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COMMENTARY: Our City, Our Schools

THE AFRO — As families across Baltimore prepare to send their children back to school, I am reminded of the awesome privilege and responsibility that we have at City Schools. At a time when our city continues to face significant challenges, our schools must be both an anchor for the community and springboard for its children. The stakes for our young people are high. Three years into the implementation of our City Schools Blueprint, we’ve made tremendous progress. We are certainly not where we want to be yet, but I am proud of the growth and achievements of our schools and our students.

Published

7 years ago

September 12, 2019

Oakland Post

Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises, CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools since 2016, says every single neighborhood in Baltimore City now has gifted and advanced learning programs at the elementary level and that every single high school will offer Advanced Placement courses. (Courtesy Photo)

By Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises

As families across Baltimore prepare to send their children back to school, I am reminded of the awesome privilege and responsibility that we have at City Schools. At a time when our city continues to face significant challenges, our schools must be both an anchor for the community and springboard for its children. The stakes for our young people are high. Three years into the implementation of our City Schools Blueprint, we’ve made tremendous progress. We are certainly not where we want to be yet, but I am proud of the growth and achievements of our schools and our students.

In this first guest editorial, I want to provide a glimpse of where we are—and where we’re going. My chiefs and I will be back to share more with AFRO readers over the coming school year.

Many of you are longtime fellow warriors in the fight for education justice, so I want to be clear: we will continue to call out and tear down institutional barriers that have denied opportunity to too many of our young people for far too long. We will continue to rally alongside community members and fight for equitable resources. And we will continue to name the issues at City Hall and in Annapolis.

But let’s be really clear: not all the problems are external. With our new Equity Policy, we are redoubling efforts to examine our practices, solicit feedback from students, and eradicate processes within city schools that delay or flat out deny opportunity to our students. And using our community index data, we are targeting and investing resources and opportunity in schools in neighborhoods that have historically and systematically been denied them.

But Baltimore City families and community members don’t just call for the absence of injustice in our schools. They call on us to strive for the presence of academic excellence. Like parents everywhere, our families want their children to attend schools where adults believe in them, and care enough to challenge them academically. That is the very heart of the Blueprint and thrust of the work ahead.

What does that mean for Baltimore’s children? It means every single neighborhood in Baltimore City now has gifted and advanced learning programs at the elementary level. It means that every single high school will offer Advanced Placement courses.

It means access to athletics and the arts, not simply because they’re nice to have, but because they are critical to the development of wholeness in all our young people.

It also means new, high-quality curricula. Last year, we implemented Wit and Wisdom, an engaging English curriculum aligned to true college and career readiness. We placed literacy coaches in 20 schools, and this year, we will provide coaches in 20 more.

In math, we launched the widely-respected Eureka curriculum. We are zeroing in on the critical middle grades to ensure that all students can access Algebra I before high school. Meanwhile, in social studies, students are exploring Baltimore and African American history and culture, sounding their own voices through our new “BMore Me” initiative.

In high schools, we are empowering students with personalized learning, mentoring, and internships. We are also overhauling our career and technical programming to provide students with exposure to and preparation for meaningful careers.

However, none of this will work if students don’t feel safe, supported, and loved in their schools. Last year, 35 of our schools served as social-emotional learning sites where staff instituted new practices to improve climate and nurture student wholeness. I am thrilled to announce that we’re adding 21 more this year. Further, 75 more of our highest need schools will gain a community school specialist, and students in every school will have access to a social worker.

From Park Heights to Cherry Hill, from Sandtown to Highlandtown, every student in Baltimore deserves a school brimming with opportunity, where they can imagine and reimagine themselves. Where they can stretch, grow, and fulfill their God-given potential and purpose. That is our charge.

I am excited about all this new school year has in store at City Schools, and I hope you will join us in supporting our schools and Baltimore’s young people.

Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises is the CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools.

This article originally appeared in The Afro.

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NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury

Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts found Darius Cooper with nine seconds left for the game winning touchdown as his team beat the Tennessee Titans 24-20 in Nashville. Hurts finished the day 26/37 for 264 yards. He threw for two touchdowns and two interceptions. Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 […]
The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

September 20, 2026

Oakland Post

Prior to the final drive, the Eagles ran 25 plays for 45 yards. During the final drive Hurts went 6-8 with 61 passing yards and the touchdown. Titans defensive tackle — and team captain — Jeffery Simmons said this week that the way to defend Jalen Hurts is to make him “play quarterback.”

Hurts said to Simmons after today’s game: “You started that sh**. I had to finish it.”

Running back Saquon Barkley suffered a stinger in the first half but he ultimately finished the game. He had four carries and nine yards and one catch for eleven yards. He will get an MRI for his injury, but admitted to Cameron Wolfe of the NFL Network he was fine.

Caleb Williams leaves game against Vikings with apparent lower-body injury

Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams was helped off the field with a right leg injury with 7:42 remaining in the fourth quarter. Williams was down, writhing in pain after scrambling to his left. After departing the injury tent, Williams raised his right fist, acknowledging the crowd while expressing his frustration. Testing will commence on Monday to find out more details about his injury.

“We’ll know tomorrow,” Johnson admitted regarding Williams’ injury. “He’s in good spirits. He’s a team player.”

Williams finished the day with 138 passing yards and one interception.

“I’m actually happy it’s nothing with the knee — that was my first inclination,” Johnson said. “But, a hamstring could be pretty damaging as well. So, we’ll see. We’ll see how bad it is tomorrow and we’ll go from there.”

Bryce Young once again dominated the Falcons

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is 5-1 against the Atlanta Falcons and is undefeated at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Today, Young threw for 287 yards and three touchdowns as he led the Panthers to a 34-3 dismembering of the Atlanta Falcons. Georgia Tech alumnus Darren Waller caught two touchdowns and linebacker Devin Lloyd returned one of his two interceptions for a touchdown.

Cooper Rush started his second straight game for the Falcons and it did not go well. The partisan crowd voiced their displeasure after Rush completed 10/17 passes for 86 yards and two interceptions. Jack Strand entered the game for Rush prompting cheers from the Falcons fans. The rookie threw a pick-six on his first career pass attempt. Strand was the first QB to accomplish that feat since Sam Darnold in 2018 and is the first Falcons player to do that since Brett Favre in 1991. Strand finished the day with 59 passing yards and 16 rushing yards.

According to reports, quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is expected to make his season debut this Thursday at the Green Bay Packers. His return should help the Falcons. They are the first team since the 2008 Rams to not run any plays in the red zone after the first two games to open a season.

The bright spots for the Falcons today were the Spelman College Jaguarettes performing with the Falcons cheerleaders and Florida A&M’s marching band, The Marching 100, also performed during halftime!

Jayden Daniels gets carted off after apparent arm injury

Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels appeared to injure his left elbow on the final play of the first half in his game against the Dallas Cowboys. During the play, Daniels got stepped on, braced himself for the fall, and his elbow bent the wrong way. Daniels draped a towel over his head as he exited the field on the cart.

He was later ruled out.

Daniels suffered a dislocated elbow to the same arm during week nine of last season against the Washington Commanders, which led to him being shut down for the remainder of the season.

The post NFL: Week Two Recap | Jalen Hurts did not fold; Caleb Williams exits game with injury appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win

Master the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework with Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt. Learn every stage, tactic, and win!
The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

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Oakland Post

Negotiation framework stages, tactics, and winning strategies from AutoNetwork

Roosevelt Gist and Roosevelt deliver the complete vehicle-purchase negotiation framework in Episode 8 of The Color of Our Money Is Green. This episode covers the three foundations of every effective negotiation, the full seven-stage negotiation sequence with exact language for every stage, and five of the most common dealership tactics with the specific response each one requires.
What You Learn in This Episode:
The three foundations that make every negotiation tactic work
The complete seven-stage car-buying negotiation sequence
Exact language for every stage of the dealership conversation
Five common dealership tactics — the turnover, the four-square, the packed payment, spot delivery, and forced add-ons — and how to counter each one
Why signing preliminary paperwork isn’t the same as signing the final contract
___________________________________________________________________
“The Color of Our Money Is Green: A Buyer’s Guide to What Cars Actually Cost” — stan.store/RGist
____________________________________________________________________
AutoNetwork helps serious car shoppers inspect any new vehicle online before walking into a dealership. I’m Roosevelt — I’ve been reviewing cars and shaping digital car buying and credit union auto leasing since before YouTube car reviews existed.
You’ll find detailed walkaround reviews, POV test drives, and buyer-focused breakdowns covering comfort, space, features, and real-world value.

How to use the channel:
Watch the walkaround of the car you’re considering
Visit AutoNetwork.com for the full review
Check CouponsOffersAndDeals.com for current dealer specials
Walk in already knowing what you want — and what it should cost

AutoNetwork.com
CouponsOffersAndDeals.com
Affiliate disclosure: some links earn a small commission at no cost to you and help support the channel. Insta360 is one of those partners.

The post The Complete Negotiation Framework — Every Stage, Every Tactic, Every Win appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts

Stay toasty in the CX-90! Plush Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, and a memory-equipped heated steering wheel deliver ultimate luxury.
The post Mazda CX-90 Luxury: Heated Seats & Premium Comfort! #shorts appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 weeks ago

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Oakland Post

Mazda CX-90 interior with heated seats offering premium comfort.

Experience ultimate comfort in the CX-90. Nappa leather, heated/ventilated seats, 8-way power adjustments, and memory settings for both front passengers. The heated steering wheel with memory tilt/telescope adds premium convenience.

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/EH5A4eQ4ipY