MORE RANTINGS ABOUT BALTIMORE!

Date: Mon, 19 Jan 1998 13:51:57 -0500
From: Jeff Sattler <500_2809@email.msn.com>
To: comments@baltimoremd.com
Subject: MORE RANTINGS!

    Just thought I'd drop you a line to tell you about the latest crisis in my neighborhood. On Friday it was officially announced that Garrett Heights Elementary, our local public school, was preparing to get rid of the librarian (Baltimore-The City That Reads) and a kindergarten teacher essentially due to a bookeeping accounting error.

    As soon as I knew of this, I began my quest to correct this problem. I called the state... "it's the city...". I called the city... "it's the school". I called the school... "it's the city".

    So I called Dr. Schiller, the acting superintendant, whose office referred me to Dr Cooper-Boston, the area assistant superintendant, who had her assistant call me to say that it was the school's SIT (school improvemnt(?) team)Team, and that mine was a model school (you should see the test scores form our "model" school).

    I called Nancy Grasmicks, the state superintendant of schools, office who referred me to 3 different numbers, one of which was the PR office who returned my call to say that, though he sympathized with my plight, this was not a "state matter".

    Along the way, not one of these "educators" expressed an iota of concern about the children who will bear the brunt of these changes.

    I also contacted the Baltimore Sun's education reporter, who said that there was no story because it's happening all over, & channels 2, 11, 13 & 45. Channels 2 & 11 said that they would look into it (I have yet to hear back from them), and channels 13 & 45 never returned my call.

    I have also contacted my city council reps along with our state senator & delegate, along with the mayor (who's letter I am enclosing), but I have no confidence that anything will be done.

    After all, we're just talking about kids, and they'll get over it!

    Jeff Sattler

    Jeff's Letter

    Mr. Mayor:

    My son attends Garrett Heights Elementary School #212, located in the Lauraville section of northeast Baltimore City.

    On Friday we were informed that we would be losing our librarian and one of our kindergarten teachers due to what amounts to a bookeeping/accounting error. I attempted to contact both the state superintendant and Dr Shiller's office. As usual when a parent tries to complain about something, I was shuffled from person to person until finally being told by the state's pr guy that it is not a "state problem" but a city problem. When I was contacted by someone from North Ave, I was told it was not a city problem, but rather was in the hands of the school's SIT Team (school improvement team) and the SIT team says that it's a city problem.....

    Mr Mayor, it's our kids problem, and they will once again be the ones that suffer! How can Baltimore be the "CITY THAT READS" when we eliminate librarian positions? How do we tell our children that the teacher that they have learned to love will be leaving in a couple of weeks.

    Somebody has to stand up for the kids!

    If we can find $50 million for the Wyndham, why can't we find $50 grand for our kids?

    Jeff Sattler