Over 6 years of troubling Project Baltimore reports, here's how City Schools has responded

Baltimore (WBFF) — Baltimore City Schools is under fire after a recent Project Baltimore report finds nearly two dozen schools where not a single student, among those tested, is doing math at grade level.

But, instead of sitting down to answer questions, the school system’s response has followed the same pattern for nearly six years.

Project Baltimore recently reported on 23 Baltimore City Schools where zero students, among those tested, scored proficient in math. In total, 2,000 students from those schools, took the state math test and not one scored proficient.

ALSO READ | 23 Baltimore schools have zero students proficient in math, per state test results

“They go there to get babysat for eight hours and come home,” said Nichelle Watkins, the mother of a Baltimore City student, who spoke with Project Baltimore.

Parents, lawmakers, and community leaders are all demanding City Schools fix the problem now.

“What we've seen is a continued failure,” said Delegate Nino Mangione, a Republican representing Baltimore County.

But through all of it, one voice has been missing. No one from Baltimore City Schools administration will sit down with Project Baltimore. And this is not new.

City Schools has refused to interview with Project Baltimore since 2017, even as test scores, attendance, graduation rates, and college enrollment have gone in the wrong direction. Baltimore City Schools is one of America’s most funded large school systems, and the leadership has refused to speak with Project Baltimore about the problems we’ve uncovered for nearly six years.

In May 2017, Project Baltimore broke the news that at six City Schools, not a single student who took state testing, scored proficient in Math or English. At the time, Janise Lane, City Schools Executive Director of Teaching and Learning, sat down for an interview.

ALSO READ | 6 Baltimore schools, no students proficient in state tests

When asked if the school district was at fault, Lane replied, “I wouldn’t say the school district is at fault.”

Lane explained the steps North Avenue was taking to improve test scores, including extra resources for the six schools and increased training for teachers and principals.

“It is not satisfying for any of us in City Schools to see the data and the numbers that look like that,” Lane said during that May 2017 interview.

That interview would be the last one City Schools would grant Project Baltimore to discuss student performance.

A few months later, Fox45 News reported on 13 Baltimore City high schools where zero students who took the state math test scored proficient. This time, City schools didn’t want to talk about it. Instead, they sent a written statement, reading, “These results underscore the urgency of the work we are now pursuing. We must do more to meet the needs of all our students.”

ALSO READ | 13 Baltimore City High Schools, zero students proficient in math

The district said it was rolling out a new math curriculum and, again, focusing on teacher development.

In 2021, Project Baltimore found 41 percent of all Baltimore City high school students earned below a 1.0 grade point average, in the first three quarters of that school year. That’s below a D average.

“If almost half of our kids are failing, what options do they have after high school?” Jovani Patterson, a Baltimore City resident, said at the time. Patterson is now suing the Baltimore City school system.

“Santelises, she should actually be embarrassed by these numbers,” said Yolanda Pulley, a former Baltimore Mayoral candidate, in July 2021.

ALSO READ | Baltimore City Schools: 41% of high school students earn below 1.0 GPA

Despite outrage in the community, City Schools, again, declined an interview and released a statement with the steps it was taking to help students “acquire the unfinished learning they lost.”

Project Baltimore received a similar reaction from North Avenue in 2022 after obtaining student test results, known as iReady scores. The scores showed that showed 77 percent of students at Patterson High School were reading at elementary school levels. Project Baltimore spoke with a teacher, a former student, and a parent.

“I feel like our kids, they're being set up for failure,” said Vondalinda Biggus, a Patterson High School parent, in February 2022.

But again, City Schools declined an interview, and just released a statement that read, “iReady scores do not provide a complete or final picture of student performance.”

Now, Project Baltimore’s most recent investigation shows 2,000 students at 23 Baltimore City Schools had zero students proficient in state math testing.

Again, Project Baltimore was granted no interviews with City Schools administrators. Instead, we received another statement outlining what have become familiar steps the district is taking to improve, including professional development for teachers, summer learning and an extended learning period at the end of the day. But this time, North Avenue says it’s “confident these instructional strategies will help.”