Known for its far-left approach to education, the state of Maryland finds itself embroiled in a contentious debate regarding the focus of its schools. Critics argue that the emphasis seems to be on promoting erotic behavior and fostering victimhood complexes among students, rather than preparing them for intellectual competence and workplace success.
Dems don’t do education.. at least, not well or effectively. No matter what their gaslighting.https://t.co/tWkMuUnqTn
— In Vino Veritas (@sdbacchus) August 20, 2023
This controversial stance has now triggered a discussion about the city’s testing scores and the integrity of its educational administration. Over the past six months, Mohammed Choudhury, the Superintendent of the Maryland State Department of Education, has become embroiled in a series of controversies.
The saga began in February when Project Baltimore, an investigative reporting initiative operating in the Baltimore area, meticulously examined the 2022 state testing data of the city’s schools. The findings were staggering: 23 Baltimore City schools reported zero students achieving proficiency in math.
This revelation set off a chain of events that prompted the Maryland State Department of Education to revise its approach to reporting test results. As a result, parents and taxpayers have been left with limited information regarding the performance of public schools. In response to mounting concerns, Superintendent Choudhury faced increased scrutiny.
However, instead of addressing these concerns openly, he retreated behind closed doors, leaving many questions unanswered. In April, Project Baltimore embarked on a public records request to gain access to emails and text messages exchanged by Choudhury during the January to March timeframe, coinciding with the state’s revisions to its test score reporting methodology.
This endeavor unveiled surprising revelations: Choudhury possessed a second email account, indicating potential transparency issues. Subsequent investigations discovered the existence of a burner account, raising further questions about his communication practices.
Further investigations focused on Choudhury’s taxpayer-funded phone records revealed that 98 texts had been deleted. It was found that these texts were set to auto-delete within 30 days, which raised concerns about legal and ethical implications for a public official using taxpayer-funded resources.
To exacerbate the situation, 12 of these texts were deleted after the records request was initiated, potentially indicating an effort to withhold information. Adam Andrzejewski, founder of Openthebooks.com, a non-partisan government watchdog group, criticized Choudhury for his lack of transparency regarding decisions related to student test scores.
Safety issues have also been raised, with incidents of violence reported within Baltimore City public schools. In March, a Maryland state senator introduced legislation requiring schools to teach gender ideology unless parents opt out.
These controversies have cast a spotlight on the city’s education priorities and prompted discussions about the balance between woke liberal educational practices and the essential skills needed for student success.
