CEO Bonnie Copeland Leaving Baltimore Schools Cause for Concern
by Patricia Hawke
CEO Bonnie Copeland left the
Baltimore schools on July 1, 2006. She had been with them for three years, which
is a norm for an urban school superintendent. Her leaving, however, was not of
her own choosing.
The Baltimore schools board felt she had a low-key management style and did was
not a strong enough leader to make the changes needed to reform the Baltimore
schools. Their reasoning appears to have been a bit flawed.
During her tenure with the Baltimore schools, Copeland managed a financial and
management turnaround that was recognized by major rating agencies and school
systems nationwide, and eliminated 1,100 positions -- even though her
predecessor, Carmen Russo had left the school system in a mess. Test scores were
on the rise, and she received high marks for her significant progress in the
Baltimore schools from the GBC, a regional top business advocacy group. This
came in 2003, after the group's financial review of the Baltimore schools.
Copeland was not without her enemies, however. The Greater Baltimore Committee,
entrenched in bureaucracy and complacency, was not a supporter of Copeland, and
they still rule the Baltimore schools. Additionally, politicians, who wished to
damage Mayor Martin O'Malley, saw the troubled Baltimore schools as the perfect
instrument. A political battle between the mayor, Montgomery County Executive
Doug Duncan, and Governor Robert Ehrlick ensued, with Copeland unfairly caught
in the middle.
The Baltimore schools board became involved with Copeland and her staff's
day-to-day operations, making her job impossible to execute. This type of
interference will hinder the next CEO as well, unless the Baltimore schools
board comes to its senses.
Copeland took over under terrible circumstances that would have crippled a
lesser CEO, yet she did much to improve the Baltimore schools. She was the fifth
CEO since 1997. The Baltimore schools track record with their CEOs is not a good
one.
The community is frustrated over Copeland's leaving. She did much to connect
business people and companies with the Baltimore schools, and they fear these
connections will be reversed. Parents are concerned for their children's future
educational prospects.
Loss of a serious reformer for the Baltimore schools makes it difficult for the
community to be optimistic for the future. The middle schools and the special
education program are still in trouble, too many children are dropping out or
unprepared to enter the workplace or college, and progress is sure to slow down
now that Copeland has left. It appears that reform will remain elusive until the
board and opponents give a good CEO the opportunity to do his or her job.
This information on Baltimore schools is brought to you by www.schoolsk-12.com.
About the Author:
Patricia Hawke is a staff
writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and
private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating
news and views on school issues. For more on Baltimore schools visit
http://www.schoolsk-12.com/Maryland/Baltimore/index.html
. Source of article:
www.goarticles.com
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