Callers raised myriad concerns about Baltimore City Public Schools during a “Telephone Town Hall” Monday night, as part of the school system’s search for a new CEO.
“How does the CEO plan on changing the system?” one caller asked. “Because I directly come from that system … and I feel like it hasn’t very much prepared me for the world that I am living in today.”
Board Vice Chair Ashiah Parker responded that the board wants to make sure students have access to computer-based programs, career pathways, and opportunities in sports and the arts.
“I definitely want to let you know and all of our residents in Baltimore City that we are looking to choose a very capable person, and we want them to come in with their ideas that will mirror the vision of the board, instead of the board telling them what they should do,” Parker said.
Mayor Brandon Scott and three school board commissioners hosted the town hall. Concerns raised by callers ranged from how the Board of School Commissioners will hold the new CEO accountable, to book bans, academic curriculum and the budget.
The new CEO will replace Sonja Santelises, who is serving her 10th year in the position. The city is conducting a national search for the role, and the new CEO will take over next July.
“We have to get back to the time where our young people are all of our responsibility,” Scott said during the meeting, “so that the responsibility of making sure that our young people are where they need to be — especially in reading and math, as we’ve all mentioned so many times tonight — is where they are, and not solely the responsibility of the CEO or our teachers and staff at City Schools.”
One caller questioned whether the new CEO would be from Maryland. Santelises is from Massachusetts and lived in Boston before moving to Baltimore in 2010.
“I would love for someone from Maryland who was qualified to take that position so we can stop hiring people from out of town,” the caller said. “We have people here just as qualified as the ones that they hired from out of town.”
Scott responded that the city has a “history of going only to the outside.”
“We’re committed to hiring the best person, but we also want people who are very qualified that live in Baltimore and Maryland,” Scott said.
Board Chair Robert Salley said it’s important to have someone with the “right credentials” who is also local.
“We’ll be looking far and wide, and we’ll also be looking at candidates local,” Salley said.
Another caller asked how the CEO’s success and failures would be evaluated after the first year of their tenure.
Scott responded that a CEO can’t be evaluated after just one year, and that it’s important to have consistency in leadership over a longer period of time.
Another caller asked whether the public will have the opportunity to interact with CEO candidates before the selection is made. Scott responded that this would not be the case, since doing so could deter qualified candidates from the job, “especially in the environment that we’re in right now, where these jobs and things are so precious but also under attack in many places.”
Scott took a poll during the meeting, allowing listeners to rate their top issues in city schools. 31% said math and reading progress, 28% said mental health and well-being, 20% said chronic absenteeism, 13% said school safety and 8% said they had other concerns. Scott said his top issue is chronic absenteeism.
Callers also were polled on what they think is the most important experience for their new CEO to have. Their responses, in order of importance, were school leadership experience, teaching experience, Baltimore experience and district leadership experience.
Scott said the city has seen much progress under Santelises’ leadership, including in test scores. He also noted that she oversaw the construction of 30 new schools.
The public will have an opportunity to weigh in throughout the rest of this week at the following times:
Tuesday, Sept. 16, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Digital Harbor High School
Wednesday, Sept. 17, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Patterson High School
Thursday, Sept. 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Baltimore Polytechnic Institute
Friday, Sept. 19, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Furley Elementary School
Saturday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at Calvin M. Rodwell Elementary/Middle School
Thursday, Sept. 25, from 6 to 8 p.m. (This is a virtual event. )
Have a news tip? Contact Brooke Conrad at bconrad@baltsun.com, 443-682-2356 or @conrad_brooke on X.