax credits to companies that contribute to scholarships for students at private schools. Instead, the House of Delegates and the Senate backed the grant program, which will provide scholarships to students from poor families.
“It’s a win-win for not just the people of the state of Maryland, but for all students,” said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert). “It’s a good compromise.”
Maryland joins 16 states that contribute public money toward private-school scholarships. Most of the others, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Alabama, have Republican-controlled legislatures and offer tax credits to companies or individuals who donate to the scholarship programs.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who has pushed for education tax credits for the past two years, said the scholarships have “the potential to make a huge difference to students and families across the state.”
Bills to create an education-tax credit in Maryland have been introduced for the past 10 years and had won the support of Martin O’Malley (D), who was governor from 2007 to 2015. The bills had advanced in the Senate, but not in the House, where they were staunchly opposed by House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel).
This month, Busch hinted that his opposition was softening, in part because two African American lawmakers from Baltimore — Dels. Antonio Hayes and Keith E. Haynes — had sponsored versions of the scholarship legislation. They and other members of the Democratic caucus argued that the aid was needed to help young black men in the city.
Miller said former Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, who is now the president of the University of Baltimore, also pushed for the scholarships, calling private schools “a lifesaver” for many Baltimore students in need.
The grants would be administered by the Maryland State Department of Education. The rules for the program would be set up by an advisory board that would be appointed by the governor and legislative leaders.
The Maryland State Education Association had fought hard against bills intended to create education tax credits. Such legislation would have set aside as much as $50 million for the program. But the union also vowed to fight the scholarship program, which Sean Johnson, the union’s assistant executive director, called a “voucher program” that would divert public money away from public schools.
“We’re hoping to make it a one-year bad idea and not a permanent bad idea,” Johnson said.
In approving the state budget, both chambers reallocated $80 million that Hogan wanted to put into the state’s reserve fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, to pay for Democratic legislative priorities.
John Rohrer, the coordinator of fiscal and policy analysis for the Department of Legislative Services, said the money will go toward uses including increasing reimbursement rates for doctors who treat the poor and helping local governments fund teacher pensions.
The money is fenced off, which means that if Hogan elects not to use it as Democrats want him to, it cannot be used for anything else. Last year, the General Assembly fenced off $65 million for several Maryland school districts. Hogan objected and did not release the funds.
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Larry Hogan is simply MOVING FORWARD education policy created and installed during OBAMA------OBAMA and Clinton neo-liberals ended our Federal higher education funding for all students and sent that funding to build private university research facilities. The goal was to build that global corporate campus for IVY LEAGUE universities like Johns Hopkins. What Larry Hogan is doing is bringing this same funding structure to K-12====and indeed all those funds will go to these same global IVY LEAGUE campuses and they will decide who is allowed to attend a real higher education and EXCEPTIONAL K-12 TRACKING----the same group of executives at Johns Hopkins controlling all public agencies in Baltimore City Hall.
Hogan came to office shouting WE NEED NATIONAL CHARTERS CHAINS IN BALTIMORE-----the guy is absolutely clueless he simply thinks he is that MERCHANT OF VENICE-----it is incredible to see a vibrant first world nation being brought back to the DARK AGES
Remember, Maryland's private schools do not offer better education ---they are simply selective allowing anyone with money. The courses, the grades, the achievement overall-----all juked data---that's the perk---if you can afford to pay you will be made to look like an achiever. This is why Baltimore citizens are all global Wall Street players----if you do not play the game you do not get tracked into these selective education and employment pathways.
Steven Hershkowitz
Press Secretary for the Maryland State Education Association.
Dec 16, 2016
Why Larry Hogan Sent Your Taxes to Private Schools
Even though public schools have $2.9 billion in unmet needs
Private school operators in Baltimore thank Gov. Hogan after receiving more than $200,000 in taxpayer-funded vouchers. (Credit: Executive Office of the Governor)Earlier this week, Gov. Larry Hogan proposed doubling his private school voucher program — known as the BOOST program — over the next three years. The announcement struck many in Annapolis as odd considering the state faces a $400 million budget deficit and has already cut $82 million from higher education and other public services.
According to both the state comptroller and treasurer, the budget deficit is due to a revenue shortfall caused by stagnant growth in Maryland household incomes. During Gov. Hogan’s first year in office, Maryland household median income grew by just 2.4%, compared to 5.2% nationally. Maryland’s relatively stagnant economy was due largely to the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan area, which ranked dead last in household income growth among the 25 most populous areas in the nation — an increase of just 1.3%.
So thanks to Gov. Hogan’s weak economic record so far, his administration has largely focused on cuts to public services — including $93 million for public schools. But at the same time, he started a new program that sends scarce taxpayer dollars to expensive private schools. Now he wants to expand it.
Private School Vouchers: A Failed Right-Wing Idea
Private School Vouchers: Taxpayer-funded subsidies awarded to parents to pay for private school tuition, including religious schools.Republicans have pushed private school vouchers for decades ever since the concept was started by conservative economist Milton Friedman as a way to privatize America’s public schools. As the centerpiece of his education agenda, President-Elect Donald Trump wants to shift $20 billion of funding reserved for low-income students to private school vouchers. As he rolled out his proposal during the presidential campaign, Trump said, “It’s time to break up that monopoly,” in reference to public schools.
While the major aim of these programs is to open the education market to for-profit interests, they have been sold largely as escape paths for low-income children stuck in so-called “failing” schools. But there are two major flaws with that argument: 1. Most recipients of vouchers are students already enrolled in private schools; and 2. When students do move from public schools to private schools using vouchers, their academic achievement actually goes down.
78% of BOOST voucher recipients were already enrolled in private school.There’s a reason why only private school parents and administrators come to bill hearings and lobby visits to push for voucher programs: there’s no large-scale desire of public school parents to send their kids to private schools. Instead, parents would rather see improvements to their neighborhood public schools. For example, Louisiana offered vouchers to more than half of their students in 2013 and just 2% of eligible parents applied for the program.
With an absence of demand from public school parents, there is ample opportunity for private schools to encourage their parents to apply for these vouchers — subsidizing the school’s operation with taxpayer dollars in the process. According to the Department of Legislative Services, BOOST gave out $4.75 million worth of vouchers to 2,447 students — of which, 1,898 were already enrolled in private school. That’s 78%.
Department of Legislative Services data on the BOOST program.Public education advocates warned the governor that this would happen if he went through with his program because we have seen this happen in other states. The Southern Education Foundation studied a similar program in Georgia and found that private school enrollment increased by only one-third of one percent in the metropolitan counties that included most of the private schools in the scholarship program. Arizona’s program quickly lost public favor after it became clear the program primarily helped students already in private schools.
Study after study shows voucher programs fail to boost the academic achievement of participants — and often make it worse.Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction report on Milwaukee Program: “Students in Milwaukee’s school choice program performed worse than or about the same as students in Milwaukee Public Schools in math and reading on the latest statewide test, according to results released Tuesday that provided the first apples-to-apples achievement comparison between public and individual voucher schools.”
MIT Study of Louisiana Program: “Attendance at an LSP-eligible private school lowers math scores by 0.4 standard deviations and increases the likelihood of a failing score by 50 percent. Voucher effects for reading, science and social studies are also negative and large. The negative impacts of vouchers are consistent across income groups, geographic areas, and private school characteristics, and are larger for younger children.”
Chalkbeat Education News on Indiana Program: “A new long-term study out of Indianapolis, done by researchers at Notre Dame University, found that students who switched from traditional public schools to Catholic schools actually did worse in math.”
“Our historical understanding of the superior performance of private schools is no longer accurate. Since the nineties, public schools have been under heavy pressure to improve test scores. Private schools were exempt from these accountability requirements. A recent study showed that public schools closed the score gap with private schools.” —
The Brookings Institution
We Need to Focus on Our Public Schools Instead
Gov. Hogan’s first budget proposal would have cut $600 million from public schools over four years if it had been approved. He successfully withheld $93 million from public education despite approval of those allocations by a broad, bipartisan coalition of legislators in the General Assembly. It took $40 million of corporate welfare to get him to agree to filling a $20 million gap in local education funding for next year. These are actions the governor may not own up to, but they are his indisputable record.
All of those actions ignore the fact that Maryland’s public schools have $2.9 billion less than they need — according to independent experts — to get every student to be college or career ready. Every taxpayer dollar that is currently being spent in private schools is a dollar that isn’t being spent in your neighborhood public school, helping to plug that gap in resources our kids need.
That’s why Marylanders are overwhelmingly focused on ways to improve existing public schools rather than have more “school choice.”
Poll conducted by GBA Strategies in May 2015.The reality of how private school vouchers pull funding away from public schools is especially alarming when you see just how often these programs balloon in cost. Under Vice President-Elect Mike Pence, Indiana’s program swelled to $131 million this year. In July of 2015, the Arizona Republic ran an investigative article with the headline: “Arizona private-school families cash in on state’s tax-credit program; a program that legislative budget staff in 1997 estimated would cost $4.5 million a year now tops $140 million.” Under Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida passed a tax credit voucher program in 2001 with an annual cap of $50 million; by 2015, the cap had grown to $358 million.
Now Gov. Hogan wants to join his Republican governor friends and expand Maryland’s program. In ten years, how expensive do you think he wants his program to be? How are we going to adequately fund our public schools if we keep expanding state funding for private schools?
Private school voucher programs are opposed by 58% of Maryland voters — and that number goes up to 78% when voters learn how that funding could be used in public schools. The vast, vast majority of students served in these programs are already in private school. And for the public school students who do make the switch, their academic achievement goes backwards.
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Maryland's ACLU has led in bringing down all equal opportunity and access to low-income citizens while PRETENDING to advocate for what is A US CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. From housing to education the ACLU has backed education policy leading to exactly where Baltimore is right now----global corporate private education tiered with exclusivity and a steady closing of all public schools.
Below we see how they PRETEND TO ADVOCATE ----Baltimore is slated to be a city of global labor pool workers earning $3-6 a day----$20-30 a day-----all people flowing through Baltimore's Foreign Economic Zone will be poor except that very few global 1% and their 2%.
Maryland Assembly pols will fight to look like they are doing something to protect public schools----students in Baltimore have been made to travel across city and into counties to find a decent public school for their children. All of this happens because a Wall Street Baltimore Development and Johns Hopkins does not want a 99% of people being educated as citizens and leaders.
Again, these policies will not go towards creating free market small business schools it will all fold into the global IVY LEAGUE campus and a K-12 private campus apprenticeships------there may be a LOYOLA with their global Catholic schools but these funds will not go outside these few institutions.
Sen. Madaleno, ACLU of Maryland, and Educators Call on Gov. Hogan to Withhold Funding for Private Schools
For Immediate Release On
Friday, August 5, 2016
Citing Governor’s Claim of “Declining Revenues,” Groups Ask for Transfer of Public Funding from Private to Public Schools
This morning, Senator Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery-District 18) joined ACLU of Maryland and the more than 72,000 educators of the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) in calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to withhold $5 million set aside for private school vouchers as part of the FY2017 budget. Earlier this week, the governor claimed the state is facing declining revenues in deciding to withhold $25 million that had been set aside for public schools, yet did not decide to hold back funding reserved for private schools. The groups asked the governor to instead send the $5 million in taxpayer dollars to public schools to offset some of the damage from the cuts Gov. Hogan made earlier this week.
“If the state of Maryland cannot afford to spend taxpayer dollars on fixing aging school buildings and preventing class size increases, we certainly cannot afford to help subsidize tuition for those who are already enrolled in private schools,” said Sen. Madaleno. “Budgets are about priorities, and it’s disappointing that the governor is choosing to siphon funding from public schools to help private schools.”
This is the second consecutive year that Gov. Hogan has decided to withhold school funding despite projected budget surpluses. Last year, he withheld $68 million passed in a bipartisan budget from thirteen counties that saw increased class sizes, eliminated educator positions, and cut programs. This year, he held back $25 million in funding that would have supported the maintenance of aging school facilities and helped counties pay for educator pensions without cutting funding levels for classroom instruction.
“We’re disappointed that the governor is more concerned with winning a political argument with Democrats in the legislature than focusing on ways to improve our public schools,” said MSEA Vice President Cheryl Bost. “It’s yet another year of schools trying to do more for students with less help from the state than they expected.”
As a result of Gov. Hogan’s proposal to create a private school voucher program, a $5 million line-item in the budget was included to send taxpayer dollars to private schools. Advocates of the budget move argued that the funding would help students in “struggling” public schools leave for private sector options. However, the administration of that program so far shows that the vast majority of those who will receive vouchers already attend private schools: 79% of those applying and 71% of applicants who will receive vouchers attended private schools last year.
“This is a poorly veiled way of subsidizing private schools,” said Bebe Verdery, Education Reform Director for ACLU of Maryland. “The truth is, this money would go a lot further to help low-income students if it was spent in our taxpayer-funded public school system to improve dilapidated buildings and support student programs.”
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Here is the same Mayor SCMOKE then handing off Baltimore's public schools just so we could be at the place we are today----yes, he knew the MASTER PLAN-----as did O'Malley and the citizens of Baltimore have fought hard and strong to keep their schools public. Baltimore's history is as a city with tons of public schools---it was only at the point of REAGAN and empire-building that BAltimore allowed its entire public school system to decay. CHOKED BACK THE TEARS MY FOOT.
This is the problem for Baltimore citizens in being able to attain any REAL information. All information in BAltimore is controlled by these same institutions----it is all skewed and biased towards wealth and corporate power----no public interest information allowed. Our media outlets feed on this with graduates from these private institutions thinking they are global Wall Street players---Hogan and Baltimore's pols worked to place yet another nail of freedom of information----freedom and opportunity to equal education.
THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 1996----THE SAME TIME OF CLINTON DEFUNDING, DISMANTLING ALL OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALLOWING A STATE OF MARYLAND TO MISAPPROPRIATE ALL FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WAS TO COME TO OUR BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS----
If we know history we know when global Wall Street players are POSING SOCIAL PROGRESSIVE---so here is SCHMOKE today as DEAN of our University of Baltimore telling us private school funding is the future for Baltimore education. HERE LIES THE PROBLEM FOR CITIZENS WANTING STRONG DEMOCRATIC PUBLIC EDUCATION.....and yes, as Baltimore Public Schools were starved of funding from CLINTON/BUSH/OBAMA----Catholic schools moved in and they outnumber today our public schools
If we know history we know when global Wall Street players are POSING SOCIAL PROGRESSIVE---so here is SCHMOKE today as DEAN of our University of Baltimore telling us private school funding is the future for Baltimore education. HERE LIES THE PROBLEM FOR CITIZENS WANTING STRONG DEMOCRATIC PUBLIC EDUCATION.....and yes, as Baltimore Public Schools were starved of funding from CLINTON/BUSH/OBAMA----Catholic schools moved in and they outnumber today our public schools.
This well-regarded Alonzo was straight from NYC Bloomberg K-12 privatization program------------so the city schools have been under attack throughout CLINTON/BUSH/OBAMA
'As well-regarded new CEO Andres Alonso takes the reigns of the Baltimore City schools, he faces more than just a system in turmoil. He has to deal with the mess Baltimore and Annapolis have made'.
100 Years: The State Takes Over City Schools
Part of our "100 Years: The Twelve Events That Shaped Baltimore" series
By Molly Rath
Why It Matters
On November 26, 1996, Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke stood at a podium at downtown's federal courthouse and choked back tears. "I can tell you from the bottom of my heart, everything tells me this is the right thing to do," he said, to raucous applause among elected officials and education leaders and advocates.
Schmoke was formally announcing the creation of a city-state partnership—one that would, hopefully, transform Baltimore City's beleaguered public schools into something resembling a functioning educational system. It was the result of two lawsuits on behalf of students and their parents fed up with the school system's low levels of state funding, and its inability to meet federal special education requirements.
The schools, frankly, were terrible at education and horribly mismanaged. And these problems were contributing in no small measure to the general lack of social cohesion in mid-1990's Baltimore, which was in the midst of a crack epidemic that made the city one of the most dangerous in the nation.
The lawsuits led Baltimore and Annapolis to figure out a way to try to fix the schools. The solutions—the city-state agreement, in which Baltimore agreed to work with (or, as some saw it, work for) state government to repair the school system—was called a sell-out by the school board's die-hard supporters. The charges of betrayal rang in Schmoke's ears that day.
Still, he said that he hoped that this moment would be recalled as "the day that the adults stopped fighting one another and joined and started fighting for the children."
Much of the press's language in the months leading up to that ceremonial moment and the months that followed was similarly monumental: It was a "turning point," "historic," a "fresh start," editorials and news articles asserted; a "new day" that would have a "profound impact" on the city's poor-performing and poorly managed schools.
The partnership was expected to charge in and save the day; it should have been clear that the job of fixing the city's schools would be much, much more difficult.
The partnership became law the following spring, and on June 1, 1997, it went into effect. After almost a century as a city agency, run by a mayor-appointed superintendent and board (who were all fired), the Baltimore City Public School System was now in the trust of an independent body of school commissioners which hired a CEO to run things. "It was dysfunctional to a degree that unless you blew it up, you weren't going to be able to fix it from the inside," says former state Senator Barbara Hoffman, who, with the late Del. Howard "Pete" Rawlings, was lead architect of the legislation that created the partnership. The very next year, at a meeting with state legislators in March 1998, interim city schools CEO Robert Schiller used reams of documents to illustrate the decades of academic and administrative neglect he'd inherited: More than two-thirds of the city's first- through fifth-graders weren't reading or computing at grade level. Fifteen different reading programs were being used in its 122 elementary schools, and not one of those schools was meeting state academic standards. The administrative functions of the system were an even bleaker quagmire of antiquated computer systems that churned out inaccurate enrollment and testing data. The city's crumbling school facilities were in need of $500 million in repairs, and many staffers and teachers were inadequately trained.
Schiller's synopsis prompted state Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick to declare the state of city schools "more sobering than [previously] articulated.
"This system," she said, "is considered the lowest-performing [urban] system in the nation."
A decade and a half-dozen CEOs later, the city-state partnership hasn't lived up to its promise. The school system largely remains a bureaucracy beset by responsibility-ducking and fiscal woes. Baltimore's high school graduation rate is still one of the lowest in the nation among large school systems. Yet the huge class and school sizes that have long impeded student learning have been reduced, and some student test scores have risen steadily and significantly over the years.
Still, even those who helped create the partnership are unsure of how to rate its performance. Says Hoffman: "It may be a failed experiment, and it may not be."
For others, the results are more clear. "I believe very strongly," Schmoke says today, "that if all of us who were involved in education had been able to substantially improve the system and guarantee a great education to all of Baltimore City's children over the last 20 years, we wouldn't have the levels of crime and some of the other problems we're facing in the city."
The city-state partnership brought to light the failings of Baltimore City's public school system, some of which reach back 30 and 40 years. It raised issues of accountability in the system, even if it hasn't necessarily gotten results from that accountability. Along with violent crime, it's the most important issue facing the city. Unfortunately, like homicide, education woes are one of the most debilitating ailments facing the city.
What's ironic is that the partnership may have benefited school systems across the state as much as, if not more than, Baltimore City. The partnership triggered the Thornton Commission, which reviewed state public education funding, and led to the infusion of nearly $8 billion into school systems across the state over the last six years. "One of the impacts of the reform effort is that there's a recognition that there is a constitutional duty by the state to adequately fund public schools," the American Civil Liberties Union's Bebe Verdery says. "That was caused by the ACLU suit, the Baltimore City reform effort, and the city-state partnership. Now, people want to run for elective office on it. There's a universal awareness now that just did not exist."
JUST TO UPDATE THIS------AFTER THORNTON WAS PASSED AND MORE FUNDING SENT TO BALTIMORE---THE FRAUD AND CORRUPTION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM WAS LEFT IN PLACE----THERE WAS THE SAME MOVEMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDS AWAY FROM OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS----IT WAS SMOKE AND MIRROR. THE ACLU HAS STAGED WHAT WILL BE THE TOTAL PRIVATIZATION OF WHAT IS LEFT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH A $1 BILLION SCHOOL BUILDING BOND PASSED RIGHT AS NATIONAL MEDIA WAS SHOUTING BOND MARKET COLLAPSE AND ECONOMIC CRASH.
The road to the city-state schools partnership dates back to 1983, when education officials from Baltimore City and the Eastern Shore filed a lawsuit which argued that the state was not fulfilling its constitutional duty to adequately educate the state's children, namely its poor. The suit was based on the fact that the Maryland constitution says the state must ensure a "thorough and efficient system of free public schools."
One of the first "equity" cases in the country, the plaintiffs asserted that they weren't getting as much state education funding as Maryland's richer counties. And while the court agreed that their children should indeed get an adequate education, the decision was that the plaintiffs had no right to equal funding. Case closed.
But the ACLU saw opportunity, and spent the next decade laying the groundwork for another suit in which the plaintiffs weren't faceless jurisdictions but parents of at-risk students in Baltimore City, where the educational inequities in the state were most poignant. "In the early 90's," Verdery says, "there was an increase in recognition and acceptance of state standards, and that is when it became so starkly evident that the children of Baltimore City were not achieving at the levels of other districts."
In December 1994, the ACLU sued the state on behalf of lead plaintiffs Keith and Stephanie Bradford, arguing that, because the city had the lowest test scores in the state, the lowest graduation rates, and the highest proportion of disadvantaged students, the system was woefully underfunded. The state counter-sued, asserting that the problems were not a result of insufficient funding, but poor school system management. Baltimore City filed its own education funding lawsuit against the state in late 1995, and the cases were consolidated into the Bradford suit.
A series of meetings between the parties and Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Joseph H. H. Kaplan led to a settlement agreement signed on Nov. 26, 1996, a day before the case was slated for trial.
"The idea was to try to create a settlement that involved all parties of litigation and get them to focus on the common needs of the children, rather than the needs of the parties to the litigation," says Schmoke, now dean of Howard University's law school in Washington, D.C. "The partnership was an idea that came about by necessity. We came to a recognition that we were spending millions of dollars on litigation and that money could be better spent on students. But the only way the state was going to give us extra money was by gaining more control over the operations of the system."
Under the agreement, the state would give city schools, roughly, an extra $50 million a year for five years—but Annapolis wanted a voice in how that money was going to be spent and how the school system was going to be run. The mayor-controlled school board and superintendent would be dismissed, and the system would move under the control of a nine-member school board selected by the mayor and governor; that new board, in turn, would hire a CEO to run the system.
A mid-term evaluation showed that state education dollars still fell grossly short of what was needed to adequately educate Baltimore's children, and the city requested an additional $265 million in early 1999, with Judge Kaplan echoing its plea. Governor Parris N. Glendening denied the request, but not without state legislators from other distressed jurisdictions taking notice.
"I talked with a lawyer from Allegheny County, and Prince George's County was getting ready to sue," Verdery recalls. "So we had Judge Kaplan's ruling, and we had other counties starting to rumble and sending politicians the message that they were willing to sue, too."
Keep in mind as all Maryland State and Federal Education funding coming to Baltimore was being misappropriated and lost to fraud and corruption------at this same time FOR-PROFIT HIGHER EDUCATION corporations were being created in Baltimore -----Washington beltway taking billions from higher education funding----ALL THE WHILE ACLU NOT SAYING A THING-----it was well known.
With the constitutional question of the state's obligation to fund public education front-and-center, and a likely spike in litigation looming, the state legislature established the Thornton Commission on Education Finance, Equity and Excellence in 1999 to examine the state's school funding formula.
The commission's findings led to passage of legislation in 2002 that required the state to pump an additional $1.3 billion a year into public education over six years to bring all the state's school systems up to adequate funding levels. Between fiscal years 2003 and 2008, Baltimore's take has been $258 million; it's a lot, but it's still far short of the amount needed.
In the days following passage of the Thornton bill, a New York Times editorial lauded Maryland's "visionary school plan," saying that "More than 40 states have been sued for failing to provide poor districts with enough money to educate children up to the standards articulated in their own laws.
"Instead of fighting it out in court," the editorial continued, "Marylanders have decided to level the public school playing field as quickly as possible—so that all the state's children have a chance at decent lives. Other states, including New York and California, could learn from this enlightened example."
For 18 of the state's 24 jurisdictions, these are enlightened days: They will have exceeded "adequate" funding levels when the six years are up. But Baltimore City is one of the six areas that won't. With this year's shot of Thornton funds, Baltimore schools will still be inadequately funded, according to the measures the Thornton Commission used in its initial review. "The issue is still funding," Schmoke says, 20 years after he was elected mayor on a promise to turn around Baltimore City's then-as-now ailing schools.
But not all of the school system's problems can be remedied with more money. There's the oft-maligned "North Avenue" (the location of the school administration HQ) that, in the view of many, keeps the system from working efficiently. Other critics point out that the partnership was overly optimistic, and that it lacked foresight and was riddled with flaws—resulting in huge budget deficits and bitter political tangling between Governor Robert Ehrlich and wannabe Governor/Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley during the 2006 gubernatorial election.
Still, the partnership hasn't been all bad. Student achievement is up, if still lagging behind statewide averages. Since 1997, the city's giant (and often notorious) high schools have been broken up into smaller academies. A Kindergarten through Grade 8 model has replaced some middle schools. Pre-K classes have been expanded. And the amount of city school funding given by the state has more than doubled.
"Test scores in elementary schools have gone up every year since the city-state partnership," Verdery says. "That is a remarkable trajectory that is probably unmatched by any other urban school system in the country. And the city school system has funded a number of reforms that would not have been possible without additional funding."
Ten years on, what differences has the partnership made? One of the biggest criticisms of the partnership is that there was never any real accountability built in, allowing the city, state and various other parties involved to alternately duck blame for mistakes and take credit where convenient. But at least accountability became an issue during the course of the last decade, and it's a regular part of the lexicon when it comes to discussing local education reforms. Prior to 1997, that clearly wasn't the case.
There's the simple fact that the very issue of education in Baltimore City has gained prominence and staying power. School stories consistently land on the front page of area newspapers, and lead the top of local television news hours.
And be it Ehrlich and O'Malley, or Mayor Sheila Dixon and her lead mayoral opponent Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr., politicians are increasingly using their positions on city school reforms to distinguish themselves from one another.
But ten years on, the only thing politicians can still agree on is that the school system is incredibly important to the citizens of Baltimore. "So many of the problems are interrelated," says former Mayor Schmoke. "If Baltimore could advertise having a great public school system, [it] would be a huge benefit to many other aspects of quality of life."
The partnership was born with unrealistic expectations, and it's been unable to complete its mission. But it did put education on the radar for local and state politicians, which has meant more money for schools across Maryland.
As well-regarded new CEO Andres Alonso takes the reigns of the Baltimore City schools, he faces more than just a system in turmoil. He has to deal with the mess Baltimore and Annapolis have made.
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When one sees a riot as we did in Baltimore we are seeing citizens-----fed up with the lying, cheating, stealing of Baltimore's 5% to the 1% players. Everyone know the importance of education in one's future and all citizens in Baltimore know Wall Street Baltimore Development and Johns Hopkins and their pols have NO INTENTION of allowing good public schools and access for all. What do citizens do when the entire Baltimore City Hall----public justice-----legal system and courts are corrupt and working for that global 1%? What do they do when all NGOs and corporate non-profits are led by the same global Wall Street players PRETENDING TO FEEL THEIR PAIN?
WE THE PEOPLE are heading for even more hardship as these global Wall Street players take us to the DARK AGES. We cannot win if we resort to violence----allow anger and hate to divide the 99%----all this makes it impossible to think clearly, strategize, organize with REAL LEADERS----INFORMATION----GOOD INTEL----is vital.
If each citizen does not return to the days of writing and distributing newsletters filled with public policy discussion---filled with history inside Baltimore and global history to keep real information circulating ----
THE GLOBAL WALL STREET PLAYERS ARE DELIBERATELY CLOSING ALL AVENUES TO REAL INFORMATION---WE MUST REBUILD OUR MEDIA AND JOURNALISM.
It is not hard-----it can take a few hours a day -----create first for a community then for a state---then across the nation ====please move away from only talking about policy brutality.
THEY ARE RIGHT!............................
'Baltimore ‘Protesters,’ You Are Not Fighting Injustice. You Are The Injustice'.
Nothing says that more than these MOVING FORWARD EDUCATION PRIVATIZATION POLICIES.
Baltimore ‘Protesters,’ You Are Not Fighting Injustice. You Are The Injustice.
Matt Walsh Apr 28, 2015 12:30 pm
It bears repeating: the “protesters” in Baltimore aren’t fighting injustice — they are the injustice.
They are violence and destruction. There is no message. There is no voice to be heard. There is no consideration we should give these people. Their actions deserve only condemnation, and that’s all.
A Baltimore council member appeared on Fox News last night and lightly chastised the rioters for “speaking out in a very wrong way.” But, no, they’re not. They’re not speaking out in a wrong way. They’re not speaking out at all. These people are communicating nothing but chaos and greed. That’s what happens when you destroy your own community to make a point. Immediately and completely, your point is moot. Nobody cares what you have to say, nor should they. You are now the problem.
[sharequote align=”center”]You lose the right to be taken seriously the moment you start demolishing stores and chucking rocks.[/sharequote]
You lose the right to be taken seriously the moment you start demolishing drug stores and chucking rocks. I think that’s a reasonable rule, isn’t it? I don’t have to listen to you if your method of communication involves burning a city to the ground. That’s fair, right?
Let’s make another thing clear: apologists will argue that only a small group of “agitators” are responsible for the riots while everyone else was peaceful, but that’s bull crap.
There were no peaceful protestors in Baltimore last night. You don’t end up with 144 vehicles on fire, 15 buildings torched, and 200 arrests from just a small group of agitators. This was an entire inner city erupting in violence. This was dozens of square miles plagued by riots and looting.
This is a war zone, and there have already been 15 officer seriously maimed in the melee.
There were no peaceful protests. This was a citywide riot. Period.
To be honest, I’m taking this one personally because I’ve lived in the Baltimore area for most of my life. I know the town very well. Those places you see on the news are familiar to me, except this is the first time I’ve had the chance to see them all in flames.
My family lives there. My parents aren’t far from where this violence is beginning to spill into.
I’m in Utah as I write this, but my wife and kids are still in Maryland, and she and my parents and my sister were planning a trip to the Baltimore Zoo yesterday. Fortunately, they decided to cancel. If they hadn’t, they would have been a half a mile from where swarms of black teens were tearing the Mondawmin Mall to shreds.
But then, the zoo hasn’t been the safest destination for a while now.
People who’ve lived around Baltimore know that it’s all been slowly consumed and destroyed by inner city elements, and now perhaps that process will be completed in dramatic fashion.
When I was a kid, I used to hang out at the Owings Mills Mall, just four miles from my house and not far from downtown. But then you started hearing about the shootings in the parking lot, and the gangs, and then one night my parents walked right into a drug bust outside the food court, and that was it. Another thing taken from us.
It’s politically incorrect but it’s true: they built a subway stop next to the mall, allowing people from the city to come, and next thing you know the mall is a dangerous, crime-infested ghost town. This is how it always worked. I’ve seen it play out around here dozens of times.
I’m angry about that. I’m allowed to be angry about that.
Maybe this is my way of venting. I think I should be allowed to vent with the written word if these thugs can vent by attacking police officers, lighting senior centers on fire, and looting liquor stores — and still have the media rush to their defense to insist that we should appreciate their anger.
They’re looting for a purpose, we’re told. It’s a movement.
Nonsense.
This is not a movement, it’s just crime. Cops are in hospital beds today. Businesses are destroyed. Homes are in ashes. This town — my town, our town — is reeling because of what these vicious sociopaths have done, and are continuing to do. The place that gave birth to the National Anthem has been turned into a national disgrace.
[sharequote align=”center”]The place that gave birth to the National Anthem has been turned into a national disgrace.[/sharequote]
So, you know what? Screw their anger. Their anger is irrelevant. Their plight, their experience, their background, none of it justifies anything we’ve witnessed. None of it entitles them to act like animals. None of it provides “context” when you ignite buildings then cut the hose as firefighters try to put it out.
Anger. Hey, we’re all angry. Life is difficult and it makes you angry sometimes. Most of us can deal with it in ways that don’t involve firebombing cop cars. Why can’t they? And the rest of us have an extra reason to be angry this morning, after we watched a community turn this country into Beirut.
Yeah, I’m angry about that. And I’m angry that many parts of Baltimore have been a crime ridden cesspool for decades. I’m angry that Baltimore has had one of the highest murder rates in the nation for years, and not due to cops shooting black people, but due to black people shooting black people.
I’m angry that even before these riots, I had to be nervous about bringing my family to the Inner Harbor because of the roving bands of black teens who’d decided to start assaulting and robbing white visitors.
I’m angry that this is the town where a group of black people attacked, robbed, and stripped a white guy naked in the middle of the street for no reason at all, and were never charged with a hate crime.
Demonstrators climb on a destroyed Baltimore Police car in the street near the corner of Pennsylvania and North avenues during violent protests following the funeral of Freddie Gray April 27, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
I’m angry because there are clearly deeply ingrained problems in the inner city black community, but we never talk about them. No matter what happens, they can raze the whole city to rubble, and still we meekly stand to the sidelines and lecture about oppression and racism.
More nonsense.
They’re not oppressed. I mean, good Lord, they were essentially allowed to loot and riot at will last night. I think an oppressive system would have dealt a bit more harshly with them. Indeed, the system should have been more oppressive against this chaos. Rubber bullets, tear gas, fire hose, whatever it takes. Bring out the bus and start arresting people by the dozens.
Yeah, I’m angry.
And I’m especially angry at the narrative.
We’re constantly informed that black people are under attack, yet every symbolic case they choose involves the death of a black person who happened to also be a known criminal.
We still don’t know the circumstances surrounding Freddie Gray’s death (but obviously we should assume, because our assumptions have always been proven correct in the past). We only know that he was arrested and while in custody he was fatally injured.
It certainly seems possible, even likely, that something illegal happened on the part of one or two or several officers. If that is the case, the perpetrators should be brought to justice.
But either way, the fact remains that Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Freddie Gray were not law abiding, helpful, constructive members of society. That doesn’t mean they deserved to die, but it does mean they put themselves in a category of people who are more likely to be involved in violent interactions with cops. And that category isn’t “black people” — it’s “criminals.”
Freddie Gray was a known drug dealer with 18 arrests on his record, yet people have the nerve to complain that we was profiled. Of course he was profiled. He was a thug. A perpetual problem. Is it unreasonable that police officers, somewhere around maybe the 12th or 13th time they arrest you in the span of a couple of years, might start to be suspicious?
The point is, you can’t convince the world that cops are out to exterminate black citizens when your most prominent case studies are men like Brown, Garner and Gray. If they prove anything, it’s that cops tend to get rough with guys who demonstrate a disregard for the law.
Does that justify it? No, but it does take the racial component out of it. Especially considering white people are killed by cops, too — maybe even more often — and, logic would tell us, most of them were involved in criminal activity as well.
I often hear it said that cops are “terrorizing” black people. But if law enforcement can be considered terrorism, what do you say about the people selling poison to kids and shooting each other over who gets to stand on which corner? Are they suddenly the protagonists in this twisted fairy tale?
No, the dealers and thugs and gangsters are the terrorists, and they’re the ones the police have to handle every day, all day, all week, all year, for as long as they stay on the job.
If we’re supposed to appreciate the context which leads a person to smash open a storefront and steal bags of Fritos from the snack aisle, can’t we at least appreciate the context which leads cops to sometimes have a less than pleasant demeanor around predators, deadbeats, and social parasites?
That doesn’t mean they all — white or black – should be shot (although some of them, like Brown, certainly brought it upon themselves), it just means that crooks have a lifestyle that exposes them to this danger more so than the rest of us.
Watching the footage of the Baltimore riots, we see one “protestor” after another complaining that “cops are out here killing black men.” But they completely leave out the first portion of that sentence, which is the part about how black men are out here committing violent crimes.
How can anyone think that the two facts are mutually exclusive and unrelated, as if cops are randomly strolling up to black patrons waiting in line at Starbucks and executing them for the hell of it?
No, black men in the city often lead lives full of crime and violence, and often it ends at the point of a gun. Usually it’s another black criminal holding the gun, but in a small minority of cases, it’s a cop. And in a small minority of that minority, the cop is killing unjustly.
When that happens, the cop should answer for it. But you don’t get to take those instances and use them to paint all cops as villains and all black men as innocent victims. It’s absurd, and these riots illustrate the absurdity in stark detail.
One interview I saw last night was with a guy complaining that the cops had shot him and his group with beanbags. He showed off his battle scars and acted quite flabbergasted by the whole thing. Finally the reporter asked him what they were doing when the bags were fired at them, and the man quickly and matter-of-factly admitted that they were throwing bottles.
Oh.
So, um, maybe that’s why you have those bruises? Possibly? You think?
Cops can’t win, can they? Apparently, according to some folks, you should be able to hurl glass objects at their faces without fear of “police brutality.” Cops should not only be peaceful under all circumstances, but should be like uniformed Bhuddas patrolling our cities and never reacting violently to anything, under any circumstance, because racism or something
Speaking of racism, the Baltimore Police Department is almost 50 percent black. It’s run by a black commissioner and a black deputy commissioner, and they all answer to a black mayor. If there is “institutional racism” in the BPD, where’s it coming from?
If anything, this all debunks that talk about how the Ferguson Police Department needed more minority representation. The Baltimore PD is a black department run by black people, and what difference did it make? Still, they riot and complain about “racist cops.”
Racism is a human sin and institutions are human constructions. For an institution to be racist, the people who run it would have to be racist. Otherwise, you’re suggesting that the very act of policing is inherently unfair to blacks, which therefore suggest — what? — that black people are naturally incapable of following the law?
Talk about a racist point of view.
And that’s what I can’t stand about the constant apologizing and rationalizing that people do on behalf of these rioters. It infantilizes the black community. It sends the message that society shouldn’t expect more from them; that somehow we can’t hold black people responsible for annihilating their own neighborhoods the way we would with white people.
It’s insulting.
Disgusting, frankly.
If I were a black person, I would be infuriated by pretentious white liberals constantly explaining why black people should be given a free pass when they loot and destroy. They’re the real racists.
As far as institutions and systems go, if you want to blame them for anything, blame them for being cowardly, negligent, and incompetent. The system is not governed by racists; it’s governed by impotent fools who care only about the optics and the politics of the thing, even when lives are at stake. That’s the true evil of the system.
In Baltimore, the mayor actually got in front of cameras and announced a plan to give the looters “space to destroy.” This is a woman elected to lead a major American city, and this is what she calls leadership.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s performance is another defeat for affirmative action “diversity” advocates. By their logic, a black woman should be best equipped to handle these race riots, but instead she’s proven historically inept. Martin O’Malley used to be mayor, and he was terrible, but her crisis management skills make him look like Winston Churchill by comparison.
The police stood by for hours and watched swarms of people commit serious felonies, not because they didn’t want to act, but because the bureaucrats and politicians in charge presumably told them to stand down. They didn’t want the news cameras to catch law enforcement officers in the act of enforcing the law. That would just be unseemly.
Time to get with the times. The system isn’t designed to keep the black man down anymore, it’s just designed to keep hapless idiots in power by insulating them from blame when they make minor mistakes like explicitly allowing their city to be pillaged and demolished.
Police in riot gear charge as they try to push protesters away during a march in honor of Freddie Gray on April 25, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
But maybe we shouldn’t be talking about the system at all, as flawed as it may be. Maybe we should be talking about the individual.
This whole thing is, after all, a sad metaphor. A microcosm, you might say. Watching Baltimore be eaten alive by thugs, I realize that we’re only witnessing the condensed version of what’s been happening in this city, and many other cities, for a longtime.
These are individuals making violent and terrible choices. Emphasis on choices. And they’re making these choices largely because they’re mad about the state of their communities — but it’s their choices that turned their communities into hellholes in the first place.
When they protest, they protest themselves.
Here’s the answer, then. The black community in Baltimore, and in every other city, can stop “protesting” some external boogeyman, and start taking charge of itself.
You want to lash out against what’s happening in your neighborhood? Good. You should.
So get a job. Get an education. Get married before you have kids, and then stay and raise them. Move forward. Work for something better. Work.
Worried about the government and policies and law enforcement and all of that? Fine, after you’ve completed, or started on the path towards completing, the first steps, the next is to get involved.
How many of these “protestors” have actually been to a city council meeting? How many stay abreast of the issues and vote for better leadership on Election Day? How many do you think? What percentage?
One percent? Less?
None?
Well, there you go. Job, education, family, community involvement.
Notice, setting a CVS ablaze didn’t appear on my list.
If you want a better community, you’d do these things. If you don’t, you’ll keep rioting.
Either way, it’s your choice.
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As ONE WORLD ONE GOVERNANCE US cities as Foreign Economic Zones is installed global labor pool workers from around the world will fill US cities including that global 1% and their 2%. What are historically private and exclusive schools----will recruit globally for those students. So pathways that were once assured for anyone able to pay higher and higher tuition will disappear----global neo-liberal education in Asia is about HYPER-COMPETITION ---they make sure there are such limited space for schools tracking to high end jobs that parents and students are CAPTURED---LITERALLY-----made to do anything they are told---like Baltimore's corrupt political system----and only the same global 1% and their 2% win-----the achievement and scores have always been JUKED----they will become more JUKED as the quality of students now global Wall Street players falls.
These are the structures that will be getting these private vouchers---these executives will decide who are winners and losers---and the sad thing about this ----it is religious schools fighting to be that ELITE EDUCATION ----THAT ELITE SCHOOL-----and these are the 5% to the 1% religious leaders. THERE IS NOTHING RELIGIOUS ABOUT ELITISM.....
For Baltimore this is what makes for our RACE AND CLASS issues-----the middle-lower-poor 99% need to wake up and fight for what makes a person a citizen or a slave.
You notice most of our TV and radio personalities graduate from these private schools.
I watch Baltimore's young people tracked through these LEADERSHIP programs tied to being a global Wall Street player and it is pitiful-----these young adults are not learning a thing about being free----about being a leader----about building a future for family and community---they are tied to this hyper-competition for simply a JOB.
The 50 Best Private Day Schools in the United States
Private day schools are popular options for families seeking a high-quality education. Students receive a world-class education while maintaining their residence with their families. A great private day school—that is, a private high school without boarding facilities—will challenge students to achieve not only academic success, but personal success as well. (Compare our articles The 50 Best Public High Schools in the U.S. and The 50 Best Colleges in the U.S.)
The rankings below have been compiled on the basis of a number of factors. In terms of academic excellence, the schools on the following list maintain a superior level of instruction, quality relationships with top-tier colleges, and additional academic awards and honors. The majority of students who attend these day schools attend Ivy League universities or the colleges just underneath the Ivies in college ranking materials.
Because diversity of the student body is integral to preparing students for living and working in a connected, global society, we factor this into our criteria for the rankings. The diversity of a student population, as well as opportunities to connect to the world, are telling factors of a school’s commitment to preparing its students for the world outside of the school environment.
The third aspect assessed for this listing consists of intangible factors, such as innovative degree programs in the arts, current student satisfaction with their high school, quality and experience of the faculty, or modern lab or athletic facilities. Also, we have striven for as much geographical diversity as is consistent with our other criteria.
Note about boarding schools: Schools that receive day students along with boarding students will be included in a follow-up article on boarding schools. This article focuses on private high schools that do not provide boarding facilities.
Note about tuition: The tuition price comes from the most current figure posted on the school’s websites. Most of the numbers listed are exclusive of textbooks, lunches, and other fees.
Note about alumni/alumnae: In some cases, notable persons who attended a school, but did not graduate, are also listed.
* * *
1Trinity School(New York, New York)
Trinity School, founded in 1709, is an independent, co-ed school located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Trinity consistently ranks as the foremost private day school in the country, and for good reasons: over 80% of its faculty holds an advanced degree and the school funnels out students to the best colleges in the nation.
In addition to housing a full Classics department, Trinity also offers a huge array of special programs to ensure that students develop their interests outside the classroom.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
2Roxbury Latin School(Boston, Massachusetts)
Located in southwest Boston, the all-men Roxbury Latin School is known for turning out National Merit Scholars, as well as Ivy-bound students.
Founded in 1645, Roxbury Latin is one the oldest, operating private schools in the country. Its rankings speak to its rigorous academic preparation and excellent faculty.
For a small school, the musical groups on campus are impressive: a glee club, an a capella group, a junior chorus, a jazz band, and various chamber ensembles are available for student participation.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
3Brearley School(New York, New York)
The Brearley School, an all-women’s, non-denominational school located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is a champion of diversity. Forty-four percent of the student body is comprised of students of color.
Brearley’s emphasis on academics is witnessed by its high Ivy League/MIT/Stanford placement rate of 37%.
The school encourages its students to take advantage of its many study abroad and exchange programs, which include countries like India, China, and Vietnam, as well as the more traditional European study abroad destinations.
The school also has a thriving arts program.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
4Horace Mann School(New York, New York)
In the Riverdale section of the Bronx, one will discover the 18-acre campus of the Horace Mann School, which is recognized as one of the top feeder schools to the Ivies.
Horace Mann seeks to educate the whole person inside and outside of the classroom: In addition to offering an assortment of co-curricular activities, students are required to pass a swim test, learn CPR, and complete community service hours as part of their graduation requirements.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
5Winsor School(Boston, Massachusetts)
The Winsor School, founded in 1886, is one of the top all-women’s prep schools in the country. Its academic excellence is evidenced by its high average combined SAT score of 2100 and its Ivy League/MIT/Stanford matriculation rate of 35%.
Winsor enrolls approximately 430 students from diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. For further enrichment, the school offers off-campus programs, exchanges to China and France, and semesters at the Mountain School in Vermont.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
College Prep of Oakland, a co-educational, private school, is one of the most selective private day schools in the country, with a population of only 320 students.
The highly-selective admissions process guarantees a high-caliber student upon entrance, which typically results in these students’ becoming freshmen at the nation’s top colleges—22 students from College Prep have become Stanford students upon graduation during the last five years alone.
Students participate in Intraterm each year, a specialized program for enrichment the week before spring break.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Collegiate School, an all-men’s private school located in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, traces back its history to 1628, making it one of the oldest schools in the U.S.
In addition to boasting a stellar average combined SAT score (2195) and Ivy League/MIT/Stanford acceptance rate (41%), Collegiate is distinguished by having the best soccer team in the state among private schools.
Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the school’s prime New York City location by enrolling in CITYterm, which uses the Manhattan cityscape as its classroom.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
An all-women’s school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Spence School offers a global learning community within its campus.
Over 33% of the student body consists of students of color, and the curriculum at Spence is designed so that a student can identify herself and sees her culture and heritage reflected in her studies. The English Department hosts an array of classes focusing on literature from specific regions around the world.
Upper School students can choose from among 40 clubs and activities.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Harvard-Westlake (H-W) is a private, co-ed school that spans two campuses on the west side of Los Angeles, between Bel Air and Beverly Hills.
A distinguishing feature of the school is its focus on character education and ethical leadership, which is built into the curriculum.
H-W allows for directed study and independent study. Travel is encouraged, both abroad or domestically (at the Mountain School or the High Mountain Institute).
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
The Dalton school, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is the home of the Dalton Plan, an educational model adopted by schools globally. The plan comprises three parts (Home, Assignment, and Lab), as well as programs designed to meet a student’s individual needs.
Seniors stay busy at Dalton: On top of the senior initiative and project, the school mandates an internship program in the senior year to give students hands-on experience for post-grad life.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
The Chapin School is an all-women’s school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. All students attend school under one roof to maintain a sense of continuity and community.
Chapin has an extensive network of partnerships for students to complete summer internships, including a partnership with the Foreign Policy Association.
Students may also enroll in an elective service-learning course that is designed to incorporate meaningful community service into teaching and learning about civic responsibility and social issues.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Princeton Day School (PDS) is a private, co-educational day school.
PDS is naturally a feeder school for nearby Princeton University; however, many graduates go on to attend other top-ranked colleges such as NYU, Cornell, Tufts, and Georgetown.
Not only does PDS more than adequately prepare students for the best colleges in the country, it incorporates a number of special programs to nurture the student as a complete individual. There is a two-day celebration of creativity featuring guest artists and a five-week seminar for seniors, “A Life That Works,” which gathers seniors to investigate spiritual and practical dimensions of life relevant to shaping their futures.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Saint Ann’s School is a non-sectarian, co-educational, private day school located in the Brooklyn Heights section of New York City.
There are a couple of keys that separate Saint Ann’s school from the other schools on this list.
First, the school doesn’t have a grading system and prefers to have its teachers prepare full-page reports on each student to give what they deem a more accurate reflection of the learning that took place.
A spotlight on the arts is another feature unique to Saint Ann’s, in that the school considers the arts to be central elements to a student’s education.
Juniors and seniors help design their own curriculum.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
14Germantown Friends School(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Germantown Friends School is a co-educational, private day school located in Philly’s historic Germantown neighborhood. The school maintains its roots in, and maintains strong connections with, the Society of Friends.
Germantown Friends is known for its strong academic preparation: 10–20% of graduates enroll at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania.
The school keeps it values close in mind both inside and outside of the classroom, making for a rich education in the development of the individual students.
In keeping with its spiritual values, Germantown Friends does not calculate GPA for class rank and does not have a Valedictorian or Salutatorian. Instead, graduating classes elect a faculty member and a classmate to deliver ceremonial speeches.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
The National Cathedral School (NCS) is a private, all-women’s Episcopal day school in the McLean Gardens neighborhood of our nation’s capital.
NCS was built before the National Cathedral itself, and maintains its heritage through weekly chapel services by school division and ecumenical, thematic Friday services.
Thirty-five percent of the student body is made up of students of color.
Athletic participation, which includes dance and yoga classes as well as outdoor recreation, is mandatory for all students.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
The Lab School (as it is universally known), which is located on the campus of the University of Chicago in the Hyde Park neighborhood of the city, is a private, co-educational day school that takes pride in its diverse campus culture.
The school was founded in 1896 by Professor John Dewey, one of the foremost philosophers, educators, and public intellectuals in America’s history.
Students learn about cultural, communicative ethics, and civility education, and participate in an outstanding World Languages program.
Students at the Lab School are known for their excellence in scholastic journalism, as well.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
17Collegiate School(Richmnond, Virginia)
Collegiate School, which is located in Virginia’s state capital (and should not be confused with the New York City school of the same name), is a private, co-educational day school committed to academic and personal excellence.
All students participate in community service projects; seniors complete short internships prior to graduation as a graduation requirement. To prepare students for the world beyond academia, Collegiate weaves both economics education and global education into its entire curriculum.
Recently, Collegiate initiated a Global Education Mission, creating partnerships with schools in China, India, Mexico, and Spain, and expanded its oral proficiency requirements for foreign language study. It is also home to the International Emerging Leaders Conference.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
18St. Andrew’s Episcopal School(Ridgeland, Mississippi)
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, which is located just north of Jackson, Mississippi (and should not be confused with several other schools of the same name in other states), is an independent, co-ed, college prep school for students in grades pre-K through 12.
St. Andrew’s consistently leads the state in the percentage of National Merit Semi-finalists. In addition to a fine academic tradition, St. Andrew’s students grow as individuals in a variety of ways, one of which is that they complete an astounding 100 hours of community service projects before graduation. The school has established a focus on global studies through the St. Andrew’s International Society, the Global Speakers program, and by providing exchange programs with schools in Japan, China, Mexico, Ghana, Scotland, Spain, France, and India.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Delbarton is a Catholic, all-men’s school located just west of Newark, New Jersey.
In addition to its commitment to academic excellence, Delbarton promotes the values of cooperative living in a global society.
Through its study abroad programs, notable international guest speakers, and an award-winning Model U.N., students gain significant insight into the outside world.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Located in Boston’s Back Bay East neighborhood, Commonwealth is a private, co-ed day school with a prestigious academic standing. Historically, two-thirds of each graduating class is recognized by the National Merit Scholar program.
The school views community service as an integral part of developing the whole person; therefore, students are required to complete 70 hours of service by the beginning of their junior years.
Additionally, the school mandates that students participate in the on-campus Jobs Program, in which students sign up to complete a variety of practical, common tasks on a regular basis.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
A private school in the north part of Seattle, the Lakeside School presents an intense academic program that exceeds the rigor of AP classes; thus, AP classes are not offered.
Lakeside has one of the most diverse student populations, with over half of the student body comprised of students of color.
The history of engaging students in global affairs dates back to the famous 1984 chess match against Moscow School students. Today, the school’s Global Service Learning Program “aims at helping students gain a broader view of the world while helping the underprivileged around the world.”
Students also have numerous opportunities for study abroad, both domestically and internationally.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
An all-men’s, Catholic day school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Regis High School has a rigorous set of criteria for acceptance, and is widely regarded as a feeder school to the Ivies and other top U.S. colleges and universities.
Run by the Jesuit order, Regis combines a commitment to academic excellence with a focus on religiously guided values.
Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area. All students receive a tuition-free education.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Rye Country Day School, which was founded in 1869, is a co-ed day school in a town on Long Island Sound, north of New Rochelle on Connecticut border.
While Rye Country Day has a consistent rate of students who matriculate into top-tier schools, it also maintains a deep commitment to community service.
Diversity also plays a prominent role on campus: Out of the many co-curricular clubs and activities Rye offers, nine are student clubs that promote diversity on the campus.
The school requires a Senior Term mandatory graduation project. .
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Crystal Springs Uplands School, is an independent, co-ed private school located south of San Francisco, near San Mateo.
The school was among the first private schools to wave goodbye to the College Board’s AP courses. This was done so that teachers could design even more challenging coursework and students could initiate projects, internships, investigative research, and global experiences. However, students may elect to take the AP exams.
In terms of diversity, over 50% of the student population are students of color.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
The Buckingham School (1889) and Browne & Nichols School (1883) merged in 1974, creating a dynamic co-educational institution (BB&N). The three separate campuses are located within a few miles of each other in the western part of Cambridge, between the Charles River and historic Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
BB&N’s excellent academics prepares students for acceptance and success at the nation’s top colleges. Participation in sports is mandatory for all students.
BB&N students produce several publications, which have received national recognition.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a nonsectarian, all-men’s day school located in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of north Dallas. The school’s academic performance record shines in the light of its many graduates who attend the nation’s best colleges.
St. Mark’s makes concerted efforts towards environmental sustainability, for which the school has received accolades.
Outdoor education is an integral part of the St. Mark’s experience and is required of all students.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
San Francisco University High School (popularly known as “University”) opened in 1975 as a co-ed private school in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of the city.
Independent learning and self-directed projects are a valuable and unique asset to the excellent curriculum the school offers.
At University, community service learning requirements are mandatory. Over 40% of the student body is composed of students of color.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Founded in 1889, Marlborough School is a private, all-women’s day school located in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Central L.A. It is the oldest school for women in Southern California.
Marlborough hosts a premiere Visiting Scholars program. While Marlborough does not require community service from its students, it is a valued, encouraged, and integral part of daily student life.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Home to the largest campus in the New York City area, Riverdale Country School is a co-ed, private school located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.
The school has decided to forgo AP course offerings so that more challenging and innovative classes would be available to students.
Additionally, all students are required to have three arts credits towards graduation—a nod to the emphasis on a strong and thriving arts program.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Latin School of Chicago (known locally as “Latin”), founded in 1888, is a private, coeducational college preparatory school located in the city’s affluent Gold Coast neighborhood. It is the oldest independent day school in the city of Chicago.
Latin School’s mission is to provide students with an academically rigorous and innovative educational program in a community that embraces diversity of people, cultures, and ideas. Latin’s aim is “to inspire its students to pursue their passions and lead lives of purpose and excellence.”
Latin offers many innovative electives in every subject area, in addition to the core requirements. Many classes have a real-life-experience component, which helps to bring the material to life, including mock trials, hands-on labs, and a Model U.N. simulation.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
31Ethical Culture Fieldston School(New York, New York)
Ethical Culture Fieldston School (popularly known as “Fieldston”) was founded in 1878 with the goal of educating New York City’s working class children.
Located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Fieldston is sponsored by the secular humanist Society for Ethical Culture. True to its heritage in the Progressive Era movement, Fieldston mandates courses in ethics and philosophy, as well as a minimum of 60 documented hours of community service.
The school no longer offers AP coursework, in an effort to go above and beyond teaching-to-the-test, and chooses to implement more innovative and challenging classes instead.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
32Potomac School(McLean, Virginia)
Just outside of Washington, D.C., lies the 90-acre campus of the Potomac School.
This private, co-educational school presents students with the opportunity to complete a concentration in Visual and Performing Arts in music, theater, or visual arts.
Character development and community service are integral parts of the standard curriculum, as well.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Branson School, which is located near San Rafael in Marin County, 11 miles north of San Francisco, was founded in 1920. Today, Branson is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory day school with only 320 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12.
Through the vitality, breadth, and rigor of its programs, Branson encourages students to think critically, communicate clearly, develop their individual talents and interests, and pursue a lifelong passion for learning. Foreign language requirements are rigorous, with three years in one language, and two years each of two different languages required.
Community service is also a priority: Freshmen must complete five Core and 10 Support hours, and sophomores, juniors, and seniors must complete 15 Core and 10 Support hours each year (where Core hours = hours spent working directly with people in need, and Support hours = hours spent indirectly helping those in need).
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
34Brunswick School(Greenwich, Connecticut)
Brunswick School is an all-men’s, college preparatory, private day school located just over the NY/CT state line.
Brunswick has a high matriculation rate to the country’s most competitive colleges. However, competition does not end at the classroom doors: Participation in sports is required of all students.
Brunswick students have unique study abroad opportunities, including an Arabic year abroad, and a choice of six single-semester programs, notably in the Bahamas and in Switzerland.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
35Maret School(Washington, D.C.)
Maret School, founded in 1911, is a private school on a single campus in the Woodley Park neighborhood of our nation’s capital.
Over 40% of Maret students identify themselves as students of color.
Foreign language instruction is a focus of the curriculum, and students have the opportunity to travel to Honduras, India, and France for summer course credits.
Each student is expected to take visual and performing arts classes, as well.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
36Baldwin School(Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania)
Baldwin School, an all-women’s, private day school located west of Philadelphia on that city’s historic “Main Line.” The school’s main building is included in the National Register of Historic Places.
Baldwin no longer offers AP coursework and chooses instead to present an even more rigorous curriculum to students. Baldwin students care deeply about environmental sustainability, the arts, athletics, and diversity. Over 35% of students are persons of color.
Baldwin requires its students to participate in athletics or physical education.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Haverford School is an all-men’s, nonsectarian, private college preparatory day school located nine miles outside of Philadelphia on that city’s historic “Main Line.” Its reputation as a pillar of academic excellence is long-standing and graduates gain admission into America’s top colleges year after year.
Haverford incorporates the idea of service learning into its curriculum; each student needs to complete an entire service project each school year.
The school emphasizes environmental sustainability on campus and within the Montgomery County community.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Nightingale-Bamford School is an all-women’s day school located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Diversity plays an important role on and off campus: More than 30% of the student population is made up of students of color and students are encouraged to go on the various study abroad trips that span the globe.
Curricular enrichment includes a freshman class trip to the U.K., specialized programs in science, creative writing, visual education, and theater, taking full advantage of the school’s prime New York City location.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
39Hopkins School(New Haven, Connecticut)
Hopkins is a private, co-ed, college prep day school located across town from Yale University. Founded in 1660, it is one of the oldest schools in the nation.
Hopkins boasts both academic and artistic excellence through its wide assortment of course offerings and co-curricular programs in the arts.
Students are introduced to the concept of ethical leadership early on in their Hopkins careers.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Boston University Academy (BUA), founded in 1993, is a private, co-ed high school operated by Boston University (BU) and located on its campus. BUA allows juniors and senior students to take BU classes for college credits.
BUA does not focus on teaching-to-the-test or college admission. Rather, the school provides ample opportunities for students to be exposed to the western tradition of critical thinking, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
St. John’s School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school located in Houston’s River Oaks neighborhood.
The school’s mission is to create excellent citizens and leaders, particularly for the Houston area and for the U.S. in general. One hundred percent of students participate in community service, although the school does not require it.
Students are encouraged to complete both independent and directed study projects.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
42Pingry School(Martinsville, New Jersey)
The Pingry School is a private country day school located not far west of New York City, just north of New Brunswick.
Pingry is home not only to an excellent academic reputation, but also to championship athletic teams and a strong tradition in scholastic press.
Approximately 86% of Upper School students participate in a variety of sports on 55 varsity and junior varsity boys and girls teams.
A multicultural curriculum and cultural competency are valuable part of campus life.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
North Shore Country Day School is a private, coeducational, college preparatory day school, which was founded in 1919 and is located near Lake Michigan just north of Chicago.
Through a range of experiences in and out of the classroom, North Shore students are immersed in science, mathematics, humanities, language, and the arts. The school’s broad and ever-evolving curriculum challenges and engages students to strive for personal growth and academic excellence.
North Shore also prides itself on the fact that each student is a part of a community “where each has a voice, is known and is valued.” In addition, “Teachers use global connections to tie learning to real life applications. And students receive a well-rounded education including participation in the arts, athletics and service.”
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
44Sidwell Friends School(Washington, D.C. & Bethesda, Maryland)
Sidwell Friends School is a private, co-ed day school founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, who had formerly taught in a Baltimore school run by the Society of Friends. Sidwell Friends now has two campuses, in Washington, D.C., and in Bethesda, Maryland.
Guided by its Quaker values, students commit to practice environmental stewardship and to appreciate the differences in one another; there is no class ranking system.
Sidwelll Friends offers a unique and extensive Chinese Studies program. Graduates matriculate at the nation’s top universities.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
45Gilman School(Baltimore, Maryland)
A private, all-men’s school founded in 1897, the Gilman School has the distinction of being the nation’s first country day school.
Gilman is committed to the development of the individual, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Students are required to take visual and performing arts classes, as well as religion courses. They are also required to participate in athletics and community service projects.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
46Greenhill School(Addison, Texas)
The Greenhill School, a co-ed, non-denominational private day school, lies just outside the city limits on the northwest side of Dallas.
Greenhill offers students the unique chance to shape their own course of study, working with advisers to make class selections pertinent to their needs and interests after the first two years of core study.
The school’s core principles are honor, respect, and compassion, which are instilled in each student, and, “combined with the balanced education, fully prepare them for success throughout their lives.”
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
47Tower Hill School(Wilmington, Delaware)
Founded in 1919 with a commitment to progressive education methods, Tower Hill School is rated one of the best college preparatory schools in Delaware.
Students not only excel academically, but also must play at least 10 seasons of interscholastic sports. They are also asked to complete 40 hours of community service, as well as a full credit of Fine Arts classes drawn from the music, theater, and art departments.
AP courses are not offered; instead, students are presented a more rigorous and challenging curriculum.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
48John Burroughs School(St. Louis, Missouri)
John Burroughs School (known as “Burroughs”) is a co-ed, private day school located on the west side of St. Louis. Its rankings and production of Nation Merit–recognized students speak to the school’s high quality of academic instruction.
In addition to excellent academics, Burroughs—which is named after the famed nineteenth-century naturalist and essayist—seeks to enrich the student outside of the classroom. The school has an appointed office of diversity and multicultural education to ensure that awareness and inclusion spans across the curriculum.
Burroughs does not have a community service requirement for its students, yet more than half of the senior class participates in community service.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
49Blake School(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The Blake School is a private, co-educational day school, which was founded in 1900 and is located in the Lowry Hill section of Minneapolis.
Prizing ethics and integrity as well as academic excellence, students are required to take a course in communication before graduating.
Seniors must also complete an approved project as a graduation requirement.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
50University School Nashville(Nashville, Tennessee)
University School Nashville (USN), founded in 1888, is a private, co-ed day school located near the Vanderbilt University campus. USN offers students two campuses: a main campus for academics and an 80-acre campus for extra-curricular purposes.
USN has a long-standing commitment to the arts and students enjoy the culture of Nashville.
Belief diversity does not happen in isolation; USN presents a cultural dialogue series to promote multiculturalism on its campus.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
Do we really think these private schools are going to continue to accept and don't we know SCHOOL CHOICE means a global corporate campus TRACKS YOU =====CHOOSES YOU -----it is not about citizens having choice.
A friend:
'And their teachers are not held to the same standards as public school teachers'.
These 'elite' private schools are not graduating achievers-----the education at these schools is worse than what we had when public schools were strong.
I was called to witness what was a dumpster of standardized tests for students at Gilman----one of those private day schools listed-----you cannot throw those completed test booklets away-----they have to all be returned----yet there was a dumpster full ---it is well known the grading is rigged.
Washington DC has almost entirely gentified to being that global 1% and their 2%----there are almost no low-income schools in DC and they are all tied to global Wall Street neo-liberalism ---charters---school choice. Obama didn't do vouchers in DC because DC is not slated to have citizens needing vouchers.
If parents knew the history of voucher policy----if they understood its goals----they would not be the ones pushing for these programs as policies make it harder and harder for 99% to access ordinary broad democratic public education.
Why can I not find a video of a parent from low-income community shouting against these deregulation, dismantlement of a US Constitutional right to EQUAL ACCESS---EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EDUCATION-----FIGHT FOR RIGHTS WE HAVE.
Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher Program
"Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher Program: The president says he wants to do 'what's best for kids.' So why won't he save a proven program that helps low...
youtube.com
There is a reason these voucher policies were written by Republican think tanks and free market economists-----it has nothing to do with helping poor students----its only goal is to send all hundreds of billions of dollars of Federal public education to the same global Wall Street corporations.
Vocationally tracked K-career will be that same apprenticeship workshop where the only education needed is to do a job.
Vouchers and Tax Credit Scholarships in the U.S.
The future of public education in the United States is at a critical crossroads. Watch this video to learn how the growing trend of sending public money to p...
youtube.com
The Maryland Assembly says---we had to pass it----BALTIMORE CITY POLS DEMANDED IT!
____________________________________________
It is these stock values the Wall Street players are given an inside ----they think they are gaining wealth when all that wealth is slated to disappear. A smaller and smaller group of global executives deciding how all those hundreds of billions of dollars in Federal public education funding is spent-----Hmmmmm, it will disappear as it has these few decades.
All these corporations built on that trillion dollar student loan debt targeted fraud. What is next----simply global corporate campus schools----apprenticeship K- career college.
CLINTON/BUSH/OBAMA-----beyond contemptible.
Launi Rae How can we help stop this or should we fight for both and stop war.
Until citizens make it impossible for Wall Street players---whether they be politicians or working in NGO and corporate non-profits pretending to help -----they will continue to ignore anger and outrage---they think the cronyism is insular. It will take strong, sustained rolling protests and economic disruption. Here in Baltimore we had a week of protests----people committed to coming out each day-----we need that to be consistent and long-term.
Our demand must be----rebuilding all public agencies resignation of all installed pols and those appointed------
Table 2
Stock value of publicly traded post secondary education companies
Company
Stock Value
The Apollo Group Online
$9,819,960,000
The Apollo Group
(University of Phoenix and Western International U.)
$13,976,028,000
Career Education Corporation
(American Intercontinental, Briarcliff, California School
of Culinary Arts, International Academy of Design and
Technology, Whitman-CTU, Sanford Brown and UDS)
$3,136,616,800
Concorde Career Colleges
$82,730,000
Corinthian (Rhodes, Florida Metropolitan, Wyotech,
Bryman, and CDI)
$1,023,645,150
DeVry (Keller School of Management)
$1,364,421,400
Education Management System (The Art Institutes,
Argosy Education Group, American Education Centers)
$2,066,038,400
EVCI Career Colleges, Inc.
$93,030,000
ITT Technical Institute
$1,501,440,000
Laureate Education Inc. (Formerly Sylvan Education Systems)
(Canter, Walden, Wall Street, International Universities)
$1,479,708,000
Strayer Education Inc.
$1,480,000,000
Universal Technical Institute (UTI)
$730,628,700
Washington Post (Kaplan, Concord)*
$6,841,118,000
Total
$43,595,364,450
*Includes all Washington Post Company businesses.
Below we see one education policy that right wing Republican voters would know was POSING CONSERVATIVE. Those pushing for free market economics understand that VOUCHERS are policy based on winners and losers-----selective and at the local level crony. There is nothing free market about VOUCHERS. The only goal of REAGAN and FRIEDMAN was to privatize all public education Federal funding to Wall Street markets. Conservative Democrats and Republicans were played by their 5% more so than the left social Democrats. The mantra of free market in REAGAN's era was just as POSING AS TODAY because they goals were always global market monopolies.
Here we see KOZOL at that same time educating ---shouting this policy was the worst thing for WE THE PEOPLE and public democratic education. The media-----the publishing companies-----the journals of that 1980s-90s was still free and open-------it was Clinton era 1990s that all those venues were closing and left social progressive voices not heard.
PLEASE TAKE TIME TO READ THESE LEFT PUBLIC EDUCATION FIGHTERS----TO UNDERSTAND TO WHERE WE NEED TO RETURN.
'To make the case for vouchers, free-market conservatives, corporate strategists, and opportunistic politicians looked for any way to build a myth that public schools were failing, that teachers (and of course their unions) were at fault, and that the cure was vouchers and privatization.
Jonathan Kozol, the author and tireless advocate for public schools, called vouchers the “single worst, most dangerous idea to have entered education discourse in my adult life.”
Armed with Friedman’s ideas, President Reagan began calling for vouchers'.
The goal of global Wall Street is that only private and IVY LEAGUE schools will be funded and carry on as what was broad Democratic public education. The 99% of citizens will be tracked into corporate campus vocational apprenticeships-----and it is indeed the Jesuit Loyola partnered with private IVY LEAGUEs----now basically hedge funds from all the massive frauds from these few decades. Everyone knows this creates the same education dynamic as the DARK AGES---
Md. Legislature Passes Private School Voucher Program
May 2016
AU Bulletin
Maryland legislators voted in March to approve a budget that includes $5 million in grants for low-income students who wish to attend private schools.
Gov. Larry Hogan (R) has indicated he will sign the bill. The proposal is the culmination of a decade-long attempt by voucher advocates to funnel public money to private schools.
Teachers unions had opposed the measure. Sean Johnson, who represents the Maryland State Education Association, told The Washington Post the group will continue to lobby against it.
“We’re hoping to make it a one-year bad idea and not a permanent bad idea,” he said.
Voucher bills had died in previous years in Maryland, but this year two Democratic lawmakers from Baltimore lobbied hard for the measure and apparently persuaded some opponents, including Senate President Thomas V. “Mike” Miller (D-Calvert), to change their minds.
Students will be able to use the funds for tuition at religious schools, which critics like Americans United deem a violation of the separation of church and state.
______________________________________________
We see in fact how Republican this policy is-----but as much as a left social Democrat hates having a return to only the global rich having an education------again, global Wall Street pols are POSING PRIVATE RELIGIOUS ----when the goal will be ONE WORLD ONE GOVERNANCE ONE RELIGION ----OR NONE.
If the Catholic Church takes that religious spot----they are already a global corporation----partnered with global 1%---so it is not a real extension to community religious schools.
Now, here in Baltimore those global Wall Street players pushing vouchers in a city starved of public education no doubt are selling this idea as creating small business private schools----they will throw a few million to pretend some people in Baltimore are winning----but the goal will have all Federal funding going to private IVY LEAGUE universities and their K-12 corporate charter chains.
'Maryland joins 16 states that contribute public money toward private-school scholarships. Most of the others, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Alabama, have Republican-controlled legislatures and offer tax credits to companies or individuals who donate to the scholarship programs'.
The goal of global Wall Street is that only private and IVY LEAGUE schools will be funded and carry on as what was broad Democratic public education. The 99% of citizens will be tracked into corporate campus vocational apprenticeships-----and it is indeed the Jesuit Loyola partnered with private IVY LEAGUEs----now basically hedge funds from all the massive frauds from these few decades. Everyone knows this creates the same education dynamic as the DARK AGES---
TWO DEMOCRATIC POLS FROM BALTIMORE PUSHED HARD FOR VOUCHERS--------this education policy has always been right wing-----never Democratic----and indeed all pols from Baltimore want extreme wealth and extreme poverty working for global Wall Street Baltimore Development and Johns Hopkins...............
'Voucher bills had died in previous years in Maryland, but this year two Democratic lawmakers from Baltimore lobbied hard for the measure'
THESE TWO POLS ARE GREAT BIG GLOBAL WALL STREET PLAYERS AND ARE INDEED CONNECTED TO THE CRONY POLITICAL SYSTEM----SHOW THEM THE MONEY AND THEY WILL DO ANYTHING GLOBAL WALL STREET TELLS THEM.
'This month, Busch hinted that his opposition was softening, in part because two African American lawmakers from Baltimore — Dels. Antonio Hayes and Keith E. Haynes'
It's always those Baltimore pols pushing the most repressive, oppressive, and enslaving policies---and this is why Baltimore is at the bottom nationally for every quality of life, injustice-----people like ANTONIO HAYES AND KEITH HAYNES----of course we just got another raging global Wall Street player in NICK MOSBY.......so things are getting worse for citizens in Baltimore wanting strong public education so their children can be citizens and not slaves.
Maryland Politics
After 10-year fight, Md. lawmakers vote to fund private-school scholarships
(Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
By Ovetta Wiggins March 29, 2016 After years of resisting, and over the objections of the state teachers union, Maryland lawmakers have agreed to state-funded private-school scholarships.
The decision to create a $5 million grant program was part of the negotiations on the state’s $42 billion operating budget, which received final approval in the Democratic-controlled General Assembly on Tuesday.
Lawmakers did away with a proposal that had been approved by the Senate and would have provided tax credits to companies that contribute to scholarships for students at private schools. Instead, the House of Delegates and the Senate backed the grant program, which will provide scholarships to students from poor families.
“It’s a win-win for not just the people of the state of Maryland, but for all students,” said Senate President Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. (D-Calvert). “It’s a good compromise.”
Maryland joins 16 states that contribute public money toward private-school scholarships. Most of the others, including Virginia, Georgia, Florida and Alabama, have Republican-controlled legislatures and offer tax credits to companies or individuals who donate to the scholarship programs.
Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R), who has pushed for education tax credits for the past two years, said the scholarships have “the potential to make a huge difference to students and families across the state.”
Bills to create an education-tax credit in Maryland have been introduced for the past 10 years and had won the support of Martin O’Malley (D), who was governor from 2007 to 2015. The bills had advanced in the Senate, but not in the House, where they were staunchly opposed by House Speaker Michael E. Busch (D-Anne Arundel).
This month, Busch hinted that his opposition was softening, in part because two African American lawmakers from Baltimore — Dels. Antonio Hayes and Keith E. Haynes — had sponsored versions of the scholarship legislation. They and other members of the Democratic caucus argued that the aid was needed to help young black men in the city.
Miller said former Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke, who is now the president of the University of Baltimore, also pushed for the scholarships, calling private schools “a lifesaver” for many Baltimore students in need.
The grants would be administered by the Maryland State Department of Education. The rules for the program would be set up by an advisory board that would be appointed by the governor and legislative leaders.
The Maryland State Education Association had fought hard against bills intended to create education tax credits. Such legislation would have set aside as much as $50 million for the program. But the union also vowed to fight the scholarship program, which Sean Johnson, the union’s assistant executive director, called a “voucher program” that would divert public money away from public schools.
“We’re hoping to make it a one-year bad idea and not a permanent bad idea,” Johnson said.
In approving the state budget, both chambers reallocated $80 million that Hogan wanted to put into the state’s reserve fund, also known as the Rainy Day Fund, to pay for Democratic legislative priorities.
John Rohrer, the coordinator of fiscal and policy analysis for the Department of Legislative Services, said the money will go toward uses including increasing reimbursement rates for doctors who treat the poor and helping local governments fund teacher pensions.
The money is fenced off, which means that if Hogan elects not to use it as Democrats want him to, it cannot be used for anything else. Last year, the General Assembly fenced off $65 million for several Maryland school districts. Hogan objected and did not release the funds.
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Larry Hogan is simply MOVING FORWARD education policy created and installed during OBAMA------OBAMA and Clinton neo-liberals ended our Federal higher education funding for all students and sent that funding to build private university research facilities. The goal was to build that global corporate campus for IVY LEAGUE universities like Johns Hopkins. What Larry Hogan is doing is bringing this same funding structure to K-12====and indeed all those funds will go to these same global IVY LEAGUE campuses and they will decide who is allowed to attend a real higher education and EXCEPTIONAL K-12 TRACKING----the same group of executives at Johns Hopkins controlling all public agencies in Baltimore City Hall.
Hogan came to office shouting WE NEED NATIONAL CHARTERS CHAINS IN BALTIMORE-----the guy is absolutely clueless he simply thinks he is that MERCHANT OF VENICE-----it is incredible to see a vibrant first world nation being brought back to the DARK AGES
Remember, Maryland's private schools do not offer better education ---they are simply selective allowing anyone with money. The courses, the grades, the achievement overall-----all juked data---that's the perk---if you can afford to pay you will be made to look like an achiever. This is why Baltimore citizens are all global Wall Street players----if you do not play the game you do not get tracked into these selective education and employment pathways.
Steven Hershkowitz
Press Secretary for the Maryland State Education Association.
Dec 16, 2016
Why Larry Hogan Sent Your Taxes to Private Schools
Even though public schools have $2.9 billion in unmet needs
Private school operators in Baltimore thank Gov. Hogan after receiving more than $200,000 in taxpayer-funded vouchers. (Credit: Executive Office of the Governor)Earlier this week, Gov. Larry Hogan proposed doubling his private school voucher program — known as the BOOST program — over the next three years. The announcement struck many in Annapolis as odd considering the state faces a $400 million budget deficit and has already cut $82 million from higher education and other public services.
According to both the state comptroller and treasurer, the budget deficit is due to a revenue shortfall caused by stagnant growth in Maryland household incomes. During Gov. Hogan’s first year in office, Maryland household median income grew by just 2.4%, compared to 5.2% nationally. Maryland’s relatively stagnant economy was due largely to the Baltimore-Columbia-Towson metropolitan area, which ranked dead last in household income growth among the 25 most populous areas in the nation — an increase of just 1.3%.
So thanks to Gov. Hogan’s weak economic record so far, his administration has largely focused on cuts to public services — including $93 million for public schools. But at the same time, he started a new program that sends scarce taxpayer dollars to expensive private schools. Now he wants to expand it.
Private School Vouchers: A Failed Right-Wing Idea
Private School Vouchers: Taxpayer-funded subsidies awarded to parents to pay for private school tuition, including religious schools.Republicans have pushed private school vouchers for decades ever since the concept was started by conservative economist Milton Friedman as a way to privatize America’s public schools. As the centerpiece of his education agenda, President-Elect Donald Trump wants to shift $20 billion of funding reserved for low-income students to private school vouchers. As he rolled out his proposal during the presidential campaign, Trump said, “It’s time to break up that monopoly,” in reference to public schools.
While the major aim of these programs is to open the education market to for-profit interests, they have been sold largely as escape paths for low-income children stuck in so-called “failing” schools. But there are two major flaws with that argument: 1. Most recipients of vouchers are students already enrolled in private schools; and 2. When students do move from public schools to private schools using vouchers, their academic achievement actually goes down.
78% of BOOST voucher recipients were already enrolled in private school.There’s a reason why only private school parents and administrators come to bill hearings and lobby visits to push for voucher programs: there’s no large-scale desire of public school parents to send their kids to private schools. Instead, parents would rather see improvements to their neighborhood public schools. For example, Louisiana offered vouchers to more than half of their students in 2013 and just 2% of eligible parents applied for the program.
With an absence of demand from public school parents, there is ample opportunity for private schools to encourage their parents to apply for these vouchers — subsidizing the school’s operation with taxpayer dollars in the process. According to the Department of Legislative Services, BOOST gave out $4.75 million worth of vouchers to 2,447 students — of which, 1,898 were already enrolled in private school. That’s 78%.
Department of Legislative Services data on the BOOST program.Public education advocates warned the governor that this would happen if he went through with his program because we have seen this happen in other states. The Southern Education Foundation studied a similar program in Georgia and found that private school enrollment increased by only one-third of one percent in the metropolitan counties that included most of the private schools in the scholarship program. Arizona’s program quickly lost public favor after it became clear the program primarily helped students already in private schools.
Study after study shows voucher programs fail to boost the academic achievement of participants — and often make it worse.Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction report on Milwaukee Program: “Students in Milwaukee’s school choice program performed worse than or about the same as students in Milwaukee Public Schools in math and reading on the latest statewide test, according to results released Tuesday that provided the first apples-to-apples achievement comparison between public and individual voucher schools.”
MIT Study of Louisiana Program: “Attendance at an LSP-eligible private school lowers math scores by 0.4 standard deviations and increases the likelihood of a failing score by 50 percent. Voucher effects for reading, science and social studies are also negative and large. The negative impacts of vouchers are consistent across income groups, geographic areas, and private school characteristics, and are larger for younger children.”
Chalkbeat Education News on Indiana Program: “A new long-term study out of Indianapolis, done by researchers at Notre Dame University, found that students who switched from traditional public schools to Catholic schools actually did worse in math.”
“Our historical understanding of the superior performance of private schools is no longer accurate. Since the nineties, public schools have been under heavy pressure to improve test scores. Private schools were exempt from these accountability requirements. A recent study showed that public schools closed the score gap with private schools.” —
The Brookings Institution
We Need to Focus on Our Public Schools Instead
Gov. Hogan’s first budget proposal would have cut $600 million from public schools over four years if it had been approved. He successfully withheld $93 million from public education despite approval of those allocations by a broad, bipartisan coalition of legislators in the General Assembly. It took $40 million of corporate welfare to get him to agree to filling a $20 million gap in local education funding for next year. These are actions the governor may not own up to, but they are his indisputable record.
All of those actions ignore the fact that Maryland’s public schools have $2.9 billion less than they need — according to independent experts — to get every student to be college or career ready. Every taxpayer dollar that is currently being spent in private schools is a dollar that isn’t being spent in your neighborhood public school, helping to plug that gap in resources our kids need.
That’s why Marylanders are overwhelmingly focused on ways to improve existing public schools rather than have more “school choice.”
Poll conducted by GBA Strategies in May 2015.The reality of how private school vouchers pull funding away from public schools is especially alarming when you see just how often these programs balloon in cost. Under Vice President-Elect Mike Pence, Indiana’s program swelled to $131 million this year. In July of 2015, the Arizona Republic ran an investigative article with the headline: “Arizona private-school families cash in on state’s tax-credit program; a program that legislative budget staff in 1997 estimated would cost $4.5 million a year now tops $140 million.” Under Gov. Jeb Bush, Florida passed a tax credit voucher program in 2001 with an annual cap of $50 million; by 2015, the cap had grown to $358 million.
Now Gov. Hogan wants to join his Republican governor friends and expand Maryland’s program. In ten years, how expensive do you think he wants his program to be? How are we going to adequately fund our public schools if we keep expanding state funding for private schools?
Private school voucher programs are opposed by 58% of Maryland voters — and that number goes up to 78% when voters learn how that funding could be used in public schools. The vast, vast majority of students served in these programs are already in private school. And for the public school students who do make the switch, their academic achievement goes backwards.
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Maryland's ACLU has led in bringing down all equal opportunity and access to low-income citizens while PRETENDING to advocate for what is A US CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHT. From housing to education the ACLU has backed education policy leading to exactly where Baltimore is right now----global corporate private education tiered with exclusivity and a steady closing of all public schools.
Below we see how they PRETEND TO ADVOCATE ----Baltimore is slated to be a city of global labor pool workers earning $3-6 a day----$20-30 a day-----all people flowing through Baltimore's Foreign Economic Zone will be poor except that very few global 1% and their 2%.
Maryland Assembly pols will fight to look like they are doing something to protect public schools----students in Baltimore have been made to travel across city and into counties to find a decent public school for their children. All of this happens because a Wall Street Baltimore Development and Johns Hopkins does not want a 99% of people being educated as citizens and leaders.
Again, these policies will not go towards creating free market small business schools it will all fold into the global IVY LEAGUE campus and a K-12 private campus apprenticeships------there may be a LOYOLA with their global Catholic schools but these funds will not go outside these few institutions.
Sen. Madaleno, ACLU of Maryland, and Educators Call on Gov. Hogan to Withhold Funding for Private Schools
For Immediate Release On
Friday, August 5, 2016
Citing Governor’s Claim of “Declining Revenues,” Groups Ask for Transfer of Public Funding from Private to Public Schools
This morning, Senator Rich Madaleno (D-Montgomery-District 18) joined ACLU of Maryland and the more than 72,000 educators of the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) in calling on Gov. Larry Hogan to withhold $5 million set aside for private school vouchers as part of the FY2017 budget. Earlier this week, the governor claimed the state is facing declining revenues in deciding to withhold $25 million that had been set aside for public schools, yet did not decide to hold back funding reserved for private schools. The groups asked the governor to instead send the $5 million in taxpayer dollars to public schools to offset some of the damage from the cuts Gov. Hogan made earlier this week.
“If the state of Maryland cannot afford to spend taxpayer dollars on fixing aging school buildings and preventing class size increases, we certainly cannot afford to help subsidize tuition for those who are already enrolled in private schools,” said Sen. Madaleno. “Budgets are about priorities, and it’s disappointing that the governor is choosing to siphon funding from public schools to help private schools.”
This is the second consecutive year that Gov. Hogan has decided to withhold school funding despite projected budget surpluses. Last year, he withheld $68 million passed in a bipartisan budget from thirteen counties that saw increased class sizes, eliminated educator positions, and cut programs. This year, he held back $25 million in funding that would have supported the maintenance of aging school facilities and helped counties pay for educator pensions without cutting funding levels for classroom instruction.
“We’re disappointed that the governor is more concerned with winning a political argument with Democrats in the legislature than focusing on ways to improve our public schools,” said MSEA Vice President Cheryl Bost. “It’s yet another year of schools trying to do more for students with less help from the state than they expected.”
As a result of Gov. Hogan’s proposal to create a private school voucher program, a $5 million line-item in the budget was included to send taxpayer dollars to private schools. Advocates of the budget move argued that the funding would help students in “struggling” public schools leave for private sector options. However, the administration of that program so far shows that the vast majority of those who will receive vouchers already attend private schools: 79% of those applying and 71% of applicants who will receive vouchers attended private schools last year.
“This is a poorly veiled way of subsidizing private schools,” said Bebe Verdery, Education Reform Director for ACLU of Maryland. “The truth is, this money would go a lot further to help low-income students if it was spent in our taxpayer-funded public school system to improve dilapidated buildings and support student programs.”
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Here is the same Mayor SCMOKE then handing off Baltimore's public schools just so we could be at the place we are today----yes, he knew the MASTER PLAN-----as did O'Malley and the citizens of Baltimore have fought hard and strong to keep their schools public. Baltimore's history is as a city with tons of public schools---it was only at the point of REAGAN and empire-building that BAltimore allowed its entire public school system to decay. CHOKED BACK THE TEARS MY FOOT.
This is the problem for Baltimore citizens in being able to attain any REAL information. All information in BAltimore is controlled by these same institutions----it is all skewed and biased towards wealth and corporate power----no public interest information allowed. Our media outlets feed on this with graduates from these private institutions thinking they are global Wall Street players---Hogan and Baltimore's pols worked to place yet another nail of freedom of information----freedom and opportunity to equal education.
THIS ARTICLE IS FROM 1996----THE SAME TIME OF CLINTON DEFUNDING, DISMANTLING ALL OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION ALLOWING A STATE OF MARYLAND TO MISAPPROPRIATE ALL FEDERAL FUNDING THAT WAS TO COME TO OUR BALTIMORE CITY PUBLIC SCHOOLS----
If we know history we know when global Wall Street players are POSING SOCIAL PROGRESSIVE---so here is SCHMOKE today as DEAN of our University of Baltimore telling us private school funding is the future for Baltimore education. HERE LIES THE PROBLEM FOR CITIZENS WANTING STRONG DEMOCRATIC PUBLIC EDUCATION.....and yes, as Baltimore Public Schools were starved of funding from CLINTON/BUSH/OBAMA----Catholic schools moved in and they outnumber today our public schools
If we know history we know when global Wall Street players are POSING SOCIAL PROGRESSIVE---so here is SCHMOKE today as DEAN of our University of Baltimore telling us private school funding is the future for Baltimore education. HERE LIES THE PROBLEM FOR CITIZENS WANTING STRONG DEMOCRATIC PUBLIC EDUCATION.....and yes, as Baltimore Public Schools were starved of funding from CLINTON/BUSH/OBAMA----Catholic schools moved in and they outnumber today our public schools.
This well-regarded Alonzo was straight from NYC Bloomberg K-12 privatization program------------so the city schools have been under attack throughout CLINTON/BUSH/OBAMA
'As well-regarded new CEO Andres Alonso takes the reigns of the Baltimore City schools, he faces more than just a system in turmoil. He has to deal with the mess Baltimore and Annapolis have made'.
100 Years: The State Takes Over City Schools
Part of our "100 Years: The Twelve Events That Shaped Baltimore" series
By Molly Rath
Why It Matters
- Baltimore lost control of its ailing school system in 1997; the system was turned over to a city-state partnership that was meant to fix a litany of woes. State education funding increased dramatically, but the system is still in poor shape.
- Urban school systems are about more than education; the failure of Baltimore's schools is directly related to the city's ongoing struggles.
On November 26, 1996, Baltimore Mayor Kurt L. Schmoke stood at a podium at downtown's federal courthouse and choked back tears. "I can tell you from the bottom of my heart, everything tells me this is the right thing to do," he said, to raucous applause among elected officials and education leaders and advocates.
Schmoke was formally announcing the creation of a city-state partnership—one that would, hopefully, transform Baltimore City's beleaguered public schools into something resembling a functioning educational system. It was the result of two lawsuits on behalf of students and their parents fed up with the school system's low levels of state funding, and its inability to meet federal special education requirements.
The schools, frankly, were terrible at education and horribly mismanaged. And these problems were contributing in no small measure to the general lack of social cohesion in mid-1990's Baltimore, which was in the midst of a crack epidemic that made the city one of the most dangerous in the nation.
The lawsuits led Baltimore and Annapolis to figure out a way to try to fix the schools. The solutions—the city-state agreement, in which Baltimore agreed to work with (or, as some saw it, work for) state government to repair the school system—was called a sell-out by the school board's die-hard supporters. The charges of betrayal rang in Schmoke's ears that day.
Still, he said that he hoped that this moment would be recalled as "the day that the adults stopped fighting one another and joined and started fighting for the children."
Much of the press's language in the months leading up to that ceremonial moment and the months that followed was similarly monumental: It was a "turning point," "historic," a "fresh start," editorials and news articles asserted; a "new day" that would have a "profound impact" on the city's poor-performing and poorly managed schools.
The partnership was expected to charge in and save the day; it should have been clear that the job of fixing the city's schools would be much, much more difficult.
The partnership became law the following spring, and on June 1, 1997, it went into effect. After almost a century as a city agency, run by a mayor-appointed superintendent and board (who were all fired), the Baltimore City Public School System was now in the trust of an independent body of school commissioners which hired a CEO to run things. "It was dysfunctional to a degree that unless you blew it up, you weren't going to be able to fix it from the inside," says former state Senator Barbara Hoffman, who, with the late Del. Howard "Pete" Rawlings, was lead architect of the legislation that created the partnership. The very next year, at a meeting with state legislators in March 1998, interim city schools CEO Robert Schiller used reams of documents to illustrate the decades of academic and administrative neglect he'd inherited: More than two-thirds of the city's first- through fifth-graders weren't reading or computing at grade level. Fifteen different reading programs were being used in its 122 elementary schools, and not one of those schools was meeting state academic standards. The administrative functions of the system were an even bleaker quagmire of antiquated computer systems that churned out inaccurate enrollment and testing data. The city's crumbling school facilities were in need of $500 million in repairs, and many staffers and teachers were inadequately trained.
Schiller's synopsis prompted state Superintendent of Schools Nancy Grasmick to declare the state of city schools "more sobering than [previously] articulated.
"This system," she said, "is considered the lowest-performing [urban] system in the nation."
A decade and a half-dozen CEOs later, the city-state partnership hasn't lived up to its promise. The school system largely remains a bureaucracy beset by responsibility-ducking and fiscal woes. Baltimore's high school graduation rate is still one of the lowest in the nation among large school systems. Yet the huge class and school sizes that have long impeded student learning have been reduced, and some student test scores have risen steadily and significantly over the years.
Still, even those who helped create the partnership are unsure of how to rate its performance. Says Hoffman: "It may be a failed experiment, and it may not be."
For others, the results are more clear. "I believe very strongly," Schmoke says today, "that if all of us who were involved in education had been able to substantially improve the system and guarantee a great education to all of Baltimore City's children over the last 20 years, we wouldn't have the levels of crime and some of the other problems we're facing in the city."
The city-state partnership brought to light the failings of Baltimore City's public school system, some of which reach back 30 and 40 years. It raised issues of accountability in the system, even if it hasn't necessarily gotten results from that accountability. Along with violent crime, it's the most important issue facing the city. Unfortunately, like homicide, education woes are one of the most debilitating ailments facing the city.
What's ironic is that the partnership may have benefited school systems across the state as much as, if not more than, Baltimore City. The partnership triggered the Thornton Commission, which reviewed state public education funding, and led to the infusion of nearly $8 billion into school systems across the state over the last six years. "One of the impacts of the reform effort is that there's a recognition that there is a constitutional duty by the state to adequately fund public schools," the American Civil Liberties Union's Bebe Verdery says. "That was caused by the ACLU suit, the Baltimore City reform effort, and the city-state partnership. Now, people want to run for elective office on it. There's a universal awareness now that just did not exist."
JUST TO UPDATE THIS------AFTER THORNTON WAS PASSED AND MORE FUNDING SENT TO BALTIMORE---THE FRAUD AND CORRUPTION IN THE EDUCATION SYSTEM WAS LEFT IN PLACE----THERE WAS THE SAME MOVEMENT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION FUNDS AWAY FROM OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS----IT WAS SMOKE AND MIRROR. THE ACLU HAS STAGED WHAT WILL BE THE TOTAL PRIVATIZATION OF WHAT IS LEFT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS WITH A $1 BILLION SCHOOL BUILDING BOND PASSED RIGHT AS NATIONAL MEDIA WAS SHOUTING BOND MARKET COLLAPSE AND ECONOMIC CRASH.
The road to the city-state schools partnership dates back to 1983, when education officials from Baltimore City and the Eastern Shore filed a lawsuit which argued that the state was not fulfilling its constitutional duty to adequately educate the state's children, namely its poor. The suit was based on the fact that the Maryland constitution says the state must ensure a "thorough and efficient system of free public schools."
One of the first "equity" cases in the country, the plaintiffs asserted that they weren't getting as much state education funding as Maryland's richer counties. And while the court agreed that their children should indeed get an adequate education, the decision was that the plaintiffs had no right to equal funding. Case closed.
But the ACLU saw opportunity, and spent the next decade laying the groundwork for another suit in which the plaintiffs weren't faceless jurisdictions but parents of at-risk students in Baltimore City, where the educational inequities in the state were most poignant. "In the early 90's," Verdery says, "there was an increase in recognition and acceptance of state standards, and that is when it became so starkly evident that the children of Baltimore City were not achieving at the levels of other districts."
In December 1994, the ACLU sued the state on behalf of lead plaintiffs Keith and Stephanie Bradford, arguing that, because the city had the lowest test scores in the state, the lowest graduation rates, and the highest proportion of disadvantaged students, the system was woefully underfunded. The state counter-sued, asserting that the problems were not a result of insufficient funding, but poor school system management. Baltimore City filed its own education funding lawsuit against the state in late 1995, and the cases were consolidated into the Bradford suit.
A series of meetings between the parties and Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Joseph H. H. Kaplan led to a settlement agreement signed on Nov. 26, 1996, a day before the case was slated for trial.
"The idea was to try to create a settlement that involved all parties of litigation and get them to focus on the common needs of the children, rather than the needs of the parties to the litigation," says Schmoke, now dean of Howard University's law school in Washington, D.C. "The partnership was an idea that came about by necessity. We came to a recognition that we were spending millions of dollars on litigation and that money could be better spent on students. But the only way the state was going to give us extra money was by gaining more control over the operations of the system."
Under the agreement, the state would give city schools, roughly, an extra $50 million a year for five years—but Annapolis wanted a voice in how that money was going to be spent and how the school system was going to be run. The mayor-controlled school board and superintendent would be dismissed, and the system would move under the control of a nine-member school board selected by the mayor and governor; that new board, in turn, would hire a CEO to run the system.
A mid-term evaluation showed that state education dollars still fell grossly short of what was needed to adequately educate Baltimore's children, and the city requested an additional $265 million in early 1999, with Judge Kaplan echoing its plea. Governor Parris N. Glendening denied the request, but not without state legislators from other distressed jurisdictions taking notice.
"I talked with a lawyer from Allegheny County, and Prince George's County was getting ready to sue," Verdery recalls. "So we had Judge Kaplan's ruling, and we had other counties starting to rumble and sending politicians the message that they were willing to sue, too."
Keep in mind as all Maryland State and Federal Education funding coming to Baltimore was being misappropriated and lost to fraud and corruption------at this same time FOR-PROFIT HIGHER EDUCATION corporations were being created in Baltimore -----Washington beltway taking billions from higher education funding----ALL THE WHILE ACLU NOT SAYING A THING-----it was well known.
With the constitutional question of the state's obligation to fund public education front-and-center, and a likely spike in litigation looming, the state legislature established the Thornton Commission on Education Finance, Equity and Excellence in 1999 to examine the state's school funding formula.
The commission's findings led to passage of legislation in 2002 that required the state to pump an additional $1.3 billion a year into public education over six years to bring all the state's school systems up to adequate funding levels. Between fiscal years 2003 and 2008, Baltimore's take has been $258 million; it's a lot, but it's still far short of the amount needed.
In the days following passage of the Thornton bill, a New York Times editorial lauded Maryland's "visionary school plan," saying that "More than 40 states have been sued for failing to provide poor districts with enough money to educate children up to the standards articulated in their own laws.
"Instead of fighting it out in court," the editorial continued, "Marylanders have decided to level the public school playing field as quickly as possible—so that all the state's children have a chance at decent lives. Other states, including New York and California, could learn from this enlightened example."
For 18 of the state's 24 jurisdictions, these are enlightened days: They will have exceeded "adequate" funding levels when the six years are up. But Baltimore City is one of the six areas that won't. With this year's shot of Thornton funds, Baltimore schools will still be inadequately funded, according to the measures the Thornton Commission used in its initial review. "The issue is still funding," Schmoke says, 20 years after he was elected mayor on a promise to turn around Baltimore City's then-as-now ailing schools.
But not all of the school system's problems can be remedied with more money. There's the oft-maligned "North Avenue" (the location of the school administration HQ) that, in the view of many, keeps the system from working efficiently. Other critics point out that the partnership was overly optimistic, and that it lacked foresight and was riddled with flaws—resulting in huge budget deficits and bitter political tangling between Governor Robert Ehrlich and wannabe Governor/Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley during the 2006 gubernatorial election.
Still, the partnership hasn't been all bad. Student achievement is up, if still lagging behind statewide averages. Since 1997, the city's giant (and often notorious) high schools have been broken up into smaller academies. A Kindergarten through Grade 8 model has replaced some middle schools. Pre-K classes have been expanded. And the amount of city school funding given by the state has more than doubled.
"Test scores in elementary schools have gone up every year since the city-state partnership," Verdery says. "That is a remarkable trajectory that is probably unmatched by any other urban school system in the country. And the city school system has funded a number of reforms that would not have been possible without additional funding."
Ten years on, what differences has the partnership made? One of the biggest criticisms of the partnership is that there was never any real accountability built in, allowing the city, state and various other parties involved to alternately duck blame for mistakes and take credit where convenient. But at least accountability became an issue during the course of the last decade, and it's a regular part of the lexicon when it comes to discussing local education reforms. Prior to 1997, that clearly wasn't the case.
There's the simple fact that the very issue of education in Baltimore City has gained prominence and staying power. School stories consistently land on the front page of area newspapers, and lead the top of local television news hours.
And be it Ehrlich and O'Malley, or Mayor Sheila Dixon and her lead mayoral opponent Keiffer J. Mitchell Jr., politicians are increasingly using their positions on city school reforms to distinguish themselves from one another.
But ten years on, the only thing politicians can still agree on is that the school system is incredibly important to the citizens of Baltimore. "So many of the problems are interrelated," says former Mayor Schmoke. "If Baltimore could advertise having a great public school system, [it] would be a huge benefit to many other aspects of quality of life."
The partnership was born with unrealistic expectations, and it's been unable to complete its mission. But it did put education on the radar for local and state politicians, which has meant more money for schools across Maryland.
As well-regarded new CEO Andres Alonso takes the reigns of the Baltimore City schools, he faces more than just a system in turmoil. He has to deal with the mess Baltimore and Annapolis have made.
____________________________________
When one sees a riot as we did in Baltimore we are seeing citizens-----fed up with the lying, cheating, stealing of Baltimore's 5% to the 1% players. Everyone know the importance of education in one's future and all citizens in Baltimore know Wall Street Baltimore Development and Johns Hopkins and their pols have NO INTENTION of allowing good public schools and access for all. What do citizens do when the entire Baltimore City Hall----public justice-----legal system and courts are corrupt and working for that global 1%? What do they do when all NGOs and corporate non-profits are led by the same global Wall Street players PRETENDING TO FEEL THEIR PAIN?
WE THE PEOPLE are heading for even more hardship as these global Wall Street players take us to the DARK AGES. We cannot win if we resort to violence----allow anger and hate to divide the 99%----all this makes it impossible to think clearly, strategize, organize with REAL LEADERS----INFORMATION----GOOD INTEL----is vital.
If each citizen does not return to the days of writing and distributing newsletters filled with public policy discussion---filled with history inside Baltimore and global history to keep real information circulating ----
THE GLOBAL WALL STREET PLAYERS ARE DELIBERATELY CLOSING ALL AVENUES TO REAL INFORMATION---WE MUST REBUILD OUR MEDIA AND JOURNALISM.
It is not hard-----it can take a few hours a day -----create first for a community then for a state---then across the nation ====please move away from only talking about policy brutality.
THEY ARE RIGHT!............................
'Baltimore ‘Protesters,’ You Are Not Fighting Injustice. You Are The Injustice'.
Nothing says that more than these MOVING FORWARD EDUCATION PRIVATIZATION POLICIES.
Baltimore ‘Protesters,’ You Are Not Fighting Injustice. You Are The Injustice.
Matt Walsh Apr 28, 2015 12:30 pm
It bears repeating: the “protesters” in Baltimore aren’t fighting injustice — they are the injustice.
They are violence and destruction. There is no message. There is no voice to be heard. There is no consideration we should give these people. Their actions deserve only condemnation, and that’s all.
A Baltimore council member appeared on Fox News last night and lightly chastised the rioters for “speaking out in a very wrong way.” But, no, they’re not. They’re not speaking out in a wrong way. They’re not speaking out at all. These people are communicating nothing but chaos and greed. That’s what happens when you destroy your own community to make a point. Immediately and completely, your point is moot. Nobody cares what you have to say, nor should they. You are now the problem.
[sharequote align=”center”]You lose the right to be taken seriously the moment you start demolishing stores and chucking rocks.[/sharequote]
You lose the right to be taken seriously the moment you start demolishing drug stores and chucking rocks. I think that’s a reasonable rule, isn’t it? I don’t have to listen to you if your method of communication involves burning a city to the ground. That’s fair, right?
Let’s make another thing clear: apologists will argue that only a small group of “agitators” are responsible for the riots while everyone else was peaceful, but that’s bull crap.
There were no peaceful protestors in Baltimore last night. You don’t end up with 144 vehicles on fire, 15 buildings torched, and 200 arrests from just a small group of agitators. This was an entire inner city erupting in violence. This was dozens of square miles plagued by riots and looting.
This is a war zone, and there have already been 15 officer seriously maimed in the melee.
There were no peaceful protests. This was a citywide riot. Period.
To be honest, I’m taking this one personally because I’ve lived in the Baltimore area for most of my life. I know the town very well. Those places you see on the news are familiar to me, except this is the first time I’ve had the chance to see them all in flames.
My family lives there. My parents aren’t far from where this violence is beginning to spill into.
I’m in Utah as I write this, but my wife and kids are still in Maryland, and she and my parents and my sister were planning a trip to the Baltimore Zoo yesterday. Fortunately, they decided to cancel. If they hadn’t, they would have been a half a mile from where swarms of black teens were tearing the Mondawmin Mall to shreds.
But then, the zoo hasn’t been the safest destination for a while now.
People who’ve lived around Baltimore know that it’s all been slowly consumed and destroyed by inner city elements, and now perhaps that process will be completed in dramatic fashion.
When I was a kid, I used to hang out at the Owings Mills Mall, just four miles from my house and not far from downtown. But then you started hearing about the shootings in the parking lot, and the gangs, and then one night my parents walked right into a drug bust outside the food court, and that was it. Another thing taken from us.
It’s politically incorrect but it’s true: they built a subway stop next to the mall, allowing people from the city to come, and next thing you know the mall is a dangerous, crime-infested ghost town. This is how it always worked. I’ve seen it play out around here dozens of times.
I’m angry about that. I’m allowed to be angry about that.
Maybe this is my way of venting. I think I should be allowed to vent with the written word if these thugs can vent by attacking police officers, lighting senior centers on fire, and looting liquor stores — and still have the media rush to their defense to insist that we should appreciate their anger.
They’re looting for a purpose, we’re told. It’s a movement.
Nonsense.
This is not a movement, it’s just crime. Cops are in hospital beds today. Businesses are destroyed. Homes are in ashes. This town — my town, our town — is reeling because of what these vicious sociopaths have done, and are continuing to do. The place that gave birth to the National Anthem has been turned into a national disgrace.
[sharequote align=”center”]The place that gave birth to the National Anthem has been turned into a national disgrace.[/sharequote]
So, you know what? Screw their anger. Their anger is irrelevant. Their plight, their experience, their background, none of it justifies anything we’ve witnessed. None of it entitles them to act like animals. None of it provides “context” when you ignite buildings then cut the hose as firefighters try to put it out.
Anger. Hey, we’re all angry. Life is difficult and it makes you angry sometimes. Most of us can deal with it in ways that don’t involve firebombing cop cars. Why can’t they? And the rest of us have an extra reason to be angry this morning, after we watched a community turn this country into Beirut.
Yeah, I’m angry about that. And I’m angry that many parts of Baltimore have been a crime ridden cesspool for decades. I’m angry that Baltimore has had one of the highest murder rates in the nation for years, and not due to cops shooting black people, but due to black people shooting black people.
I’m angry that even before these riots, I had to be nervous about bringing my family to the Inner Harbor because of the roving bands of black teens who’d decided to start assaulting and robbing white visitors.
I’m angry that this is the town where a group of black people attacked, robbed, and stripped a white guy naked in the middle of the street for no reason at all, and were never charged with a hate crime.
Demonstrators climb on a destroyed Baltimore Police car in the street near the corner of Pennsylvania and North avenues during violent protests following the funeral of Freddie Gray April 27, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
I’m angry because there are clearly deeply ingrained problems in the inner city black community, but we never talk about them. No matter what happens, they can raze the whole city to rubble, and still we meekly stand to the sidelines and lecture about oppression and racism.
More nonsense.
They’re not oppressed. I mean, good Lord, they were essentially allowed to loot and riot at will last night. I think an oppressive system would have dealt a bit more harshly with them. Indeed, the system should have been more oppressive against this chaos. Rubber bullets, tear gas, fire hose, whatever it takes. Bring out the bus and start arresting people by the dozens.
Yeah, I’m angry.
And I’m especially angry at the narrative.
We’re constantly informed that black people are under attack, yet every symbolic case they choose involves the death of a black person who happened to also be a known criminal.
We still don’t know the circumstances surrounding Freddie Gray’s death (but obviously we should assume, because our assumptions have always been proven correct in the past). We only know that he was arrested and while in custody he was fatally injured.
It certainly seems possible, even likely, that something illegal happened on the part of one or two or several officers. If that is the case, the perpetrators should be brought to justice.
But either way, the fact remains that Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Freddie Gray were not law abiding, helpful, constructive members of society. That doesn’t mean they deserved to die, but it does mean they put themselves in a category of people who are more likely to be involved in violent interactions with cops. And that category isn’t “black people” — it’s “criminals.”
Freddie Gray was a known drug dealer with 18 arrests on his record, yet people have the nerve to complain that we was profiled. Of course he was profiled. He was a thug. A perpetual problem. Is it unreasonable that police officers, somewhere around maybe the 12th or 13th time they arrest you in the span of a couple of years, might start to be suspicious?
The point is, you can’t convince the world that cops are out to exterminate black citizens when your most prominent case studies are men like Brown, Garner and Gray. If they prove anything, it’s that cops tend to get rough with guys who demonstrate a disregard for the law.
Does that justify it? No, but it does take the racial component out of it. Especially considering white people are killed by cops, too — maybe even more often — and, logic would tell us, most of them were involved in criminal activity as well.
I often hear it said that cops are “terrorizing” black people. But if law enforcement can be considered terrorism, what do you say about the people selling poison to kids and shooting each other over who gets to stand on which corner? Are they suddenly the protagonists in this twisted fairy tale?
No, the dealers and thugs and gangsters are the terrorists, and they’re the ones the police have to handle every day, all day, all week, all year, for as long as they stay on the job.
If we’re supposed to appreciate the context which leads a person to smash open a storefront and steal bags of Fritos from the snack aisle, can’t we at least appreciate the context which leads cops to sometimes have a less than pleasant demeanor around predators, deadbeats, and social parasites?
That doesn’t mean they all — white or black – should be shot (although some of them, like Brown, certainly brought it upon themselves), it just means that crooks have a lifestyle that exposes them to this danger more so than the rest of us.
Watching the footage of the Baltimore riots, we see one “protestor” after another complaining that “cops are out here killing black men.” But they completely leave out the first portion of that sentence, which is the part about how black men are out here committing violent crimes.
How can anyone think that the two facts are mutually exclusive and unrelated, as if cops are randomly strolling up to black patrons waiting in line at Starbucks and executing them for the hell of it?
No, black men in the city often lead lives full of crime and violence, and often it ends at the point of a gun. Usually it’s another black criminal holding the gun, but in a small minority of cases, it’s a cop. And in a small minority of that minority, the cop is killing unjustly.
When that happens, the cop should answer for it. But you don’t get to take those instances and use them to paint all cops as villains and all black men as innocent victims. It’s absurd, and these riots illustrate the absurdity in stark detail.
One interview I saw last night was with a guy complaining that the cops had shot him and his group with beanbags. He showed off his battle scars and acted quite flabbergasted by the whole thing. Finally the reporter asked him what they were doing when the bags were fired at them, and the man quickly and matter-of-factly admitted that they were throwing bottles.
Oh.
So, um, maybe that’s why you have those bruises? Possibly? You think?
Cops can’t win, can they? Apparently, according to some folks, you should be able to hurl glass objects at their faces without fear of “police brutality.” Cops should not only be peaceful under all circumstances, but should be like uniformed Bhuddas patrolling our cities and never reacting violently to anything, under any circumstance, because racism or something
Speaking of racism, the Baltimore Police Department is almost 50 percent black. It’s run by a black commissioner and a black deputy commissioner, and they all answer to a black mayor. If there is “institutional racism” in the BPD, where’s it coming from?
If anything, this all debunks that talk about how the Ferguson Police Department needed more minority representation. The Baltimore PD is a black department run by black people, and what difference did it make? Still, they riot and complain about “racist cops.”
Racism is a human sin and institutions are human constructions. For an institution to be racist, the people who run it would have to be racist. Otherwise, you’re suggesting that the very act of policing is inherently unfair to blacks, which therefore suggest — what? — that black people are naturally incapable of following the law?
Talk about a racist point of view.
And that’s what I can’t stand about the constant apologizing and rationalizing that people do on behalf of these rioters. It infantilizes the black community. It sends the message that society shouldn’t expect more from them; that somehow we can’t hold black people responsible for annihilating their own neighborhoods the way we would with white people.
It’s insulting.
Disgusting, frankly.
If I were a black person, I would be infuriated by pretentious white liberals constantly explaining why black people should be given a free pass when they loot and destroy. They’re the real racists.
As far as institutions and systems go, if you want to blame them for anything, blame them for being cowardly, negligent, and incompetent. The system is not governed by racists; it’s governed by impotent fools who care only about the optics and the politics of the thing, even when lives are at stake. That’s the true evil of the system.
In Baltimore, the mayor actually got in front of cameras and announced a plan to give the looters “space to destroy.” This is a woman elected to lead a major American city, and this is what she calls leadership.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s performance is another defeat for affirmative action “diversity” advocates. By their logic, a black woman should be best equipped to handle these race riots, but instead she’s proven historically inept. Martin O’Malley used to be mayor, and he was terrible, but her crisis management skills make him look like Winston Churchill by comparison.
The police stood by for hours and watched swarms of people commit serious felonies, not because they didn’t want to act, but because the bureaucrats and politicians in charge presumably told them to stand down. They didn’t want the news cameras to catch law enforcement officers in the act of enforcing the law. That would just be unseemly.
Time to get with the times. The system isn’t designed to keep the black man down anymore, it’s just designed to keep hapless idiots in power by insulating them from blame when they make minor mistakes like explicitly allowing their city to be pillaged and demolished.
Police in riot gear charge as they try to push protesters away during a march in honor of Freddie Gray on April 25, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
But maybe we shouldn’t be talking about the system at all, as flawed as it may be. Maybe we should be talking about the individual.
This whole thing is, after all, a sad metaphor. A microcosm, you might say. Watching Baltimore be eaten alive by thugs, I realize that we’re only witnessing the condensed version of what’s been happening in this city, and many other cities, for a longtime.
These are individuals making violent and terrible choices. Emphasis on choices. And they’re making these choices largely because they’re mad about the state of their communities — but it’s their choices that turned their communities into hellholes in the first place.
When they protest, they protest themselves.
Here’s the answer, then. The black community in Baltimore, and in every other city, can stop “protesting” some external boogeyman, and start taking charge of itself.
You want to lash out against what’s happening in your neighborhood? Good. You should.
So get a job. Get an education. Get married before you have kids, and then stay and raise them. Move forward. Work for something better. Work.
Worried about the government and policies and law enforcement and all of that? Fine, after you’ve completed, or started on the path towards completing, the first steps, the next is to get involved.
How many of these “protestors” have actually been to a city council meeting? How many stay abreast of the issues and vote for better leadership on Election Day? How many do you think? What percentage?
One percent? Less?
None?
Well, there you go. Job, education, family, community involvement.
Notice, setting a CVS ablaze didn’t appear on my list.
If you want a better community, you’d do these things. If you don’t, you’ll keep rioting.
Either way, it’s your choice.
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As ONE WORLD ONE GOVERNANCE US cities as Foreign Economic Zones is installed global labor pool workers from around the world will fill US cities including that global 1% and their 2%. What are historically private and exclusive schools----will recruit globally for those students. So pathways that were once assured for anyone able to pay higher and higher tuition will disappear----global neo-liberal education in Asia is about HYPER-COMPETITION ---they make sure there are such limited space for schools tracking to high end jobs that parents and students are CAPTURED---LITERALLY-----made to do anything they are told---like Baltimore's corrupt political system----and only the same global 1% and their 2% win-----the achievement and scores have always been JUKED----they will become more JUKED as the quality of students now global Wall Street players falls.
These are the structures that will be getting these private vouchers---these executives will decide who are winners and losers---and the sad thing about this ----it is religious schools fighting to be that ELITE EDUCATION ----THAT ELITE SCHOOL-----and these are the 5% to the 1% religious leaders. THERE IS NOTHING RELIGIOUS ABOUT ELITISM.....
For Baltimore this is what makes for our RACE AND CLASS issues-----the middle-lower-poor 99% need to wake up and fight for what makes a person a citizen or a slave.
You notice most of our TV and radio personalities graduate from these private schools.
I watch Baltimore's young people tracked through these LEADERSHIP programs tied to being a global Wall Street player and it is pitiful-----these young adults are not learning a thing about being free----about being a leader----about building a future for family and community---they are tied to this hyper-competition for simply a JOB.
The 50 Best Private Day Schools in the United States
Private day schools are popular options for families seeking a high-quality education. Students receive a world-class education while maintaining their residence with their families. A great private day school—that is, a private high school without boarding facilities—will challenge students to achieve not only academic success, but personal success as well. (Compare our articles The 50 Best Public High Schools in the U.S. and The 50 Best Colleges in the U.S.)
The rankings below have been compiled on the basis of a number of factors. In terms of academic excellence, the schools on the following list maintain a superior level of instruction, quality relationships with top-tier colleges, and additional academic awards and honors. The majority of students who attend these day schools attend Ivy League universities or the colleges just underneath the Ivies in college ranking materials.
Because diversity of the student body is integral to preparing students for living and working in a connected, global society, we factor this into our criteria for the rankings. The diversity of a student population, as well as opportunities to connect to the world, are telling factors of a school’s commitment to preparing its students for the world outside of the school environment.
The third aspect assessed for this listing consists of intangible factors, such as innovative degree programs in the arts, current student satisfaction with their high school, quality and experience of the faculty, or modern lab or athletic facilities. Also, we have striven for as much geographical diversity as is consistent with our other criteria.
Note about boarding schools: Schools that receive day students along with boarding students will be included in a follow-up article on boarding schools. This article focuses on private high schools that do not provide boarding facilities.
Note about tuition: The tuition price comes from the most current figure posted on the school’s websites. Most of the numbers listed are exclusive of textbooks, lunches, and other fees.
Note about alumni/alumnae: In some cases, notable persons who attended a school, but did not graduate, are also listed.
* * *
1Trinity School(New York, New York)
Trinity School, founded in 1709, is an independent, co-ed school located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Trinity consistently ranks as the foremost private day school in the country, and for good reasons: over 80% of its faculty holds an advanced degree and the school funnels out students to the best colleges in the nation.
In addition to housing a full Classics department, Trinity also offers a huge array of special programs to ensure that students develop their interests outside the classroom.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Consistently ranked in the top ten of the Wall Street Journal’s Best High Schools Awards
- Named #1 school in the country by Forbes Magazine in 2010
- Alumni include tennis star John McEnroe, fashion consultant Stacy London, actors Humphrey Bogart and Larry Hagman, singer-songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, novelists Truman Capote and Colson Whitehead, and filmmaker Oliver Stone
- Tuition: $39,125, grades 9–11; $39,625, grade 12
2Roxbury Latin School(Boston, Massachusetts)
Located in southwest Boston, the all-men Roxbury Latin School is known for turning out National Merit Scholars, as well as Ivy-bound students.
Founded in 1645, Roxbury Latin is one the oldest, operating private schools in the country. Its rankings speak to its rigorous academic preparation and excellent faculty.
For a small school, the musical groups on campus are impressive: a glee club, an a capella group, a junior chorus, a jazz band, and various chamber ensembles are available for student participation.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #5 prep school by Forbes Magazine
- The top SAT average of any school in the country, according to Peterson’s Private Secondary Schools
- The highest matriculation rate to all 8 Ivies plus Stanford and MIT, according to a study by PrepReview.com
- Alumni include landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, experimental psychologist E.L. Thorndike, educator James B. Conant, and anthropologist Jared Diamond
- Tuition: $24,300
3Brearley School(New York, New York)
The Brearley School, an all-women’s, non-denominational school located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is a champion of diversity. Forty-four percent of the student body is comprised of students of color.
Brearley’s emphasis on academics is witnessed by its high Ivy League/MIT/Stanford placement rate of 37%.
The school encourages its students to take advantage of its many study abroad and exchange programs, which include countries like India, China, and Vietnam, as well as the more traditional European study abroad destinations.
The school also has a thriving arts program.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #1 all-women’s school by Forbes Magazine
- Alumnae include anthropologist Mary Catherine Bateson, novelists Anne and Katie Roiphe, actresses Jill Clayburgh, Sigourney Weaver, and Kyra Sedgwick, and philanthropist Caroline Kennedy
- Tuition: $36,800
4Horace Mann School(New York, New York)
In the Riverdale section of the Bronx, one will discover the 18-acre campus of the Horace Mann School, which is recognized as one of the top feeder schools to the Ivies.
Horace Mann seeks to educate the whole person inside and outside of the classroom: In addition to offering an assortment of co-curricular activities, students are required to pass a swim test, learn CPR, and complete community service hours as part of their graduation requirements.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #2 school in the U.S. by Forbes Magazine in 2010
- Ranked #4 by the Wall Street Journal
- Most of its 21 student publications have earned recognition from the CSPA (Columbia Scholastic Press Association) and ASPA (Association of Specialized and Professional Accreditors)
- Alumni include composer Elliott Carter, poet William Carlos Williams, novelist James Salter, philosopher John Searle, economist Robert Heilbroner, Pultizer Prize–winning author Robert Caro, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, and jazz pianist Peter Cincotti
- Tuition: $39, 100
5Winsor School(Boston, Massachusetts)
The Winsor School, founded in 1886, is one of the top all-women’s prep schools in the country. Its academic excellence is evidenced by its high average combined SAT score of 2100 and its Ivy League/MIT/Stanford matriculation rate of 35%.
Winsor enrolls approximately 430 students from diverse cultural, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. For further enrichment, the school offers off-campus programs, exchanges to China and France, and semesters at the Mountain School in Vermont.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #10 on Forbes Magazine best prep list
- Alumnae include figure skater Tenley Albright and Harvard Law School Professor Martha Field
- Tuition: $37,100
College Prep of Oakland, a co-educational, private school, is one of the most selective private day schools in the country, with a population of only 320 students.
The highly-selective admissions process guarantees a high-caliber student upon entrance, which typically results in these students’ becoming freshmen at the nation’s top colleges—22 students from College Prep have become Stanford students upon graduation during the last five years alone.
Students participate in Intraterm each year, a specialized program for enrichment the week before spring break.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- 59% of the class of 2013 were recognized as either National Merit Semi-Finalists or Commended
- Ranked #17 private school in the country by Forbes Magazine in 2010
- Alumni include filmmaker Miranda July, Deputy U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Marchick, and Cher Wang, co-founder of smartphone manufacturer HTC
- Tuition: $35,410
Collegiate School, an all-men’s private school located in Manhattan’s Upper West Side, traces back its history to 1628, making it one of the oldest schools in the U.S.
In addition to boasting a stellar average combined SAT score (2195) and Ivy League/MIT/Stanford acceptance rate (41%), Collegiate is distinguished by having the best soccer team in the state among private schools.
Students are also encouraged to take advantage of the school’s prime New York City location by enrolling in CITYterm, which uses the Manhattan cityscape as its classroom.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Named it the #1 school in the world for getting into the Ivies by the Wall Street Journal
- Ranked #7 prep school in the country by Forbes Magazine
- Alumni include film directors Peter Bogdanovich and Whit Stillman, actor David Duchovny, and John F. Kennedy, Jr., son of the former president
- Tuition: $39,400
An all-women’s school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, the Spence School offers a global learning community within its campus.
Over 33% of the student body consists of students of color, and the curriculum at Spence is designed so that a student can identify herself and sees her culture and heritage reflected in her studies. The English Department hosts an array of classes focusing on literature from specific regions around the world.
Upper School students can choose from among 40 clubs and activities.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #9 by Forbes in the best prep schools list
- Alumnae include philanthropist Helen Cray Frick, author Francine du Plessix Gray, and actress Gwyneth Paltrow
- Tuition: $39,200
Harvard-Westlake (H-W) is a private, co-ed school that spans two campuses on the west side of Los Angeles, between Bel Air and Beverly Hills.
A distinguishing feature of the school is its focus on character education and ethical leadership, which is built into the curriculum.
H-W allows for directed study and independent study. Travel is encouraged, both abroad or domestically (at the Mountain School or the High Mountain Institute).
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Over 1/3 of students in the class of 2011 received National Merit Recognition
- Ranked as one of America’s best prep schools from prepreview.com in 2008
- Ranked as #12 on the Forbes Best Schools list for 2010
- Alumni include actors Myrna Loy, Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Shirley Temple, Candice Bergen, Elizabeth Montgomery, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Maggie and Jake Gyllenhaal, as well as film director Jason Reitman and astronaut Sally Ride
- Tuition: $31, 350
The Dalton school, on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, is the home of the Dalton Plan, an educational model adopted by schools globally. The plan comprises three parts (Home, Assignment, and Lab), as well as programs designed to meet a student’s individual needs.
Seniors stay busy at Dalton: On top of the senior initiative and project, the school mandates an internship program in the senior year to give students hands-on experience for post-grad life.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #13 on the Forbes Best Prep Schools list
- Alumni include actors Chevy Chase and Claire Danes, author Frances Fitzgerald, science fiction writer Samuel R. Delany, journalists Eric Schlosser and Matt Yglesias, and TV personalities Anderson Cooper and Andrew Zimmern
- Tuition: $40,220
The Chapin School is an all-women’s school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. All students attend school under one roof to maintain a sense of continuity and community.
Chapin has an extensive network of partnerships for students to complete summer internships, including a partnership with the Foreign Policy Association.
Students may also enroll in an elective service-learning course that is designed to incorporate meaningful community service into teaching and learning about civic responsibility and social issues.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #3 in college placement by the Wall Street Journal in 2007
- Alumnae include author Anne Morrow Lindbergh, New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman, actresses Stockard Channing and Sigourney Weaver, and fashion designers Lilly Pulitzer and Vera Wang
- Tuition: $36,500
Princeton Day School (PDS) is a private, co-educational day school.
PDS is naturally a feeder school for nearby Princeton University; however, many graduates go on to attend other top-ranked colleges such as NYU, Cornell, Tufts, and Georgetown.
Not only does PDS more than adequately prepare students for the best colleges in the country, it incorporates a number of special programs to nurture the student as a complete individual. There is a two-day celebration of creativity featuring guest artists and a five-week seminar for seniors, “A Life That Works,” which gathers seniors to investigate spiritual and practical dimensions of life relevant to shaping their futures.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- A third of the 2011 graduating class were honored as National Merit Semi-Finalists or Commended Scholars
- Alumni include actor Christopher Reeve, singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter, and rock musician Trey Anastasio
- Tuition: $30,230
Saint Ann’s School is a non-sectarian, co-educational, private day school located in the Brooklyn Heights section of New York City.
There are a couple of keys that separate Saint Ann’s school from the other schools on this list.
First, the school doesn’t have a grading system and prefers to have its teachers prepare full-page reports on each student to give what they deem a more accurate reflection of the learning that took place.
A spotlight on the arts is another feature unique to Saint Ann’s, in that the school considers the arts to be central elements to a student’s education.
Juniors and seniors help design their own curriculum.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Named one of the top 50 high schools by the Wall Street Journal in 2007
- Alumni include actresses Jennifer Connelly and Lena Dunham, and rap musician Mike D (Mike Diamond)
- Tuition: grades 9–11, $32, 400; grade 12, $33,100
14Germantown Friends School(Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Germantown Friends School is a co-educational, private day school located in Philly’s historic Germantown neighborhood. The school maintains its roots in, and maintains strong connections with, the Society of Friends.
Germantown Friends is known for its strong academic preparation: 10–20% of graduates enroll at the prestigious University of Pennsylvania.
The school keeps it values close in mind both inside and outside of the classroom, making for a rich education in the development of the individual students.
In keeping with its spiritual values, Germantown Friends does not calculate GPA for class rank and does not have a Valedictorian or Salutatorian. Instead, graduating classes elect a faculty member and a classmate to deliver ceremonial speeches.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include Nobel Prize-winning physicists Owen Chamberlain and Saul Perlmutter, television producer Kara Vallow, and music producer and author Sandra Boynton
- Tuition: $29,795
The National Cathedral School (NCS) is a private, all-women’s Episcopal day school in the McLean Gardens neighborhood of our nation’s capital.
NCS was built before the National Cathedral itself, and maintains its heritage through weekly chapel services by school division and ecumenical, thematic Friday services.
Thirty-five percent of the student body is made up of students of color.
Athletic participation, which includes dance and yoga classes as well as outdoor recreation, is mandatory for all students.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumnae include American U.N. Ambassador Susan Rice and U.S. Congresswoman Beverly Byron
- Tuition: $35,120
The Lab School (as it is universally known), which is located on the campus of the University of Chicago in the Hyde Park neighborhood of the city, is a private, co-educational day school that takes pride in its diverse campus culture.
The school was founded in 1896 by Professor John Dewey, one of the foremost philosophers, educators, and public intellectuals in America’s history.
Students learn about cultural, communicative ethics, and civility education, and participate in an outstanding World Languages program.
Students at the Lab School are known for their excellence in scholastic journalism, as well.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #4 in the nation for its record of sending graduates to elite colleges and universities
- Alumni include U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, composer Ned Rorem, historian William McNeill, philosopher Leon Kass, biologist Lynn Margulis, and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan
- Tuition: $28,290
17Collegiate School(Richmnond, Virginia)
Collegiate School, which is located in Virginia’s state capital (and should not be confused with the New York City school of the same name), is a private, co-educational day school committed to academic and personal excellence.
All students participate in community service projects; seniors complete short internships prior to graduation as a graduation requirement. To prepare students for the world beyond academia, Collegiate weaves both economics education and global education into its entire curriculum.
Recently, Collegiate initiated a Global Education Mission, creating partnerships with schools in China, India, Mexico, and Spain, and expanded its oral proficiency requirements for foreign language study. It is also home to the International Emerging Leaders Conference.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- The class of 2012 produced three National Merit Semi-finalists, one Achievement Semi-Finalist, and 14 Commended Scholars
- Alumni include U.S. Representative and current House Majority Leader, Eric Cantor, film producer Michael Gottwald, TV writer Mike Henry, and Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson
- Tuition: $21,520
18St. Andrew’s Episcopal School(Ridgeland, Mississippi)
St. Andrew’s Episcopal School, which is located just north of Jackson, Mississippi (and should not be confused with several other schools of the same name in other states), is an independent, co-ed, college prep school for students in grades pre-K through 12.
St. Andrew’s consistently leads the state in the percentage of National Merit Semi-finalists. In addition to a fine academic tradition, St. Andrew’s students grow as individuals in a variety of ways, one of which is that they complete an astounding 100 hours of community service projects before graduation. The school has established a focus on global studies through the St. Andrew’s International Society, the Global Speakers program, and by providing exchange programs with schools in Japan, China, Mexico, Ghana, Scotland, Spain, France, and India.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- The Class of 2011 included 12 National Merit Finalists, three National Achievement Finalists, and five Commended Students
- The Class of 2010 included 18 National Merit Finalists (more than any other school in the state), three National Achievement Finalists, and two Commendations
- St. Andrew’s has produced four Presidential Scholars in the last four years
- Thirty-five of 39 of Mississippi’s AP State Scholars have been St. Andrew’s students
- Tuition: $14,605
Delbarton is a Catholic, all-men’s school located just west of Newark, New Jersey.
In addition to its commitment to academic excellence, Delbarton promotes the values of cooperative living in a global society.
Through its study abroad programs, notable international guest speakers, and an award-winning Model U.N., students gain significant insight into the outside world.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #9 among the nation’s schools by the Wall Street Journal in 2007
- Alumni include playwright Christopher Durang, actor Peter Dinklage, computer scientist Robert Tappan Morris, and Wall Street trader/martial arts fighter John Cholish
- Tuition: $30,200
Located in Boston’s Back Bay East neighborhood, Commonwealth is a private, co-ed day school with a prestigious academic standing. Historically, two-thirds of each graduating class is recognized by the National Merit Scholar program.
The school views community service as an integral part of developing the whole person; therefore, students are required to complete 70 hours of service by the beginning of their junior years.
Additionally, the school mandates that students participate in the on-campus Jobs Program, in which students sign up to complete a variety of practical, common tasks on a regular basis.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Three members of the Class of 2012 were Presidential Scholar Semi-finalists
- Physics department named best in the country by the College Board in 2004
- Ranked best private high school by Boston Magazine in 2009
- Alumni include historian Daniel Pipes, diplomat Peter Galbraith, film directors Kasi Lemmons and Jesse Peretz, actor Hamish Linklater, and model Cameron Russell
- Tuition: $34,704
A private school in the north part of Seattle, the Lakeside School presents an intense academic program that exceeds the rigor of AP classes; thus, AP classes are not offered.
Lakeside has one of the most diverse student populations, with over half of the student body comprised of students of color.
The history of engaging students in global affairs dates back to the famous 1984 chess match against Moscow School students. Today, the school’s Global Service Learning Program “aims at helping students gain a broader view of the world while helping the underprivileged around the world.”
Students also have numerous opportunities for study abroad, both domestically and internationally.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- The class of 2012 produced 31 National Merit Semifinalists, 40 National Merit Commended, four National Achievement Scholar Award winners, and three National Hispanic Recognition Award winners
- Alumni include Microsoft founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen, and TV actor Adam West
- Tuition: $27,250
An all-men’s, Catholic day school on Manhattan’s Upper East Side, Regis High School has a rigorous set of criteria for acceptance, and is widely regarded as a feeder school to the Ivies and other top U.S. colleges and universities.
Run by the Jesuit order, Regis combines a commitment to academic excellence with a focus on religiously guided values.
Annual class enrollment is limited to approximately 135 male students from the NY/NJ/CT tri-state area. All students receive a tuition-free education.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include immunologist Anthony Fauci, writer and critic Luc Sante, book publisher and editor Robert Giroux, journalists Pete Hamill and Mark Mazzetti, and author Edward Conlon
- Tuition: $0
Rye Country Day School, which was founded in 1869, is a co-ed day school in a town on Long Island Sound, north of New Rochelle on Connecticut border.
While Rye Country Day has a consistent rate of students who matriculate into top-tier schools, it also maintains a deep commitment to community service.
Diversity also plays a prominent role on campus: Out of the many co-curricular clubs and activities Rye offers, nine are student clubs that promote diversity on the campus.
The school requires a Senior Term mandatory graduation project. .
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #21 on a list of top schools by the Wall Street Journal in 2007
- Alumni include Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Edward Albee, first lady Barbara Bush, and TV actor Nick Kroll
- Tuition: $34,600
Crystal Springs Uplands School, is an independent, co-ed private school located south of San Francisco, near San Mateo.
The school was among the first private schools to wave goodbye to the College Board’s AP courses. This was done so that teachers could design even more challenging coursework and students could initiate projects, internships, investigative research, and global experiences. However, students may elect to take the AP exams.
In terms of diversity, over 50% of the student population are students of color.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include heiress Patty Hearst, hip hop music producer Charlie Kubal, and TV actress Polly Draper
- Tuition: $35,700
The Buckingham School (1889) and Browne & Nichols School (1883) merged in 1974, creating a dynamic co-educational institution (BB&N). The three separate campuses are located within a few miles of each other in the western part of Cambridge, between the Charles River and historic Mt. Auburn Cemetery.
BB&N’s excellent academics prepares students for acceptance and success at the nation’s top colleges. Participation in sports is mandatory for all students.
BB&N students produce several publications, which have received national recognition.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- 27 Presidential Scholars from Massachusetts
- Ranked #5 top private school in the Boston area by Boston Magazine in 2009
- Ranked among the top 50 schools in the world for university preparation by the Wall Street Journal in 2007
- Alumni include actor Anthony Perkins, Prison Fellowship founder Charles Colson, NPR radio broadcaster Sylvia Poggioli, U.S. Representative Joseph P. Kennedy, III, billionaire businesswoman Abigail Johnson, and Netflix founder Reed Hastings
- Tuition: $38,030
St. Mark’s School of Texas is a nonsectarian, all-men’s day school located in the Preston Hollow neighborhood of north Dallas. The school’s academic performance record shines in the light of its many graduates who attend the nation’s best colleges.
St. Mark’s makes concerted efforts towards environmental sustainability, for which the school has received accolades.
Outdoor education is an integral part of the St. Mark’s experience and is required of all students.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- 22 National Merit Scholars in the Class of 2011
- 35 Commended Scholars from the National Merit Program in the Class of 2011
- Seven Presidential Scholars since 2003
- Alumni include National Lampoon co-founder Robert Hoffman, singer-songwriter Boz Scaggs,and actors Tommy Lee Jones and Luke and Owen Wilson
- Tuition: $25,258–$26,914, depending on the grade level
San Francisco University High School (popularly known as “University”) opened in 1975 as a co-ed private school in the Pacific Heights neighborhood of the city.
Independent learning and self-directed projects are a valuable and unique asset to the excellent curriculum the school offers.
At University, community service learning requirements are mandatory. Over 40% of the student body is composed of students of color.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #21 best high school based on university preparedness by the Wall Street Journal in 2007
- Ranked #8 best high school in the country for matriculation rate and success at top colleges and universities by the Washington Post in 2013
- Alumni include writer Ethan Canin, filmmaker and actor Ari Gold, National League pitcher Tyler Walker, and actor John Morris
- Tuition: $35,440
Founded in 1889, Marlborough School is a private, all-women’s day school located in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Central L.A. It is the oldest school for women in Southern California.
Marlborough hosts a premiere Visiting Scholars program. While Marlborough does not require community service from its students, it is a valued, encouraged, and integral part of daily student life.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Science program has received national recognition
- Honors research program was featured in a 2005 New York Times article
- Alumnae include novelist Nell Freudenberger, author Anne Fadiman, actress and playwright Zoe Kazan, and MSNBC anchor Alex Wit
- Tuition: $28,950
Home to the largest campus in the New York City area, Riverdale Country School is a co-ed, private school located in the Riverdale section of the Bronx.
The school has decided to forgo AP course offerings so that more challenging and innovative classes would be available to students.
Additionally, all students are required to have three arts credits towards graduation—a nod to the emphasis on a strong and thriving arts program.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include U.S. Senator Edward M.Kennedy, singer-songwriter Carly Simon, science writer James Gleick, NFL running back Calvin Hill, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, restaurant critic Tim Zagat, and actors Cesar Romero, Chevy Chase, and Sarah Michelle Gellar
- Tuition: $35,500
Latin School of Chicago (known locally as “Latin”), founded in 1888, is a private, coeducational college preparatory school located in the city’s affluent Gold Coast neighborhood. It is the oldest independent day school in the city of Chicago.
Latin School’s mission is to provide students with an academically rigorous and innovative educational program in a community that embraces diversity of people, cultures, and ideas. Latin’s aim is “to inspire its students to pursue their passions and lead lives of purpose and excellence.”
Latin offers many innovative electives in every subject area, in addition to the core requirements. Many classes have a real-life-experience component, which helps to bring the material to life, including mock trials, hands-on labs, and a Model U.N. simulation.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include sculptor Claes Oldenburg, singer-songwriter Roger McGuinn, actor and producer Bob Balaban, first lady Nancy Reagan, U.S. Senator Adlai Stevenson, III, and U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Marshall Harlan, II
- Tuition: $28,985
31Ethical Culture Fieldston School(New York, New York)
Ethical Culture Fieldston School (popularly known as “Fieldston”) was founded in 1878 with the goal of educating New York City’s working class children.
Located on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, Fieldston is sponsored by the secular humanist Society for Ethical Culture. True to its heritage in the Progressive Era movement, Fieldston mandates courses in ethics and philosophy, as well as a minimum of 60 documented hours of community service.
The school no longer offers AP coursework, in an effort to go above and beyond teaching-to-the-test, and chooses to implement more innovative and challenging classes instead.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, AI pioneer Marvin Minsky, critics Christopher Lehmann-Haupt, David Denby, and Andrew Delbanco, photographer Diane Arbus, poets Howard Nemerov and Muriel Rukeyser, conductor Alan Gilbert, composer Stephen Sondheim, film producer Jeffrey Katzenberg, fim directors James Toback and Sophia Coppola, and TV broadcaster Barbara Walters
- $39,525
32Potomac School(McLean, Virginia)
Just outside of Washington, D.C., lies the 90-acre campus of the Potomac School.
This private, co-educational school presents students with the opportunity to complete a concentration in Visual and Performing Arts in music, theater, or visual arts.
Character development and community service are integral parts of the standard curriculum, as well.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include actresses Frances Sternhagen and Keshia Knight Pulliam, documentary filmmaker Rory Kennedy, and music critic Alex Ross
- Tuition: $33,345
Branson School, which is located near San Rafael in Marin County, 11 miles north of San Francisco, was founded in 1920. Today, Branson is a private, co-educational, college-preparatory day school with only 320 students enrolled in grades 9 through 12.
Through the vitality, breadth, and rigor of its programs, Branson encourages students to think critically, communicate clearly, develop their individual talents and interests, and pursue a lifelong passion for learning. Foreign language requirements are rigorous, with three years in one language, and two years each of two different languages required.
Community service is also a priority: Freshmen must complete five Core and 10 Support hours, and sophomores, juniors, and seniors must complete 15 Core and 10 Support hours each year (where Core hours = hours spent working directly with people in need, and Support hours = hours spent indirectly helping those in need).
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Student/faculty ratio 8-to-1
- Average class size 13
- Alumni include author and TV personality Julia Child, Olympic skiier Jonny Moseley, and documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel
- Tuition: $35,000
34Brunswick School(Greenwich, Connecticut)
Brunswick School is an all-men’s, college preparatory, private day school located just over the NY/CT state line.
Brunswick has a high matriculation rate to the country’s most competitive colleges. However, competition does not end at the classroom doors: Participation in sports is required of all students.
Brunswick students have unique study abroad opportunities, including an Arabic year abroad, and a choice of six single-semester programs, notably in the Bahamas and in Switzerland.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include Peter Fonda, sports columnist Bill Simmons, and social networking pioneers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss
- Tuition: $35,700
35Maret School(Washington, D.C.)
Maret School, founded in 1911, is a private school on a single campus in the Woodley Park neighborhood of our nation’s capital.
Over 40% of Maret students identify themselves as students of color.
Foreign language instruction is a focus of the curriculum, and students have the opportunity to travel to Honduras, India, and France for summer course credits.
Each student is expected to take visual and performing arts classes, as well.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include film composer Theodore Shapiro, and educator and author Rosalind Wiseman
- Tuition: $32,745
36Baldwin School(Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania)
Baldwin School, an all-women’s, private day school located west of Philadelphia on that city’s historic “Main Line.” The school’s main building is included in the National Register of Historic Places.
Baldwin no longer offers AP coursework and chooses instead to present an even more rigorous curriculum to students. Baldwin students care deeply about environmental sustainability, the arts, athletics, and diversity. Over 35% of students are persons of color.
Baldwin requires its students to participate in athletics or physical education.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- The Class of 2011 had 18 students recognized by the National Merit Scholar program
- The same class boasted a recipient of the annual National Latin Exam Scholarship
- Alumnae include actress Cornelia Otis Skinner, writer Andrea Lee, and philosopher Martha Craven Nussbaum
- Tuition: $28,000
Haverford School is an all-men’s, nonsectarian, private college preparatory day school located nine miles outside of Philadelphia on that city’s historic “Main Line.” Its reputation as a pillar of academic excellence is long-standing and graduates gain admission into America’s top colleges year after year.
Haverford incorporates the idea of service learning into its curriculum; each student needs to complete an entire service project each school year.
The school emphasizes environmental sustainability on campus and within the Montgomery County community.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Six Rhodes Scholars
- National Merit Scholarship Competition, Classes 2008–12: 46 Commended; 37 Semifinalists, 31 Finalists
- Alumni include painter Maxfield Parrish, physicist Britton Chance, astronaut Pete Conrad, political scientist John DiIulio, and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper
- Tuition: $34,800
Nightingale-Bamford School is an all-women’s day school located on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.
Diversity plays an important role on and off campus: More than 30% of the student population is made up of students of color and students are encouraged to go on the various study abroad trips that span the globe.
Curricular enrichment includes a freshman class trip to the U.K., specialized programs in science, creative writing, visual education, and theater, taking full advantage of the school’s prime New York City location.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Three Semi-finalists in the National Achievement Scholarship Program in 2008
- Ranked in the top 80 of 31,700 schools nationwide for placing students in the Ivies, according to Worth magazine
- Alumnae include U.S. Representative Millicent Fenwick, political consultant Mandy Grunwald, actress Sarah Thomson, and children’s author Cecily von Ziegesar
- Tuition: $38,820
39Hopkins School(New Haven, Connecticut)
Hopkins is a private, co-ed, college prep day school located across town from Yale University. Founded in 1660, it is one of the oldest schools in the nation.
Hopkins boasts both academic and artistic excellence through its wide assortment of course offerings and co-curricular programs in the arts.
Students are introduced to the concept of ethical leadership early on in their Hopkins careers.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #19 on the top 20 best prep schools list by Forbes
- Alumni include physicist Josiah Willard Gibbs and composer Charles Ives
- Tuition: $32,100
Boston University Academy (BUA), founded in 1993, is a private, co-ed high school operated by Boston University (BU) and located on its campus. BUA allows juniors and senior students to take BU classes for college credits.
BUA does not focus on teaching-to-the-test or college admission. Rather, the school provides ample opportunities for students to be exposed to the western tradition of critical thinking, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- The Class of 2012 had 39 members qualify for National Merit Commendations
- Numerous student activities include art, drama, dance, film, math, chess, and robotics clubs
- Tuition: $33,574
St. John’s School is an independent, coeducational, college preparatory day school located in Houston’s River Oaks neighborhood.
The school’s mission is to create excellent citizens and leaders, particularly for the Houston area and for the U.S. in general. One hundred percent of students participate in community service, although the school does not require it.
Students are encouraged to complete both independent and directed study projects.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Featured in the Wall Street Journal’s November 2007 article, “How to Get Into Harvard”
- Nine percent of graduates in 2007 went to one of the most eight highly selective colleges
- Alumni include humorist Molly Ivins and publisher and film producer Christy Haubegger
- Tuition: $21,550
42Pingry School(Martinsville, New Jersey)
The Pingry School is a private country day school located not far west of New York City, just north of New Brunswick.
Pingry is home not only to an excellent academic reputation, but also to championship athletic teams and a strong tradition in scholastic press.
Approximately 86% of Upper School students participate in a variety of sports on 55 varsity and junior varsity boys and girls teams.
A multicultural curriculum and cultural competency are valuable part of campus life.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include World War II correspondent and author Richard Tregaskis, physicists Howard Georgi and James A. Yorke, economist N. Gregory Mankiw, filmmaker Todd Solondz, actor Andrew McCarthy, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff
- Tuition: $33,040
North Shore Country Day School is a private, coeducational, college preparatory day school, which was founded in 1919 and is located near Lake Michigan just north of Chicago.
Through a range of experiences in and out of the classroom, North Shore students are immersed in science, mathematics, humanities, language, and the arts. The school’s broad and ever-evolving curriculum challenges and engages students to strive for personal growth and academic excellence.
North Shore also prides itself on the fact that each student is a part of a community “where each has a voice, is known and is valued.” In addition, “Teachers use global connections to tie learning to real life applications. And students receive a well-rounded education including participation in the arts, athletics and service.”
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Alumni include actress Jessica Harper and pop music singer Richard Marx
- Tuition: $26,800
44Sidwell Friends School(Washington, D.C. & Bethesda, Maryland)
Sidwell Friends School is a private, co-ed day school founded in 1883 by Thomas Sidwell, who had formerly taught in a Baltimore school run by the Society of Friends. Sidwell Friends now has two campuses, in Washington, D.C., and in Bethesda, Maryland.
Guided by its Quaker values, students commit to practice environmental stewardship and to appreciate the differences in one another; there is no class ranking system.
Sidwelll Friends offers a unique and extensive Chinese Studies program. Graduates matriculate at the nation’s top universities.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Highest scores in the nation on the 2005 AP English exam (even though AP English is not offered as a course)
- Alumni include aviation pioneer Charles Lindbergh, Nobel Prize–winning chemist Walter Gilbert, novelist Gore Vidal, Pulitzer Prize–winning playwright Margaret Edson, economist George Akerlof, CIA Director John Deutch, TV news anchor Charles Gibson, TV personality Bill Nye, and Presidential daughters Julie and Trisha Nixon, Chelsea Clinton, and Sasha and Malia Obama
- Tuition: $34,268
45Gilman School(Baltimore, Maryland)
A private, all-men’s school founded in 1897, the Gilman School has the distinction of being the nation’s first country day school.
Gilman is committed to the development of the individual, both inside and outside of the classroom.
Students are required to take visual and performing arts classes, as well as religion courses. They are also required to participate in athletics and community service projects.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Rated one of the top 30 feeder schools to the Ivies by Worth magazine
- Alumni include author Walter Lord, sportswriter and radio commentator Frank Deford, and U.S. Representative John Sarbanes
- Tuition: $26,180
46Greenhill School(Addison, Texas)
The Greenhill School, a co-ed, non-denominational private day school, lies just outside the city limits on the northwest side of Dallas.
Greenhill offers students the unique chance to shape their own course of study, working with advisers to make class selections pertinent to their needs and interests after the first two years of core study.
The school’s core principles are honor, respect, and compassion, which are instilled in each student, and, “combined with the balanced education, fully prepare them for success throughout their lives.”
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- 84 AP Scholars
- Class of 2012 produced 10 National Merit Finalists and 17 Commended Scholars
- Rated as one of the top 40 schools in the nation by the number of matriculants to Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, by Worth magazine
- Alumni include singer-songwriters Martie McGuire and Emily Robison, TV sports commentator Rob Stone, and fashion designer Lela Rose
- Tuition: $24,850
47Tower Hill School(Wilmington, Delaware)
Founded in 1919 with a commitment to progressive education methods, Tower Hill School is rated one of the best college preparatory schools in Delaware.
Students not only excel academically, but also must play at least 10 seasons of interscholastic sports. They are also asked to complete 40 hours of community service, as well as a full credit of Fine Arts classes drawn from the music, theater, and art departments.
AP courses are not offered; instead, students are presented a more rigorous and challenging curriculum.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Ranked #24 in the nation, and #1 in Delaware, in percentage of students attending eight top colleges by the Wall Street Journal
- Alumni include TV personality Dr. Mehmet Oz and DuPont CEO Ellen J. Kullman
- Tuition: $26,425
48John Burroughs School(St. Louis, Missouri)
John Burroughs School (known as “Burroughs”) is a co-ed, private day school located on the west side of St. Louis. Its rankings and production of Nation Merit–recognized students speak to the school’s high quality of academic instruction.
In addition to excellent academics, Burroughs—which is named after the famed nineteenth-century naturalist and essayist—seeks to enrich the student outside of the classroom. The school has an appointed office of diversity and multicultural education to ensure that awareness and inclusion spans across the curriculum.
Burroughs does not have a community service requirement for its students, yet more than half of the senior class participates in community service.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Class of 2013 includes 30 National Merit Semi-finalists and 16 Letters of Commendation
- Ranked among the nation’s top 50 high schools in sending graduates to eight top universities, by the Wall Street Journal
- Alumni include novelist Jane Smiley and restaurateur Danny Meyer
- Tuition: $22,900
49Blake School(Minneapolis, Minnesota)
The Blake School is a private, co-educational day school, which was founded in 1900 and is located in the Lowry Hill section of Minneapolis.
Prizing ethics and integrity as well as academic excellence, students are required to take a course in communication before graduating.
Seniors must also complete an approved project as a graduation requirement.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- Three-time recipient of the Blue Ribbon Award
- Ranked #41 in the nation by the Wall Street Journal in 2007
- Alumni include writers Robert Pirsig, Charles Baxter, and Arthur Phillips, film director George Roy Hill, and comedian and U.S. Senator Al Franken
- Tuition: $24,450
50University School Nashville(Nashville, Tennessee)
University School Nashville (USN), founded in 1888, is a private, co-ed day school located near the Vanderbilt University campus. USN offers students two campuses: a main campus for academics and an 80-acre campus for extra-curricular purposes.
USN has a long-standing commitment to the arts and students enjoy the culture of Nashville.
Belief diversity does not happen in isolation; USN presents a cultural dialogue series to promote multiculturalism on its campus.
Awards, Ranking, Alumni, Tuition:
- The class of 2012 produced 12 National Merit Semi-Finalists and 13 National Merit Commended Scholars
- Three Presidential Scholars, 2010–2012
- Alumni include Noble Prize–winning chemist Stanford Moore, Pulitzer Prize–winning historian Robert K. Massie, country music singer Shooter Jennings, and NPR radio broadcaster and MacArthur Fellow Jad Abumrad
- Tuition: $19,250
Do we really think these private schools are going to continue to accept and don't we know SCHOOL CHOICE means a global corporate campus TRACKS YOU =====CHOOSES YOU -----it is not about citizens having choice.
A friend:
'And their teachers are not held to the same standards as public school teachers'.
These 'elite' private schools are not graduating achievers-----the education at these schools is worse than what we had when public schools were strong.
I was called to witness what was a dumpster of standardized tests for students at Gilman----one of those private day schools listed-----you cannot throw those completed test booklets away-----they have to all be returned----yet there was a dumpster full ---it is well known the grading is rigged.
Washington DC has almost entirely gentified to being that global 1% and their 2%----there are almost no low-income schools in DC and they are all tied to global Wall Street neo-liberalism ---charters---school choice. Obama didn't do vouchers in DC because DC is not slated to have citizens needing vouchers.
If parents knew the history of voucher policy----if they understood its goals----they would not be the ones pushing for these programs as policies make it harder and harder for 99% to access ordinary broad democratic public education.
Why can I not find a video of a parent from low-income community shouting against these deregulation, dismantlement of a US Constitutional right to EQUAL ACCESS---EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EDUCATION-----FIGHT FOR RIGHTS WE HAVE.
Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher Program
"Barack Obama & the DC School Voucher Program: The president says he wants to do 'what's best for kids.' So why won't he save a proven program that helps low...
youtube.com
There is a reason these voucher policies were written by Republican think tanks and free market economists-----it has nothing to do with helping poor students----its only goal is to send all hundreds of billions of dollars of Federal public education to the same global Wall Street corporations.
Vocationally tracked K-career will be that same apprenticeship workshop where the only education needed is to do a job.
Vouchers and Tax Credit Scholarships in the U.S.
The future of public education in the United States is at a critical crossroads. Watch this video to learn how the growing trend of sending public money to p...
youtube.com
The Maryland Assembly says---we had to pass it----BALTIMORE CITY POLS DEMANDED IT!
____________________________________________
It is these stock values the Wall Street players are given an inside ----they think they are gaining wealth when all that wealth is slated to disappear. A smaller and smaller group of global executives deciding how all those hundreds of billions of dollars in Federal public education funding is spent-----Hmmmmm, it will disappear as it has these few decades.
All these corporations built on that trillion dollar student loan debt targeted fraud. What is next----simply global corporate campus schools----apprenticeship K- career college.
CLINTON/BUSH/OBAMA-----beyond contemptible.
Launi Rae How can we help stop this or should we fight for both and stop war.
Until citizens make it impossible for Wall Street players---whether they be politicians or working in NGO and corporate non-profits pretending to help -----they will continue to ignore anger and outrage---they think the cronyism is insular. It will take strong, sustained rolling protests and economic disruption. Here in Baltimore we had a week of protests----people committed to coming out each day-----we need that to be consistent and long-term.
Our demand must be----rebuilding all public agencies resignation of all installed pols and those appointed------
Table 2
Stock value of publicly traded post secondary education companies
Company
Stock Value
The Apollo Group Online
$9,819,960,000
The Apollo Group
(University of Phoenix and Western International U.)
$13,976,028,000
Career Education Corporation
(American Intercontinental, Briarcliff, California School
of Culinary Arts, International Academy of Design and
Technology, Whitman-CTU, Sanford Brown and UDS)
$3,136,616,800
Concorde Career Colleges
$82,730,000
Corinthian (Rhodes, Florida Metropolitan, Wyotech,
Bryman, and CDI)
$1,023,645,150
DeVry (Keller School of Management)
$1,364,421,400
Education Management System (The Art Institutes,
Argosy Education Group, American Education Centers)
$2,066,038,400
EVCI Career Colleges, Inc.
$93,030,000
ITT Technical Institute
$1,501,440,000
Laureate Education Inc. (Formerly Sylvan Education Systems)
(Canter, Walden, Wall Street, International Universities)
$1,479,708,000
Strayer Education Inc.
$1,480,000,000
Universal Technical Institute (UTI)
$730,628,700
Washington Post (Kaplan, Concord)*
$6,841,118,000
Total
$43,595,364,450
*Includes all Washington Post Company businesses.
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