Parents argued that the more than 300 students who are still enrolled in the Baltimore City Charm City Virtual program deserve better.

"A lot of kids are going to be hurt when they find out they can't come back to school this year," fourth grader D'Nyah Galloway said.

D'Nyah opted to continue virtual learning after the pandemic. Her mother, Lawang Hyman, said it has been good for her.

"Even as far as her personality, she has blossomed, opened up a lot. Sometimes distractions are a bit much for her, and virtual, she's able to control that. She's in control of her environment. She's able to focus now. With everything that's going on in the schools and kids being assaulted and attacked, I can't imagine sending her into that," Hyman said.

City Schools' recommendation is to combine grades six through 12 and end the elementary program entirely.

The Baltimore Baby Bonus Fund is a proposed Charter Amendment from the Maryland Child Alliance that would create a program to provide direct financial support to new parents in Baltimore City. The program would offer a one-time payment of at least $1,000 to Baltimore city residents upon the birth or adoption of a child. The aim is to improve the well-being of children and families, while also having long-term benefits for the economy as a whole. To make this a reality, the campaign is seeking to collect 10,000 signatures from registered voters in Baltimore City by July 27th, 2024, and then have the Charter Amendment added to the 2024 general election ballot.
Based on our most recent signature validity rate, we estimate that we will need to collect 13,000 total signatures to ensure 10,000 accepted signatures.

With more than 200 school board members across the country, Local Progress and the Local Progress Impact Lab have spent the last year laying a foundation for our school board work – preparing to organize school board members around a multi-issue policy agenda and create a community of practice for local leaders. We have had listening sessions with our partners and school board members in virtual and in-person spaces. And now, we are ready to add a leadership structure.

Today, we are thrilled to announce the formation of our first-ever School Board Steering Committee. As a membership organization, we believe our work is more impactful when it is informed and guided by members. The steering committee will guide the work of the school board cohort moving forward, bringing a diverse range of experiences and expertise to building our shared agenda.

Baltimore City Board of School Commissioner - Elected Commissioner Ashley Esposito - First 100 Days in Office

I had the honor of celebrating Read Across America Day with the LEGENDS at Leithwalk Elementary Middle School 🦅💛💙

Mr. Hill’s class loved our book The Year We Learned to Fly by Jacqueline Woodson! We also had a fun Q&A and talked about why reading is important. They also wanted to know more about my job in tech. 🖥️ Their eyes lit up when I told them artists, developers, and tech professionals work together to make cool apps and websites! 😊

On the way out, I ran into our States Attorney Ivan Bates

With more than 200 school board members across the country, Local Progress and the Local Progress Impact Lab have spent the last year laying a foundation for our school board work – preparing to organize school board members around a multi-issue policy agenda and create a community of practice for local leaders. We have had listening sessions with our partners and school board members in virtual and in-person spaces. And now, we are ready to add a leadership structure.

Today, we are thrilled to announce the formation of our first-ever School Board Steering Committee. As a membership organization, we believe our work is more impactful when it is informed and guided by members. The steering committee will guide the work of the school board cohort moving forward, bringing a diverse range of experiences and expertise to building our shared agenda.