Baltimore and Detroit have competed in the past for the distinction of having the most murders per capita. And I recall Baltimore leaders once wondering if the city had the worst schools in the nation. Well today, the answer seems to be a resounding no, for a number of reasons, not the least of which is that the city's test scores on a national test called the National Assessment of Educational Progress were considerably better than Detroit's. In fact, Detroit's scores were far below every other major city that took part in the testing. The whole subject is covered in a recent piece that explains how Detroit schools might like to try some of the strategies that have worked in Baltimore.

The piece gives a good measure of credit to the fact that the Maryland legislature decided to rework how it funds schools and now provides more than $1 billion a year toward education than it did earlier in the decade.

Westside Elementary School (School #24) closed early Friday morning, due to a power outage in the neighborhood, according to city school officials. The school will remain closed for the rest of the day.

The Baltimore city school board authorized Tuesday, for schools CEO Andres Alonso to sign off on an extension of the current Baltimore Teacher's Union contract until the end of October, while negotiations continue for 2010-2011.

For months, school and union reps have been negotiating what Alonso has called a "cutting edge contract." The extension of the current contract means that the terms of the 2009-2010 agreement still stick until the new contract is agreed upon.  

Marietta English, president of the BTU said Tuesday, that while the union doesn't disclose details during open negotiations, some of the hold up has to do with sweeping reforms due to be implemented in the district, the most drastic of which will affect how teachers are evaluated, and how much of their success is measured by student outcomes.

Of the continuing negotiations, English said: "We're just trying to reach an agreement that's acceptable to all parties."

Some Maryland students went back to schools that boasted millions of dollars in renovations and state-of-the-art upgrades. The energy of students and school leaders was almost as high as the temperatures, our reporters found, making for a great kick off to the school year. Even those who didn't have to head back to the classroom found a reason to celebrate.

In Baltimore City, schools CEO Andres Alonso kicked off his annual school tours at Mt. Washington Elementary school where Mayor Stephanie-Rawlings Blake's daughter, Sophia, started her 2nd grade year. I took note of the language arts objectives of the day, outlined by Sophia's  teacher, and was impressed. Among them were: identifying high-frequency words, recognizing short vowel sounds, and explaining the components of a folktale.  Guess practicing fire drills and playing name games aren't the first-day protocols anymore.

The next stop was Commodore John-Rodgers Elementary/ Middle School, a turnaround school who is also building a new identity for itself this year. I noticed the city's 2010 Teacher of the Year, Brian Rainville, formerly of Maree G. Farring Elementary/Midde School was teaching at Commodore. He was delving right into intense math lessons.

Next on the tour was George W. F. McMechen Middle/High School, a school for special education students. The stop represented growth the city has made in serving its special-education students. There, students were doing everything from preparing meals to learning basic skills. Lots of waves and smile there. It was heartwarming.

And, finally there was a visit to the Walbook campus, which we feature in the story. Definitely a story of new beginnings there. The two schools who share the old building have driving forces behind them, and it will be interesting to see how they redefine the "Walbrook" legacy.  

Alonso took a second-round of tours on Tuesday, this time promoting the district's focus on attendance this year. Look for that story in tomorrow's Sun.

I wrote a story that ran Sunday about Theresa Waddell, a teacher of 15 years, whose son was murdered by one of her former students.

I happened upon Waddell while doing another story at George Washington Elementary School--where Waddell will welcome her first class of kindergartners since she learned that the boy who murdered her 32-year-old son was in her very first kindergarten class in 1995. 

In addition to finding her story compelling, her presence and energy was contagious. She was a passionate teacher and vivacious woman whose tragedies defied karma. I spent some time with her, and even the interviews were as much of an emotional roller coaster as the story itself. But, the one thing that stayed consistent was her positivity and love for the children of Baltimore City.

I thought it was the perfect back-to-school story, one of new beginnings and perseverance. I hope you all do too.