Parents, now joined by religious leaders and teachers, have renewed their push for an elected school board in Baltimore City, a structure found in the majority of districts in Maryland and nationwide.

“Accountability is part of the school system logo, but I don’t see that happening,” said James Williams, an education activist and father of a ninth-grader at Mergenthaler Vocational-Technical High School in the city.

Williams, clergy and Baltimore Teachers Union President Marietta English plan to announce at a news conference today in front of system headquarters their support for a bill that would allow residents to vote for school board

members.

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Del. Cheryl Glenn, D-Baltimore City, has vowed to sponsor the legislation in the upcoming General Assembly session.

Baltimore, where the mayor and governor jointly appoint members to three-year terms, is one of seven school districts in the state without elected school boards.

To show a need for change, Williams pointed to a failed $20 million magazine-centered curriculum the school board approved two years ago and the recent controversy surrounding Maritime Industries Academy, where a principal stepped down amid accusations of grade falsification only after a mother complained.

Proponents of elected boards “have built up momentum and community support each year, so it has a better shot of passing,” said Del. Jill Carter, D-Baltimore City.

The growing number of supporters, however, still face an uphill battle in the legislature, which reconvenes Wednesday.

Senate President Thomas Mike Miller Jr., D-Calvert and Prince George’s, said he opposes elected school boards, including the one created in his home of Prince George’s County, and Mayor Sheila Dixon submitted testimony against elected boards during last year’s session.

Baltimore school board member Anirban Basu called an elected board “the worst of all possible ideas.”

“We are beholden to no special interests, because we don’t depend upon any special interests to get elected,” he said.

“That doesn’t mean we don’t make mistakes, but it’s because of a lack of understanding and information, not because of special interests with needs divorced of the needs of young people.”

City schools chief Andres Alonso said he has faith in the current board, which hired him.

“It’s not about the government structure, but the people,” he said.

“Sometimes you have lousy appointed boards and lousy elected boards or great appointed boards and great elected boards.”

Fast Facts

School Boards

» Anne Arundel: Appointed

» Baltimore County: Appointed

» Baltimore City: Appointed

» Carroll: Elected

» Harford: Appointed

» Howard: Elected

kvolkmann@baltimoreexaminer.com