the Voice of
The Communist League of Revolutionary Workers–Internationalist
“The emancipation of the working class will only be achieved by the working class itself.”
— Karl Marx
Sep 26, 2022
A new report from Johns Hopkins University researchers points out that Baltimore City has some of the worst school buildings in the state. Said one of the authors: “The consequences of leaking roofs and failed air conditioning and general cracks in the concrete are that students miss school.”
This report is NOT news. Parents, students and teachers have long pointed out the many problems of the Baltimore City schools. It is not new that some schools still lack air conditioning in summer, although miserable summers have been known in the area for the past 400 years. It is not new that some schools have leaking roofs, clogged toilets, water fountains that aren’t used due to lead pipes, furnace failures. And that is just maintenance.
Weary teachers could talk extensively, and have, about classes having too many students, about lacking books, about broken computers, about buying paper towels and cleaning products themselves.
It is not news that children in Baltimore City do not match children in wealthy suburbs for reading and math skills at grade level. It is not news that the city has more children with special needs, one in five, a problem that was supposedly addressed 20 years ago.
Yes, it has all been said before. For decades, the mostly Democratic officials running the city and the state cannot seem to find solutions. Nor will they, since they all provide funds for corporations and developers, while saying there’s no money for the poorer parts of the population.