Baltimore Education Coalition Celebrates a Victory - By Ron Kipling Williams

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“We are so far from what our children deserve,” said schools CEO Dr. Andrés Alonso.

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On Tuesday, March 3rd, over 250 parents, teachers, students, education advocates, and elected officials gathered inside the Fort Worthington Elementary School auditorium for a victory celebration.

“We are here to announce we won,” said Pete Kannem, Executive Director for New Leaders for New Schools, part of the Baltimore Education Coalition (BEC).

Last week Gov. Martin O’Malley and the Baltimore City Delegation to the Maryland General Assembly announced they were using the federal stimulus funding to restore cuts to education, while honoring the Thornton spending formulas. The proposed cuts included the removal of parts of the Thornton formula – instituted in 2004 to equalize city education funding – as well as incorporating teacher’s pensions into the formula, removing money from classrooms.

“The audacity of others to put our children’s lives on the auction block…was more than the call to action for me,” said Khalilah Harris, Executive Director of the Baltimore Freedom Academy.

The Baltimore Education Coalition – comprised of 30 city organizations –vigorously lobbied the state legislature and Gov. O’Malley. “[Annapolis] felt like power, then I remembered I too have a say in the future,” said parent Phyllis Williams. BEC’s political allies included Baltimore City Councilwoman Mary Pat Clarke, US Senator Barbara Mikulski, and US Congressman John Sarbanes. “The stimulus money has to be a substantial down payment,” said Sarbanes.

Baltimore City College student and youth activist Octavia Brown said, “The stimulus is not enough. Schools need to be a safe haven for the youth.”

“We are so far from what our children deserve,” said schools CEO Dr. Andrés Alonso.

Bishop Douglas Miles said the victory dispels the myths that Baltimore does not care about education and is not worth the investment. “What we have to do now is to issue a clarion call, and thousands of Baltimoreans will rally to support our schools and our children,” said Miles.

For more information about the Baltimore Education Coalition's goals, visit: http://savebaltimoreschools.wordpress.com/