African American males are worth it

My audacious idea is simple:  To create a culture of caring to support the positive development of African American males in Baltimore City. Ralph Waldo Emerson, a noted 19th Century writer was once quoted as saying “imitation is suicide.” Emerson’s quote personifies what is happening to a large segment of African American males both young […]

The principal is key

Nothing is more important to the near and long-term future of Baltimore than the quality of its public schools.  Having strong teachers, involved parents, and kids coming to school prepared to learn are all important components of high quality schools.  However, in many years of working with and in City schools, one of the most […]

Putting kids first in child support

Here’s an audacious idea.  Let’s recreate our child support system to put kids first. We say the State’s program is in the best interests of the child now, but our policies tell a different story.  Let’s restructure our policies to make sure they encourage parents to support their children rather then turn them away. Here […]

Imagining a safe passage

I propose a simple, but powerful, way for Baltimoreans to support the city’s youth and schools.  It won’t cost a lot of money, or take a lot of time. It doesn’t require the overhaul of a bureaucracy.  But it would help kids get safely to the safest place for them in the city: their school. […]

The city and the neighborhood as school

In light of the recent court decision about charter school funding, the old dichotomy about charter schools versus “traditional” public schools comes alive. The dichotomy is false. Charter schools can be neighborhood schools, if the outreach is to a neighborhood and a community. And traditional neighborhood schools can be like charters, if we trust them […]