Today, this announcement came across my email. At first I thought it was fake news. It isn't.
If you don't know Dr. Santelises, she is the extremely high paid Superintendent of the Baltimore City Public Schools and has been in that position since 2016. She makes almost $400,000 dollars a year. Here is the statement made in support of her award: (Bold added for emphasis)
Dr. Santelises has served as CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools since 2016, leading the district through sustained academic progress, community engagement, and strategic innovation. Under her leadership, City Schools has seen notable improvements in student literacy, expanded access to rigorous coursework, strengthened arts programs, and significant facility upgrades, accomplishments that reflect her deep commitment to equity and excellence for every student.
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Here are the scores of BCPS during her tenure:
Year-by-year overview based on Maryland State Department of Education’s Maryland Report Card and Baltimore City Schools’ data
| Year | Reading Proficiency | Math Proficiency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 23% | 11% | First year of PARCC assessments fully implemented. |
| 2017 | 24% | 12% | |
| 2018 | 22% | 9% | |
| 2019 | 25% | 13% | |
| 2020 | N/A | N/A | State testing canceled due to COVID-19. |
| 2021 | 19% | 7% | |
| 2022 | 21% | 8% | |
| 2023 | 22% | 9% | |
| 2024 | 23% | 10% | |
| 2025 | 24% | 11% |
During this time, in the 2021-2022 school year, 23 city schools had ZERO students score proficient. The issue reflects a broader trend: Baltimore City’s math proficiency rates have hovered around 7–15% districtwide since 2016, far below the Maryland state average. (ChatGPT)
I don't know about you, but I see that reading scores have remained flat during that time and math scores dropped. In most school districts in the country, Santelises probably would have been fired long ago. Because Baltimore has an appointed, not elected, school board, there doesn't appear to be accountability for them nor her. She certainly shouldn't win any awards.
The Superintendent (called the CEO) of City Schools made $386,336 in 2024. The average salary of employees in the system during that time $72,929. Her contract is up at the end of this academic year.
But now she is nominated for a National Award. She's a finalist. It should be a joke, but it isn't.
We never know the criteria for these awards and if there is anything listed, we don't know how the recipient met that criteria. In the case of Santelises, the criteria probably isn't academic progress in her schools. It can't be, at least if the people deciding the finalists are looking at real data coming out of Baltimore City.
So, how does she qualify? Is there something there I am missing?
First, she was the Maryland State Superintendent of the Year. Yes, that's right. The Superintendent of the biggest failure ridden school system in the state was named State Superintendent of the Year. The lunacy began.
The Maryland Superintendent of the Year is chosen by the Public School Superintendents Association of Maryland (PSSAM), the professional organization representing Maryland’s 24 district superintendents.
I guess it was her turn and since she is leaving in June they wanted to give her the award, even though PSSAM says they have real criteria.
That award made her eligible for the AASA National Superintendent of the Year® Award, because candidates must first be named their State Superintendent of the Year. Finalists and the national winner are selected based on leadership, communication, professionalism, and community involvement.
Keeping that criteria in mind, let's look at what has happened in the Baltimore City Public Schools during her tenure.
We reviewed the low test scores that indicate a total lack of leadership.
Baltimore Schools defend CEO as report finds declining student academics during tenure
Then, there is also the chronic absenteeism in the system. Nearly half of the students in the city system are chronically absent, meaning they miss ten percent of the 180 school days or more. Seems like leadership may not be a priority for this award.
Well, then she must have gotten it for being able to communicate professionally with and involve the community. Right?
Group rallies for 'long overdue' improvements within Baltimore City Public Schools
Maybe not. It seems that Santelises doesn't respond to the community. But, she has "involved" them. She has involved them by motivating them to file lawsuits against City Schools. One group demanded the CEO be fired.
Group Demands City Schools Remove CEO or Face Lawsuit: "Asking Nicely Isn't Working"
From 2016 to 2019, over 12,000 student grades were changed from failing to passing under pressure on teachers from administrators. It was so bad, one parent, Jovani Patterson, filed a lawsuit against the system:
Baltimore City Public Schools settle lawsuit alleging unlawful corruption
The National Superintendent of the Year award is meant to honor those who, with exceptional leadership, inspire student achievement gains. But, under her leadership, Baltimore City Public Schools has persistent failure and underperformance compared to state averages. There seems to be a complete lack of accountability for her and her staff.
In other words, Santelises being a finalist demeans the award.
She's not the first recipient of the award that didn't deserve it. She probably won't be the last.
The reality is that these awards, Superintendent of the Year, Teacher of the Year, Principal of the Year, School of the Year, are not an indicator of what is true and accurate about a person's actual performance in their job. Sometimes they are a payback for someone who has been around for a while and stuck to the "party" line by protecting the bosses, the unions, the politicians, etc. Sometimes they are just given on a rotation making sure everyone gets their turn, somewhat like a tee ball participation trophy. Sometimes they are given to provide a shield to protect the recipient from losing their job. Or, sometimes they are given to promote a political or social agenda based on gender, sexual preference, race, etc.
This award to Santelises means nothing other than giving her something to put on her resume which is filled with failure. If you aren't convinced of that, just go to WBFF's FOX 45 Project Baltimore investigations conducted by Chris Papst. Better yet, read his book FAILURE FACTORY.
People who truly seek the truth will realize that this is a farce. Her contract ends at the end of this academic year, and she has announced that she is stepping down. She will, however, go on to a sweet gig at Yale University teaching educational leaders of the future. So ironic that a person with such a poor performing district would now teach others how to lead school districts.
Maybe this is a way for the Public-School Superintendents Association of Maryland (PSSAM) and the AASA to say good-bye and happy trails.
As for the national organization who named her a finalist for this award, they truly put their reputation at risk for having her on the list at all. Here is their webpage:
Home | AASA, The School Superintendents Association | AASA
If only they had spoken to the hundreds of students who have graduated from Baltimore City Public Schools without basic reading or math proficiency but were pushed through anyway.
There used to be a time when we thought these awards meant something.
Now, the Baltimore City Public Schools are currently conducting a search for a new "CEO." Hopefully their criteria include improving student achievement. Here is the group who is conducting that search:
It will be interesting to see how that goes.
SIDE NOTE: In 1997-1998 I was the "Teacher of the Year" in my school district. In order to win, I had to be nominated and then was directed to create a well-crafted marketing "presentation packet" to send to state officials so they could determine if I should be one of the finalists for State Teacher of The Year. I made the top five in the State. But here's the thing. I know there were people in my county who were better teachers than I was. I was good, but was I great? I guess it depends on who you ask.
The teacher who won for the State that year taught aquaculture with these big fish tanks in his classroom. He taught kids how to raise fish and release them into the wild. I admit, it was pretty cool and it definitely fit in the theme of sustainability and environmental protection. After all, I was just an elementary teacher who taught a lot of different subjects in what we called "the learning lab."
He deserved it more than me. No, really.
I guess my point is that while sometimes the awards are an indicator of the skills and achievements of a person, excellence is lost in a fog of promotion and politics and the person who wins has to fit a particular agenda.
This is not to say that all the people who are nominated for or who win these awards don't deserve them. Many do. You have to look at each individual and make that judgement.
The plaque I received? I'm not even sure where it is. I think it fell apart.
