Baltimore Teachers Helping To Enroll Students Into School
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- Educators in the city say they need to get as many students enrolled this fall -- not only for their sake, but for the sake of the school system.
Every student registered means more money for the beleaguered system.
A group of 30 teachers is going door-to-door, pounding the pavement, looking for students that need to be enrolled in school.
Over the next five weeks, the teachers could help find $3.5 million for Baltimore City Schools.
Last year, they hit 36,000 homes and in the process they got parents to register their kids for the first time and talked school dropouts to come back.
"A grassroots effort to engage parents and guardians one-on-one about the great programming in Baltimore City Schools," said Marietta English, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union.
Here's the deal: the district gets $11,000 from the state for each student enrolled.
If parents don't register their kids, it means millions are lost in funding.
"And we have to go meet our students, and that's what the B3 program is all about," said Dr. Loreretta Johnson with the American Federation of Teachers.
Those leading the district, an institution with chronic funding and enrollment issues, are glad this work is being done.
"So we are thrilled. We in City Schools are proud of this partnership and of our teachers and paraprofessionals for being on the frontline with families, and we are thrilled this is the second year of many to come," said Dr. Sonja Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Schools.
Last year, a similar effort found 329 students who otherwise wouldn't have registered for classes in the city.
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