Planning for 2023 and Beyond
- What drew you to the Education Committee?
- To make things better for kids in Baltimore–can affect kids more directly who are where you are (where you work, where you live)
- Most appreciated work that the Committee has done that is tangible
- To make the education system in Baltimore look like what we want to see for our kids
- Want to make sure City Schools has kids best interest at heart
- Critical to stabilize things economically for families so they can thrive, and make sure there’s the support for families to be involved in education and education is critical for economic stability to advance the vision of the SWP
- Has five partnership schools, community groups–UMMC liaison–comes to learn how UMMC can support
- As a liaison through work
- Have a stake in making sure schools are strong and attract families to the neighborhoods
- What keeps you involved?
- Always come to see what I could do
- Comes to learn how they can be of service to the community
- Can be hard to think about specific projects with all of the work that needs to be done
- Wants to work on making the schools in the SWP area be decent schools–how can we work with the schools to help them improve and achieve academic goals (grade level)
- Keeps coming because if people do not have an education then the city is being set up for failure
- Leadership–reaching out to find out what the committee wants, strong committee chair leadership
- What would your ideal Education Committee do?
- Would love the opportunity to read to children and do hands on academic activities with kids
- Hard to say–what are the biggest needs in the community?
- Continue what we’re doing–especially the Lou Packett Fund, internship program, SHAA advocacy
- Do more work around childcare/early childhood education
- What do schools say that they need?
- A lot of specific needs–after school programs, hygiene products, access to immediate resources, student/family centered basic needs, support with funding and grant writing, support with homeless services
- Follow schools much closer in terms of test scores, absentee rate, and then drill down into how can we help with issues–how can we help schools in the long term
- Important to know what schools want–focus is on the schools rather than parents with kids–could also be useful to focus on parents with kids in the area rather than the schools
- Want to focus on parents in the area/whose kids go to school in the area
Project and Program Updates
Community Schools
- Schools are coming out of the holidays, had holiday events–particularly successful at Charles Carroll Barrister.
- SHAA gave away over 100 bags of food, working on spring and end of school year events
- Next Roundtable guest will be Lifebridge Health–touching on needs like vaccinations, emergency home services
Internship Program
- Internship program–working on a public art piece and have been supporting with the Community School program during the holiday events
Steuart Hill Update
- Filed exception to the judge’s recommendation that the appeal be dismissed
- Also had a group come forward interested in doing a conversion charter school model at Steuart Hill
- Charm City Charter: looking to bridge the literacy gap in Baltimore City with project based learning–will invite folks to upcoming interest meetings
- Any org can apply to be a conversion charter–charm city charter is the only one as far as we know interested
- What are the actual capital needs?
- 2nd transition committee meeting tomorrow 1/5/23 5pm at Steuart Hill
