The success of any school, and its students, is often measured by graduation rates. If that is the case, Baltimore City Public Schools is going in the wrong direction. Data just released shows, for the second year in a row, graduation rates in City Schools have dropped and the number of students graduating is at a six-year low.
Dr. Sonja Santelises is Maryland’s highest-paid school superintendent. In 2020, she earned $339,000. That same year, City Schools’ graduation rate, for the first time in six years, dropped below 70 percent.
In 2016, when Santelises was hired, Baltimore City’s graduation rate was 70.6 percent. Two years later, it increased to 72.1%. But then it began to fall. By 2019, City Schools’ graduation rate was lower than when Dr. Santelieses was hired. In 2020, if fell again to 69.9 percent.
Meanwhile, surrounding school systems slightly improved. Baltimore County, Howard County and Anne Arundel County all saw their graduation rates tick up in 2020.
Yet they wonder why we refer to them as Baltimorons!
It’s a safe bet that a big swath of those who graduate are actually incompetent and were dragged over the finish line to prop up the woeful statistics.
If 30% of students are dropping out between start of 9th grade and graduation, they are unlikely to return to formal schooling. But it means a steady recruitment source for gangs, drug dealers, pimps and other criminal elements, especially now that criminal States Attorney Mosby won’t prosecute anything short of murder.
Harm City!
“Dr. Sonja Santelises is Maryland’s highest-paid school superintendent. In 2020, she earned $339,000.”
No, she was paid $339,000. Earning that sum would be another matter.
Hmmm…with an atrocious graduation rate, how does that impact her tenure and standing? I’ll bet the correct answer to both points is “Not at all”.
Porch monkeys ain’t got no brains.