June 11, 2002 - Baltimore City Public Schools

Board Meeting Minutes
that our baseball players and the parents came and gave me a ceremony today, an appreciation
ceremony, where they actually presented me with a big plaque. They were appreciative of what I've
done with their young men over the four years that they have been in the baseball program. And it
saddens them; they cried. To see those kids that I've never seen show a bunch of emotion, even when we
won the championship last year, but they cried. They were coming to an end of a legacy. They also
looked at me and said, where will you be next year, Coach? They said, it's not Northern High School.
And these are questions that I can't answer them. But I'm asking the Board, please, reconsider some of
the things that you want to do with Northern. And, hopefully, it will be in the best interest of the alumni,
the graduates, from this class. Even the administrative staff. And the Board may not fully agree with the
way they've done things. These kids need a familiar face that they can relate to in coming to school in
September, their coaches and teachers. And I think that's when we can get Northern to be the school that
we all want Northern to be. Thank you.
MS. WELCH: You did a good job for your first time. Thank you. Mr. Charles Dugger?
Page 15 of 41
MR. DUGGER: Good evening to everyone. Thank you for the opportunity. It's sad to see, that as time
goes on and with all the things that are constantly happening, that so many people don't even come to
the Board meetings like we would hope that they would, in terms of constantly expressing their
concerns. You know, it's sort of disappointing as a teacher who's been in the System over 30 years to
hear, like for Mrs. English, our newly-elected BTU President, not getting even a little bit more time,
when you hear a lady that's representing 8,000 people. And whatever time I would feel she needs to
take, let her take that time. I really don't understand the School System in terms of what it really sees
teachers to be. You know, with the kinds of things that are happening far and wide, why don't we, as
we've heard the gentleman with Mrs. English, speak of the portfolios, and the time that it takes, of one
almost selling oneself. You know, we were told a long time ago to be aware of braggers. So, I mean,
what is the purpose of more than one in this society where we have shallowness or surface versus
substance. I don't think September the 11th, 2001 would have happened if more people would have done
their job. Now we're hearing a lot of excuse-making. Teachers are constantly doing their job and more,
but, yet, they're constantly stressed and pressured. And it's just so difficult to understand. I mean, if you
really are concerned about the children of Baltimore, then why is there so much paperwork. What does it
mean? Who's reading the paper? Who is reading the paper? Ms. Cervance, Roxanne Cervance, a
beautiful lady that teaches at our school, computer science, that was her son, Reo Gerrell Tadum, that
was murdered so horribly Memorial Day weekend, you know. Peace and sympathy to her family, and
strength and love. And hearing about the young man that they have, is 29, and has been in the criminal
justice system about 15 years. That puts him around 14 years, perhaps, starting. That puts him around
where I am, in middle school, you understand. Because I have, I think, I've told you before, about four
or five 14-year-olds in my 6th grade class, my home room class. So where have we failed this young
man. Who made his paperwork, the suspected murderer, you see. As our time and our society sees more
and more horror, you see, who is reading all the paperwork along the way? Where those who are -- my
favorite song is "The Greatest." You know, they're told to teach the children well, and let them lead the
way. You love the fact that your children are getting up to $1,000 in scholarships. But that could be
many children if we were really allowed to teach them. I'm at a school that I think that some of my
administrators are mean. I'm at a school where you sight the United Nations, children from all over the
world go to our school, but it's very difficult doing activities, you understand, because being mean seems
to be the thing; "I'm in charge," you see. And that's so sad. One administrator says, I'll get you locked up
by Northern District; tell your mother that. I've heard this man say this. It's rough to me. He's supposed
to be really concerned about children, you see. I'm saying this is not that unique. We're being told, if you
can't document why you fail that child, we'll pass them anyway. The System did that for 20 years,
falsely promoted them. That's why we're in this confusion, one of the reasons, because all of this time,
social promotion was all right. Now, to me, we're going too far the other way. We're going from MSPAP
to CTBS. When I came to you the last time, I was telling you -- we were having a social promotion
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9/23/2002