Great Schools In Charles Village

Goldseker School Neighborhood Partnership Grant

Greater Homewood Community CorporationMission: Strengthen neighborhoods.

We serve 40 neighborhoods

Strong neighborhood public schools critical to strong neighborhoods

Greater Homewood currently partners with 9 schools5 staff members6 Americorps VISTAs

GHCC and City SchoolsGHCC’s partner schools have a large majority

of students living in poverty.

We have focused on meeting the huge needs of kids in our neighborhood schools, working to provide basic needs such as:Winter clothesSchool suppliesUniformsDental and vision care

Supporting School QualityResources, including enrichment, afterschool

programs, tutors, mentors, health and mental health resources, support for attendance

Parent organizing and leadership development

Advocacy for school funding, facilities

Signs of ProgressGains in achievement and facilities

Increased parental involvement through Parent-Teacher Organizations and School Family Councils

Likewise, ur neighborhoods are becoming more stable, healthy, vibrant places to live.

Goldseker GrantGrant offered to encourage schools and

neighborhoods to work together to improve schools to attract families not using or considering using the schools

Goldseker GrantThe grant:

$50,000 for school improvements$30,000 for neighborhood organization to do

community organizing and marketing$5,000 for marketing materials

Eligible SchoolsSchools must be located in “Healthy

Neighborhood”“Healthy Neighborhoods” is a GHCC-

administered program to promote homeownership in strong but undervalued neighborhoods.

Schools must have met or exceeded citywide average in math, reading, attendance, and parent satisfaction.

Barclay and Margaret BrentNeighborhoods zoned for Barclay and

Margaret Brent are very diverse. However, the school population at both

schools is overwhelmingly low income.Obviously, middle-class families with

options for their children were not choosing their neighborhood public schools.

Questions Raised By This Opportunity

Could having good public school options attract and keep more families in Baltimore City, especially in these targeted Healthy Neighborhoods?

Could we build schools that more reflect the diversity of the schools?

The majority of middle class families do not use Baltimore City schools. If these families invested into City Schools with their own children, how would that change the schools?

Applying for the Grant

To apply for the grant, GHCC brought together a group of principals, and community members, Loyola University partners on what made these schools strong and how to make them stronger.

The group was clear – apply for this grant for BOTH schools.

Focus Group of Prospective Parents

What factors do you consider when choosing a school?

What are your perceptions of Barclay and Margaret Brent?

Focus Group FeedbackParents looking for high achieving schools, focus

on the “whole child” and outstanding teachers.

Parents want special curriculum like those offered at popular charter schools like City Neighbors or Montessori

Perceptions of Barclay and Margaret Brent Schools – negative and mostly second hand

Other factors in deciding focus of applicationWe examined “competitor” schools with special

curriculum focus like Montessori, City Neighbors, GreenMount

Brent Principal Dr. Waters-Scofield has experience in project based learning

Loyola University could provide expertise and PD

Barclay School has an art integration focus

Project-Based LearningWe decided to enhance the curriculum at

these two schools with project-based learning.

Project-based learning is child-centered, creative, good for all kinds of kids

Grant ApplicationWe applied to Goldseker Foundation for grant

funding: $35,000 at each school to support:

o Development of project based curriculum to enhance the current curriculum

o Additional support and training for teachers in positive discipline

Project and PLACE based learningWe plan to tie project-based learning to the

NEIGHBORHOODS surrounding the school.

We envision teachers and students using the whole neighborhood as a living classroom.

Charles Village architecture Waverly Farmers Market BMA, JHU, Wyman Park Dell Local historians, civic activists, other experts

Role of TeachersTeacher Leaders will be: Writing anchor units that are tied to the state

curriculum and school wide themes

Developing an implementation plan for PD, peer coaching

Assembling a resource bank of neighborhood speakers, walking field trips, community members with expertise in subject areas

ChallengesComplex project that involves getting

teachers to change how they teach

This is also about changing the culture of the schools – in the areas of teaching and learning, positive discipline and “selling the schools”

ChallengesMaking this a collaborative effort –

administrators, teachers, neighborhood organization and residents

Addressing and being honest about the race/class issues

We are working to change the narrative about Baltimore City Schools

Opportunities

“This is giving us permission to teach in ways that we know are right.”

–quote from a Margaret Brent teacher

OpportunitiesAttracting parents of all races/classes creates

a more diverse school, schools that serve the whole community, not just those families who have no option

Strong schools contribute to stable, healthy neighborhoods and can be real estate selling points