Letter To The Editor: Lawrence Schmidt and the Misleading Mantra of MD Educators

By Dave Greene

Let me start by saying that Mr. Schmidt is an improvement over the two previous presidents of the BCPS Board of Education. Among his strengths: he is likeable, articulate  and intelligent. He runs meetings skillfully and has an appealing sense of humor with just the right touch of self-deprecation.

That said, he has a long way to go before he gets a passing grade.

In testifying against an elected school board before Baltimore County delegates last Friday morning in Annapolis, Mr. Schmidt opened his comments with the observation that Maryland schools are ranked #1 in the country. In saying this, he is not alone. Almost every politician and school administrator reflexively recites this factoid at the beginning of every speech on education.

Their words tell the truth, but the tune they hum is a lie.

Every school administrator who brags about this #1 ranking is like the ballplayer who was born on third base and pretends he hit a triple. Maryland is not #1 because of our superintendents, our school boards or the quality of the education that they deliver.

Maryland ranks at the top because of three factors: (1) the geographic accident of proximity to Washington DC (with it's high-paying federal jobs and highly-educated work force), (2) the historical accident that DC is not part of Maryland (DC's under-performing schools are not included in Maryland's test scores), and (3)  Maryland (Nancy Grasmick and others) gamed the ratings more thoroughly and quickly than other states (doing things like over-investing in AP programs and encouraging under-qualified students to sign up for AP classes).

Without these factors, which have little or nothing to do with the quality of our overall educational system, Maryland's rating would drop into mediocrity. That's the reality behind Maryland's high scores. And that's why  the false tune sounds to me like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Mr. Schmidt is correct on one thing. An elected school board is not a panacea. I don't think anyone is claiming that. But we do need change in Baltimore County schools, and we need to start now. Our options are limited, and the best first step we can take is an elected school board.

A final note to school officials and state legislators: please stop crowing "We're #1 in education."  We don't need "happy talk" from you. We need straight talk. Then, together, we need to roll up our sleeves and start fixing things.

Dave Greene is a BCPS parent, and has been one for 11 years.

(c) Dave Greene 2012

Editor's Note: To submit an op-ed piece, or a letter to the editor, contact editor Nick DiMarco at nickd@patch.com or by phone at (443) 621-2174.