Fair Funding for Baltimore City Public Schools

On Wednesday, February 2, concerned students, parents, educators, and advocate groups convened in front of City Hall in downtown Baltimore for a “Fair Funding for Schools” rally and march sponsored by the Baltimore Algebra Project (BAP). The BAP has organized various protests over the past two years in response to the State Board of Education’s refusal to pay the outstanding funding deficit to the Baltimore City Public School System (BCPSS).

The BAP originated as a tutoring program for Baltimore City public schools’ Title 1 secondary students in 2002, as an offshoot of the National Algebra Project, founded by Robert Moses in the 1980s. However, in 2003 it evolved into an advocacy group as well, when the district discovered it had a $58 million deficiency.

According to Chantel Morant, BAP Advocacy Committee chairperson, math is a “tool to inspire,” and thus is “holistically connected” to advocacy. The tutors, also known as Math Literacy Workers, decided to take action to improve the education of all Baltimore City School students. Impediments to their education include overcrowded classrooms, schools in disrepair, and limited resources such as textbooks. Increased school funding would alleviate these problems.

There have been numerous court orders for the state to pay the BCPSS the funds necessary to ensure each student an adequate education:

June 2000: Baltimore City Circuit Judge Joseph H. H. Kaplan ordered the state of Maryland to pay an additional $200-$265 million to BCPSS each year.
April 2002: The state legislature created the Commission on Education Finance, Equity, and Excellence (Thornton Commission), which planned for the state to phase in over the next six years an additional $1.3 billion to state schools.
August 20, 2004: Judge Kaplan ordered the state to pay the BCPSS $30- $45 million immediately in additional funding.

However, the state has refused to make any appropriations.

The BAP has protested this refusal a half dozen times, in various ways that include teach-ins and rallies. The rally and march was their latest endeavor to make their voices heard. From noon until 1 PM, various speakers took turns motivating and educating the diverse audience, which was composed of people of all ages and ethnicities. The speakers included members of various BAP affiliates, which also co-sponsored the event. In all, there were at least a dozen speakers, all making impassioned demands for deficit appropriations.

A member of the All Peoples Congress argued that if the war in Iraq ended, more money could be put into education. Marietta A. English, President of the Baltimore Teachers Union, decried the Chief Academic Officer for not permitting teachers to attend the rally, even though Wednesday was a work-day without students. James Jones of Rescue in Progress stated, “We need more accountability [from the State Board]. We need to invest in our children.” Another speaker shouted, “Show us the money!” A member of the audience responded, “No, GIVE us the money!”

The final speaker was Brandon Roane, BAP President, who had earlier led the audience in cheers (“No Education, No Life!” and “1, 2, 3, 4—We can’t take this anymore! 5, 6, 7, 8—Thornton’s funding’s way too late!”). He personalized Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Mr. Roane was not the first speaker to draw ties between the Civil Rights Movement and the BAP’s activism. Charnell Covert, another member of the BAP, called the program’s advocacy efforts the “new face of the struggle.”

The group has faced numerous struggles in its quest for fair funding. The previous week, on Tuesday, January 25, Jay Gillen, director of the BAP, was handcuffed by a state policeman on the sidewalk in front of the Maryland State Board of Education building. He was cited for disturbing the peace and not following police orders. Three policemen stood with him until a police van arrived to take him to the central booking office.

Just an hour earlier, students participating in the BAP had attended the “public comment” portion of the Maryland State Board of Education public meeting, which is open to anyone who wants to attend. Three students—Michelle Shropshire, Shanae Peoples, and Chelsea Carson—had prepared a presentation in the form of a skit for the board members regarding the state deficit.

However, before the “public comment” portion began, the board stipulated that only one person could speak at a time, for three minutes each. Thus, each student presented her information separately. After the meeting was recessed, the students decided to enact their skit near the steps outside the building. Their audience was composed of other members of the BAP, the adult supervisors of the BAP, and Maryland State Senator Paul G. Pinsky, who had spoken at the board meeting about food and nutrition guidelines for schools. In all, 30 or so people were standing on the sidewalk in front of the building steps.

Immediately after the presentation, and after Senator Pinsky left, the group was approached by a state policeman who told them to disperse. The students moved away from the building, but stayed grouped, while the officer spoke with Mr. Gillen. The officer then told the students they either must go home or cross the street; most students chose the latter. When Betty Robinson, a member of the BAP affiliate, the Coalition of Advocates for Education, questioned the legitimacy of this order, since the sidewalk is a public domain, the officer told her she was “creating a disturbance.”

Across the street, the students watched their guarded teacher in disbelief. Although they had participated in teach-ins and rallies previously, no one had ever been arrested. One student asked, “Who would arrest Mr. Jay?” Another responded, “Who would even try? He’s like Jesus.”

BAP members had already met resistance from the state police that day. Officers had detained students from attending the board meeting. The students were told that there were no seats available in the meeting room, which has a 100 person capacity, even though, according to BAP member Shanae Peoples, 10 seats remained available.

After their director was taken to central booking, the students began calling various news sources, as well as the ACLU, and Baltimore City Council President Sheila Dixon. Their goals were to have their director released and to let the media know about their endeavors to receive funding for their schools.

Mr. Gillen was released at 2:30 AM on Wednesday, January 26. No charges were filed against him. However, this event harkened back to May 2004, when on the anniversary of the Brown v. Board of Education decision, students organized a rally and faced similar problems.

Seven students attempted to meet with Bonnie Copeland, CEO of Baltimore City Schools, who had thus far not returned their calls or emails. The students were handcuffed by Ms. Copeland’s security officer and were told they were being arrested. Delegate Salima Marriott intervened, and the students were released to their parents and granted a meeting with Ms. Copeland the next day.

The BAP continues working to achieve its goals. Its members hope that the rally and march will bring more attention to the need for adequate education for Baltimore City students.

After the rally, over 100 protesters assembled to march from City Hall to the State Board of Education. BAP members all wore yellow bandannas; ACORN members carried ACORN flags; members of the Baltimore Green Party carried a banner; various other protesters carried signs. During the procession, which was monitored by state policemen, the protesters chanted, and some handed out flyers to pedestrians.

The march ended across the street from the State Board. A few faces could be seen peering through the windows. The protesters chanted for several minutes, shouting at the windows. At the end, everyone shouted together, “We’ll be back!”

The complete list of co-sponsors of the “Fair Funding for Schools” rally and march includes the Baltimore City Council of PTA’s, 8th District Communities Action Committee, Upton Planning Committee, Inc., The Pennsylvania A.M.E. Zion Church, Frederick High School Alumni Assoc., Lake Clifton Alumni Assoc., Allendale Community Assoc., ACORN, Citywide Coalition, Uplifting Educators, League of Women Voters of Baltimore City, Generations for Peace and Democracy, and the Coalition of Advocates for Education.