The Baltimore school district is made up of 191 schools and has a long history of racial inequities, poor school structures and school conditions, issues with curriculum and low proficiency among students. In the 2019-2020 year, the Baltimore school district was 90% Black and LatinX and 50% low income. The high school math proficient rate was 9%, and ELA 16% while the high school graduation rate is 70% (Klosek et al 2020). This clearly shows a disconnect between student achievement but still advancing students to the next school year and graduating them. Baltimore schools have seen difficulty with teacher retention especially since teachers wear multiple hats in the classroom and are not compensated enough. Poverty rates, trauma, food insecurity and housing inequities are all other areas where students are suffering. Schools are also in poor physical condition with bursting pipes, electrical malfunctions and failing heat and air conditioning. Baltimore’s schools and physical buildings are extremely outdated, poorly insulated and are quite literally falling apart requiring millions of dollars worth of fixes. Because of these conditions, students have had to miss days in school especially during cold months when buildings are unbearably cold for learning. In early 2018, photos and videos surfaced of students shivering and wearing multiple layers in classrooms. Baltimore has received a high amount of funds from the state, and is even under a 40-year construction and renovation plan. Some facilities in schools were even reported to be paid for, verified and inspected but not finished, putting students and teachers directly in harm (Ericson 2018). 

Baltimore often fails to even do the bare minimum for their students to receive an education despite having one of the largest per capita budgets. This begs the question of why Baltimore has not been able to make implementable changes on student progress despite having such high spending. Money from the budget is often going to higher level administrators who make six-figures, which is why simply just adding funding may not be the right way of changing the Baltimore school system to increase student performance and outcomes. Instead, caucuses, students, community members, parents and grassroots organizations are creatively coming up with ways to address the inequities. 

The Baltimore Teachers Union has a long history of problematic structures in place. The  Baltimore Teachers Union has continued to argue for funding and increasing teacher salaries, but often focuses on neoliberal areas of reform. For example, in 2010 the BTU negotiated a contract that included merit pay, ignoring many of the demands of teachers. Frustrated teachers wanted a union that would better advocate for the needs and demands of teachers, students, schools and communities (Shiller 2019). Leadership within the BTU was static, bureaucratic and served the needs of few teachers. However in 2019, Diamonte Brown, a teacher on the steering committee of BMORE, won president of the union solidifying that it was time for a change in direction.

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlxciAnzClY

Photo of Diamonte Brown: https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/baltimore-teachers-union/