Reflections of a BCP Principal
I never wanted to be a principal. This is a common refrain from many school leaders, but it could not be more true for me. I resisted at every opportunity leading up to accepting the role at Frederick Elementary School (FES) in 2017, when FES became a Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP) neighborhood conversion charter school. […]
How Restorative Practices Changes School Communities
Why School Attendance Matters
We know we can teach every child. However, we cannot teach a child who does not come to school. Yet, nationally and in Maryland, student attendance continues to be a challenge for schools, “a hidden educational crisis,” so dubbed by the U.S. Department of Education. At the Baltimore Curriculum Project (BCP), school attendance is one […]
The Science of Reading & The “Reading Wars”
There’s been a battle for years over how children learn to read and the best way to teach them to read. These “reading wars” have heated up again since the pandemic and the post-pandemic learning loss facing our nation. While Maryland students have made impressive strides in English proficiency, as evidenced by the 2023 Maryland […]
Addressing Summer Slide
Use it or lose it. As adults, we understand that if we don’t practice our skills, we can soon forget the knowledge we’ve worked so hard for. Educators face this each year with “summer slide” or “summer slump,” which are the common terms for the student learning loss that occurs during the summer each year. […]
What’s Ahead for BCP From our Board Members
We’re proud of the Baltimore Curriculum Project’s (BCP) deep roots in Baltimore and its public school system. Before we opened our first three neighborhood conversion charter schools in 2005, we had nearly a decade under our belt working with Baltimore City Public Schools by introducing and supporting the research-based, proven Direct Instruction reading program in […]
How to Support Teachers With Instructional Coaching
Addressing Children’s Mental Health: Wolfe Street Academy’s Collaborative Approach
April is Mental Health Awareness Month and the perfect time for us to examine the important role schools and educators play in our students’ mental health. At the Baltimore Curriculum Project, Maryland’s largest and oldest operator of neighborhood conversion charter schools, we provide mental health resources to our children and families to create the foundation […]
Helping Students Master Mathematics
I love math and love teaching math. I taught math at an elementary/middle school in Chicago and at the Baraka School in Kenya. What I really love are fractions, especially when cooking and doubling recipes. Fractions are handy, tangible and practical. The recent data from the 2022 Maryland Comprehensive Assessment Program (MCAP) scores for Maryland […]
How School Leaders Can Create Better Teacher Support in Public Schools
Teaching and working in public schools are rewarding and challenging, especially right now. Our profession is experiencing a huge shift in how content is taught. Remote learning during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and the ensuing learning gap continue to challenge veteran and new teachers. The well-publicized national teacher shortage and burn-out are […]