But Then What?

The Baltimore city schools are headed for a radical city-state restructuring of governance. In November, the mayor of Baltimore and the governor of Maryland settled two lawsuits over school aid. Subject to approval by the state legislature, the city is to receive an additional $254 million over five years. The governor would get to jointly appoint with the mayor the members of the city school board from a list submitted by the state board of education. The position of superintendent would be changed to that of a chief executive officer who need not have education experience. ( "Deal Gives State New Role in Baltimore Schools, Boosts Aid," Nov. 20, 1996, and "Md. Counties Take Aim At Baltimore Aid Proposal," Feb. 12, 1997.)

But then what? Despite its unique form, this would still be a reorganization at the top--the school reform that's been tried and failed the most. Superintendents and boards come and go like football coaches after losing seasons. State takeovers of low-achieving local districts in New Jersey and elsewhere have by and large produced scant student gains. And the jury is still out on the new management structures in Chicago and Washington. Moreover, the additional state dollars for Baltimore aren't such a big deal either. The extra $50 million a year would amount to only 7.5 percent of the current school budget, not much more than enough to cover inflation and teacher-pay parity with the suburbs.

So, if the state legislature, as expected, approves the settlement, the new city-state board members will be frantically trying to figure out what reform policies might actually improve the academic performance of the city's overwhelmingly low-income and poor-performing students. I have a "top 10" list of policies for their consideration. Unlike the other guy who regularly compiles top-10 lists, I begin with the...