Baltimore’s community is absolutely stunned after ‘Project Baltimore’, an investigative reporting initiative, which was launched in March 2017, by Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. asked this question: How can a high school with zero students proficient in math, have one of the highest graduation rates in Baltimore City? Project Baltimore is investigating Northwood Appold Community Academy II, or NACA II, after teachers “contacted us saying grades are being changed so students can graduate”. The school is located in East Baltimore City, Maryland where nearly 1/3 of African Americans have zero net wealth.
The identities of the teachers who contacted Project Baltimore have been masked because they fear retaliation.
NACA II is a Baltimore City high school that has its troubles. According to district data analyzed by Project Baltimore, attendance rates are down since 2013, while chronic absenteeism has nearly quadrupled and suspensions have more than doubled.
Yet, the school reports an 87 percent graduation rate, the exact same as the state average.
’13... ’14... ’15... ‘16
Attendance Rates: 95... 92... 91... 88
Chronic Absenteeism: 7... 21... 18... 27
Suspensions: 24... 38... 28... 53
Source: Baltimore City School Profiles
and then this:
But then we found that NACA II has zero students proficient in state math testing and just 5 percent proficient in English. Compare that to the state, where 36 percent of students are proficient in math, 44 in English – yet, both have the same graduate rate.
Grad Rate... Math... English
NACA II: 87%... 0%... 5%
Maryland: 87%... 36%... 44%
Source: State Department of Education In a stunning interview from one of the masked educators who uncovered this possible great theft of education.. They said, “grade changing. Giving out diplomas to students that did not earn them.”
Another teacher told Project Baltimore ,“if you are changing grades and you’re allowing people to walk, of course, that is what your numbers are going to look like.”
Project Baltimore then reached out to NACA II’s operator, Dr. Cecil Gray, who declined to comment after ‘two weeks of emailing with his attorney’. His lawyer told Project Baltimore that the allegations of grade changing are false.
Days later, Baltimore City Public School district launched an investigation into the grade changing allegations at Northwood Appold Community Academy II.
With shocking evidence, Project Baltimore has ‘obtained’ final grades from the school. Here are their findings:
We found six seniors who failed a required foreign-language class, yet every one graduated. Another student graduated after being absent or late to school more than 100 days during the year, and had a first quarter GPA of 0.000. The continued bad press of Baltimore is only accelerating- where 50-years of democratic control blended with deindustrialization has brought the city into a terminal decline. Violent crime, opioid epidemic, and vacant structures are a reminder that American inner cities are an utter war-zone.
Through August 10, 2017, 212 homicides have been recorded- putting Baltimore on track for >400 for the year— highest ever… Back to the failing school system of Baltimore City. The racial wealth divide in Baltimore will only grow between blacks and whites, due to the city not providing proper education. This is a disgrace and it shows our ignorance in ignoring America’s inner cities. The storm is only getting worse, as America is on pace for a terminal decline.
Baltimore is the model city for all that is wrong with America.