Does Baltimore "disBELIEVE" in its schools?

If you have driven through the city of Baltimore, you've seen them. Black signs with capitalized letters on bumper stickers or banners hanging from city buildings. One simple idea...BELIEVE. It is a noble desire to have all of the city residents buy into the concept that they should BELIEVE, but when it comes to education, this seems like a far fetched wish.

If you have been in the "system" for some time, you can probably remember at least three or four Chief Executive Officers and the upheaval that they have created trying to make what seems to be "something out of nothing." If you have worked as an educator, I am sure you have felt the frustration of not knowing what the new initiatives will be and how those changes will affect you. The traditionally high attrition rate of CEOs that some have come to expect has created what I deem as a negatively high rate of cynicism on the part of educators. This elevated rate of cynicism has created in me a tremendous feeling of sadness in regards to some of my fellow educators. I believe there is a toxicity of negativity that dwells within the walls of the educational system in Baltimore City.

Is all hope lost in this city? Do educators no longer think that their purpose and their power to change the lives of their students is rooted in what the are able to in their classrooms and their enthusiasm can actually be contagious? Do all educators feel that they are less productive when they are held more accountable? I have always said, I could teach with rocks, a stick and sand if I had to, but I know that stems from my own passion for teaching and creating teachable moments wherever I can. If you are an educator that is doing their job by enriching the lives of your students, keeping abreast of your certification requirements, participating in activities that will bring you a sense of development and growth then I say continued success and no worries. I believe those individuals will always have a job somewhere and have a choice in what direction their career will go. What I have discovered is that those who rely on external factors (like who is the CEO) to justify whether of not they can produce results will always find themselves worried and looking over their shoulder.

CEO Andres Alonso has stated many times that he is committed to this city for 10 years, but ask any hopeless educator and the response might be riddled with disbelief. They do not believe the words of a man, whom to me, made his commitment to this city and its children quite evident when he accepted a pay cut in exchange for the management control in turning around the city's schools with more than controversial decisions. I respect a man who announced that he would commit 10 years to creating the change that he was hired to create and if the results desired on behalf of the students are not met, then by all means he should be fired. He expects from the employees of the system nothing short of what he expects from himself. I believe he will stay because it is apparent that his commitment stems from his love of children and his passion to have them achieve in spite of the challenges they face. He is a smart man who holds 4 degrees and changed his career to suit his passion, students. He has been an educator in one of the toughest systems in the nation. Alonso is used to the freedom and autonomy that he was granted as deputy chancellor of NYC public schools and encourages this type of management in individual schools in Baltimore.

I believe that all change is good, and although for some in this system, this change seems a bit radical, I feel it to be somewhat necessary. I have been in this system for at least 4 CEOs and see the change that Alonso brings as rejuvenating to a system that seems to accept failure as a cultural norm associated within its public schools. In order to change the way people think and operate, you must change their culture and through this paradigm shift will you begin to see the results you encourage. The paradigm shift that is occurring includes removing ineffective principals, developing systems that encourage greater parental involvement making sound fiscal decisions to ensure maximizing resources for students. It seems like those around me are doing more to work on behalf of their students and that is wonderful. If all city's educators could embrace the changes as positive steps in the right direction instead of as a looming cloud of fear, one would see the voice of the systems cynics quiet down and its toxicity would be less contagious.

I am quite familiar with the NYC school system and its improvements over the years. I saw first hand the resistance of running the school system with the same data driven results based approach most successful corporations utilize. Darwin's concept of "survival of the fittest" definitely has its place now in Baltimore City, where increased accountability, use of data to increase results and the idea of CHANGE is becoming the norm. I have always been a believer that in order to know people you must learn them. We can't all sit and have a "charla" with the CEO , but we can listen to what is being echoed again and again. It is about the children... I BELIEVE Alonso is committed, I BELIEVE parents will become more involved, I BELIEVE the quality of education will increase in this city and I BELIEVE after sustained success is evident, this city will again believe in its own system of public education and hope will be restored.

To find out more about Andres Antonio Alonso, the man and his mission, visit:http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/k12/bal-alonso,0,3267664.storygallery