Guest Commentary by Marvin “Doc” Cheatham (Pres of Baltimore NAACP)
Baltimore City Public School System
By Marvin “Doc” Cheatham, Sr.
Recent violent occurrences in our Baltimore City Public School system should finally be the wake-up call for all of us to get actively involved in the education of OUR children.
The Family and Community Engagement Policy of the Baltimore City Public School System, approved May 25, 2004, needs to be scraped. Some of the language can be retained, but this document is merely words and not a plan to really engage parents, residents, community organizations, faith based institutions and businesses.
The Baltimore City Public School System’s Office of Parent Involvement and School, Family, Community Connections is failing in its objective to promote ongoing community engagement activities in our schools. Outside agencies and individuals are not participating at truly beneficial and successful levels, in helping our schools achieve greater success. We must be careful in engaging some of these non-profits that are only involved to receive funding for their experimental project that show no real benefit for our children. Communities, contrary to the schools allegations, are not being encouraged at the level we must have them to become increasingly more involved and committed to the shred responsibility of improving our schools.
