Failing System Hopes For Strong Leadership
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On Monday, April 20, the Baltimore City Public Schools Commissioners appointed a new CEO (Superintendent). His name is Dr. Jermaine Dawson. He will begin his term on July 1, 2026. He was unanimously selected by the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners. The Commissioners are made up of 9 mayoral appointees, 2 elected commissioners from the city at large, and two elected student members.
Dr. Dawson has a B.A. in Sociology from Morehouse College, an M.Ed. from Kennesaw State University, an M. S. in Mathematics Education from NOVA Southeastern University, and a Ph.D. from Northcentral University.
Dr. Dawson's experience prior to being hired was in his current position, Deputy Superintendent of Academic Services, School District of Philadelphia. Prior to this role, he served as the Chief Academic and Accountability Officer for Birmingham City Schools. Other roles during his career include senior leadership roles at the Houston Independent School District, Duval County Public Schools, Fulton County Schools, and Charter Schools USA. He is a former elementary and middle school math teacher and served as an elementary and middle school principal in Atlanta Public Schools.
Board Chair Robert Salley made this comment on Dr. Dawson's hiring:
“The Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners is thrilled to collaborate with an accomplished educational leader as Dr. Jermaine Dawson. His diverse leadership roles throughout his career will be a tremendous asset, as he helps propel our district by pushing students toward success while advocating for the district’s needs. At the same time, it’s important that we recognize the achievements from our outstanding 10-year partnership with Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises.”
Dr. Santelises will be leaving the district in what is described by many as managerial and academic chaos. The Baltimore City Public Schools, while having the highest cost per pupil in the state and among the highest in the country, had the lowest academic achievement. Scandals rocked the system regarding grade changing, possible financial malfeasance, and graduation of students who cannot read, write, nor do math.
Dr. Dawson has been recognized by the New York Times, Forbes, and was named one of the "100 Top Influencers in Education." Our search did not yield any specific information about his successes with student outcomes, graduation rates, or reducing dropout rates as has been claimed. No Philadelphia‑specific performance metrics have been published.
The Philadelphia schools published this upon his hiring:
Dawson was Chief Academic and Accountability Officer in the Birmingham, Alabama public schools from 2019-2021. Under his leadership, third grade reading data improved by nine percentage points and reading proficiency improved by 12 percentage points over two years. Both reading and math achievements outperformed “pre-pandemic” reading proficiency scores by five percentage points, and math proficiency scores by 10 percentage points respectively. His exemplary work also contributed to
- More than 41% of students being ranked in the highest level of growth in one year in reading,
- More than 37% of students being ranked in the highest level of growth in one year in mathematics,
- An increase in college and career readiness from 54% in 2020 to 70% in 2022, and
- An 85 percent graduation rate
Dawson has spoken publicly about growing up homeless and finding stability through school—an experience that shapes his student-centered leadership philosophy.
The parents of students in Baltimore City can only hope he can turn the system around.
