School reform math in Baltimore:
Fewer suspensions equals better results
At a time when the underachievement of black boys in this country can only be described as a national crisis, there is finally some good news. This fall, Baltimore City Schools chief executive Andrés Alonso proudly reported that black male teens in his district are staying in school and graduating in higher numbers. The announcement made headlines, and for good reason: It proves that there are successful strategies in approaching this seemingly intractable problem. We urge other cities across the country to learn from Baltimore’s creative approach.
So how did they do it? School systems, local philanthropies, not-for-profit groups, government officials and others worked together with the singular goal of improving the academic lives of those who need it most.
With help from community partners such as Open Society Institute-Baltimore, the city’s schools adopted a graduated system of consequences and interventions for student misconduct that takes into