INSIDE THIS ISSUE SEPTEMBER 2017 A free publication serving Owings Mills, Pikesville, Randallstown, Reisterstown, Windsor Mill, Woodlawn and Catonsville 4 Woodlawn High School was among the six visits Pushups to interim Baltimore County Schools Superintendent Fight Hunger Verletta White made on Sept. 5, the first day of school for students. She also stopped by Woodbridge Elementary in Catonsville and Franklin Middle School in Reisterstown. County Executive Kevin Kamenetz, Gov. Larry Hogan, Maryland Schools Superintendent Karen Salmon, elected officials and school board members joined her at some of the visits. 15 Back to School Photos PHOTO BY GEORGE WHITE School is Back in Session Under New Leadership 16 Milford Mill, Woodlawn High get new magnet programs this year Superintendent's Vision for BCPS Baltimore County Public Schools first time BCPS’s early entry program White says she has three priorities: students are back in class—this time gave sixth- and ninth-graders a One is to strengthen the focus on after Labor Day, thanks to a state law chance to get acclimated to their new literacy, beyond foundational reading requiring the pushed-back start for environment. Last month, they took a and writing. Students will need to all Maryland schools. Some students tour of the schools, met their teachers take in, analyze and act on a wide were excited to reconnect with their and checked out their lockers to help variety of information. friends, and jump into the academic with the transition. The program is in Another priority is building and extracurricular activities, while its second year. a positive school climate, where others bemoaned the early rises and There also was a three-day everyone feels welcome, valued and bed times, and upcoming homework orientation for supervisors and connected to school. “The best way to time. administrators, as well as for new prevent problematic behavior is with For some parents, the new routine teachers. quality teaching, and restoring and 26 will include making lunches, setting Most significant, the school year repairing relationships so they can No Room for aside time to help with homework, begins with a new leader at the helm, resolve conflict respectfully.” She said Hate in 21228 and prying away tablets and Interim Superintendent Verletta that when it is necessary, there will be smartphones so their students can get White. A teacher and the previous “logical consequences” when students’ a good night’s sleep and wake up with chief academic officer, White has been behavior is unacceptable. Be among the first to energy in the morning. in the role since her appointment took Recruiting and maintaining high be in the know. Sign up To help students and parents effect in July, after S. Dallas Dance quality teachers who have the will for news updates from anxious about their children going to resigned from the position last spring to connect with students and the nwvoicenews.com. middle school and high school for the to take a new job. skill to teach is White’s third area continued on page 14 Page 2 Northwest Voice September 2017 From the Publisher, Kenneth Brown Is the American Dream For Dreamers? At a recent visit to a local church, the minister degree in biology. ments. More than 800,000 did this in the country asked the congregation if anyone desired prayer. Even though she’s been in the U.S. for almost and more than 11,000 in Maryland. They trusted A young lady stepped forward. I expected that she 15 years, she pays out-of-state tuition as an inter- Obama and the U.S. government. That’s why what would ask the church to pray for a family member national student, which as we know is significantly Trump did is so cruel. He trampled on the trust who was ill, maybe a career change or a bold move more than in-state cost. No student loans, no that these young people had placed in America. He out of state. college grants, no student aid. Her mom worked didn’t have to mess with this executive order. Instead, Lauren, as I will call her, shared that for two jobs to pay for her college costs. It paid off, as the first time in her life, she was afraid of what the she graduated with a degree in biology, cum laude. future holds. She reminded me that despite what people may continued on page 26 As someone who grew up in the church, she believe, she also is not entitled to other benefits thanked the congregation for supporting her for which Americans are eligible, such as housing, throughout elementary, middle and high school, social services or medical care. She works and she and during her college years, and encouraging her pays taxes. as a young mother raising a young child. At first Lauren said she was angry and sad. I was not prepared to hear the personal story Today, she’s fearful. Being removed from this that followed. Truly touched by her vulnerability country to return to a country in which you’d feel and impressed with her courage, I decided to follow like a stranger is unimaginable. Her daughter is up with her and gave her a call. an American citizen. But Lauren says she couldn’t, Born in West Central Africa, her parents in good conscious, take her daughter to a country The Northwest Voice is a privately-owned brought her to the United States at age 9. Now 23, even she doesn’t know. And, she is concerned that community newspaper founded in 2005 to Lauren was extremely nervous and concerned about one day she will have to tell her why she left her. how Donald Trump’s decision to do away with Indeed, Lauren has talked to attorneys about inform, entertain and inspire, as well as share DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) how to obtain legal citizenship. They told her she news of interest to the northwest Baltimore would impact her. would have to go back to her native country, then County communities of Owings Mills, Pikesville, In our phone conversation, Lauren shared reapply. The process would take about 10 years. Randallstown, Reisterstown, Woodlawn, Windsor that she arrived in the U.S. as an undocumented I felt compelled to write about Lauren because Mill and Catonsville. immigrant. For years, she never knew that. It wasn’t with all the news reporting about DACA and Readers are welcome to comment and respond to until her junior year in high school when she began immigrants, we can’t lose sight of the fact that real articles. We reserve the right to edit for clarity and preparing to make plans for college, and asked her people, of myriad nationalities and ethnicities, are mother for certain types of paperwork, that her affected. They are our neighbors, our friends, our length, as well as to publish them online, in print or mother was forced to tell her the hard truth. That’s coworkers and our children’s classmates. not at all. Anonymous letters or those that cannot a lot for a 16-year old to deal with, especially when Trump built his campaign on racial hysteria; be verified will not be published. The opinions of she didn’t know the history of why. he focused on immigrants as criminals; he talked readers and guest columnists are not necessarily The words were so difficult to comprehend that about building a border wall and about deportation. the opinions of the Northwest Voice. Unsolicited the reality of the situation put her into a depressed He insists on erasing Barack Obama’s legacy and material will not be returned. state. All her friends and classmates were making everything he put in place, including DACA. Publisher: Kenneth C. Brown, plans for the next phase in their lives and she A little more about DACA: The program took [email protected] had no clue of where life was going. She could effect in 2012 with Obama issuing an executive Writer-Editor: not even apply for a drivers’ license. Protections order after Congress would not pass the bill. J. Anderson, that were put in place for people like her under What Obama said to Immigration Services is [email protected] the Obama administration are being stripped that these young people, “Dreamers,” are not to be a Writer: Jamie Rockymore-Bess away permanently. If no action is taken, she faces priority for deportation. If they are in school, have Creative Director: Lori Kirkpatrick deportation to a country she barely knows. no criminal record, and are working, the U.S. will Photographer/Circulation Manager: Growing up, Lauren says her mother ingrained allow them to stay in the country until we figure George E. White in her that if you work hard and do the right thing, out how to get them on a legal path to citizenship. Advertising: Kenneth C. Brown, you can be successful. Lauren earned top grades Still, Obama wanted Congress to fix the issue. They [email protected] and has consistently been on the honor roll. She wouldn’t and didn’t. graduated in the top 10 percent of her high school With the order, hundreds of thousands of these P.O. Box 47266 class at Western Tech. young people hesitantly but bravely stepped out Windsor Mill, MD 21244 With her strong academics, Lauren should have of the shadows and declared their undocumented Phone: 410-508-1424 been able to get into the college of her first choice. status to the U.S. government in exchange for living Web: nwvoicenews.com Instead, because of her immigration status, many without fear.