Apr 15, 2008 12:53 pm US/Eastern
Baltimore Schools Chief Seeks 500 Volunteers
BALTIMORE (WJZ/AP) ―
The schools chief has begun a campaign to recruit 500 volunteers for troubled city schools in the next two weeks.
Sally Thorner reports Andres Alonso e-mailed a letter to 2,500 community members. He wrote, "this essential work of making safe schools cannot be done by the administrators, teachers, staff or students at each school alone. I cannot say strongly enough how important it is for families and community members to rally around our schools, our teachers, and our students."
The letter lists a Web page where people can sign up to "be a positive presence in our schools," "be a mentor," "help clean around our schools," or "help kids feel safe arriving at and going home from school."
The moves comes after Jolita Berry, an art teacher at Reginald F. Lewis High School, was attacked by a student in her classroom April 4 and the incident was recorded on another student's cell phone camera. A video that was aired on television shows a teenage girl beating a woman lying on the floor while classmates cheer.
Since the cell phone video of the Lewis attack began circulating on the Internet, the school system has received calls from people wanting to help. Alonso said Monday that the plea for volunteers is "an attempt to seize the moment."
Officials will select about 10 schools where dozens of volunteers will be sent. Lewis and adjoining W.E.B. DuBois High are among those that have said they want the help.
The schools are being selected not only because of their history of violence but also on student achievement. Violence and low student achievement are often found at the same schools.
"We certainly hope for 500," Alonso said, "but what I want is to put a critical mass of people to provide support for schools."
School officials say they will try to put the volunteers in place quickly. The system has set up a centralized call center and Web page to coordinate the effort. It will cover the cost for volunteers to undergo background checks, as required by law.
Schools spokesman Michael Sarbanes said his office is approaching business and church groups as well as educational organizations to solicit volunteers.
"What I'm finding so far is that people want to help, and they want a concrete way to help," Sarbanes said.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
WJZ.COM's Most Popular Slideshows
