* WARNING: THIS IS AN UNOFFICIAL, INTRODUCTORY COPY OF THE BILL.
THE OFFICIAL COPY CONSIDERED BY THE CITY COUNCIL IS THE FIRST READER COPY.
INTRODUCTORY*
CITY OF BALTIMORE
COUNCIL BILL R
(Resolution)
Introduced by: President Rawlings-Blake, Councilmember Clarke
A RESOLUTION ENTITLED
A COUNCIL RESOLUTION concerning
title
American Education Week - November 15-21, 2009 - Great Public Schools: a Basic Right and Our Responsibility
FOR the purpose of honoring the dedicated personnel of the Baltimore City Public School System by celebrating National Education Association American Education Week, expressing appreciation for the many hours of instruction, guidance, and nurturing that they provide to our youth, and encouraging the students, education personnel, and parents of Baltimore City Public schools to continue to strive to achieve excellence.
body
Recitals
National Education Week began in 1921, as a collaboration of the National Education Association and the American Legion that was generated by distress that 25% of the country's World War I draftees were illiterate and 9% were physically unfit. Today, millions of educators, students, and community leaders will join the National Education Association (NEA) in raising awareness about the critical need to provide every child with a quality public education.
The annual tagline, Great Public Schools: a Basic Right and Our Responsibility, spotlights the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education so that they can grow, prosper, and achieve in the 21st Century, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great. Each day during the week spotlights a different aspect of school life:
· Monday, November 16: Open House Day - From national commemorations to local community events, millions of Americans celebrate public education.
· Tuesday, November 17: Parents Day - Schools invite parents into the classroom for a hands-on experience of what the day is like for their child.
· Wednesday, November 18: Education Support Professionals Day - Individuals who provide invaluable services to schools are recognized for their outstanding work.
· Thursday, November 19: Educator for a Day - Community leaders are invited to serve as educators to get a glimpse of a day in the life of a school employee.
· Friday, November 20: Substitute Educators Day - This day honors the educators who are called upon to replace regularly employed teachers.
Baltimore City Public Schools are to be commended for the strong gains in Maryland School Assessment (MSA) scores for the second straight year in 2008-2009, with particularly large increases in the number of students who exceeded state standards. The number of students exceeding the state standard in reading increased by 92% over the previous 2 years, and the number of students exceeding the state standard in mathematics increased by 107% during the same period.
For a second consecutive year elementary students also met state standards for progress under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) across all groups of students, resulting in the first time since the inception in the mid-1990s of the state's school accountability program that the school system will being taken out of "Corrective Action" status. This progress reflects a new policy of increased autonomy for schools, accountability for student achievement, teacher collaboration and support in curriculum development, student supports to ensure attendance, and the inclusion of parents in school decision-making processes.
As stated in Baltimore City Public Schools, Fast Facts 2009-10: "Our school communities must be responsible to our kids, and great schools happen when everyone in the school, the system and beyond takes that responsibility to heart. To be great, schools must have: great principals; great teachers in every classroom; instruction that reaches all kids, with their many different needs; the freedom to create in a unique learning community; and involved parents and communities."
We applaud all that have contributed to demonstrating the truth of the motto: Great Kids- Great Schools!
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That this Body honors the dedicated personnel of the Baltimore City Public School System by celebrating National Education Association American Education Week, expresses appreciation for the many hours of instruction, guidance, and nurturing they provide to our youth, and encourages the students, education personnel, and parents of Baltimore City Public schools to continue to strive to achieve excellence.
AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be sent to the Mayor, the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools, and the Mayor's Legislative Liaison to the City Council.
dlr 09-0928~intro/13Nov09
ccres/AmEducWk/nf
dlr 09-0928~intro/13Nov09
??2??
ccres/AmEducWk/nf