Buildings for Academic Excellence
Buildings for Academic Excellence A Vision and Options to Address Deficient School Facilities in Baltimore City BUILDINGS FOR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE: A Vision and Options to Address Deficient School Facilities in Baltimore City A Report by the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland Foundation Education Reform Project By Frank Patinella and Bebe Verdery • June 2010 The ACLU-MD Education Reform Project works to ensure that children in Maryland public schools, partic- ularly those at risk of failure, are accorded an education sufficient to meet educational standards and lead productive lives. The Project advocates on a variety of education policy, legislative, and budget issues, includ- ing state and local funding of education, access to pre-Kindergarten, school facilities, high-stakes testing, and discipline issues, with a focus on Baltimore City Public Schools. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The ACLU-MD’s Education Reform Project thanks and acknowledges the contributions of a number of peo- ple in the production of this report. On the ACLU staff, thanks go to Cindy Boersma, Legislative Director, Meredith Curtis, Public Outreach Director, Susan Goering, Executive Director, Barbara Samuels, Fair Housing Project Director, JaCina Stanton, Education Advocate, Angela Graci, Goucher College Intern, and former staff member, Susan Fothergill. Particular thanks go to Elizabeth McCallum of Howrey LLP in Washington, D.C., longtime legal counsel in the Bradford case. Colleagues and community members who generously provided information and/or reviewed the draft and gave comments include: Neil Bergsman, Director, Maryland Budget & Tax Policy Institute, Michael Carter, former Chair, Facility Solutions Steering Committee, Charlie Cooper, Chair, Maryland Education Coalition, Donald Manekin, Seawall Development Corp., Mark Sissman, Director of Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative, Inc., Chris Ryer, Director of Southeast CDC, Marsha Schachtel, Senior Fellow, Institute for Policy Studies at Johns Hopkins, and John Woolums, Director of Government Relations, Maryland Association of Boards of Education.
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