Important Update from KIPP Baltimore
March 18, 2010
Dear KIPP Baltimore Supporter:
I am writing to let you know that KIPP Baltimore has reached an agreement with the Baltimore Teachers Union (BTU) that will allow KIPP Ujima Village Academy and KIPP Harmony Academy to operate the KIPP program through the 2010-2011 academic year.
Since November 2009, KIPP Baltimore has been negotiating with the BTU to restore our full extended school calendar at a rate that is financially sustainable for us. KIPP’s long school day, week, and year have been integral to KIPP Baltimore’s track-record of success since it began in 2002. Under Maryland’s charter school law, the BTU had to agree to an amendment to its collective bargaining agreement with the Baltimore City School System to allow our teachers to work the extra time and to specify compensation.
Under the newly forged agreement, KIPP Baltimore schools will return to a 9.5-hour daily schedule for teachers with some Saturday instruction and a summer school session. In return for their hard work, KIPP teachers will receive a premium of 20.5% above BTU pay scale, matching contributions to their pension funds, and up to $300 for classroom supplies.
While this ensures the continued existence of KIPP Baltimore through 2010-11, the agreement with the BTU is only for one year. Over the long term, we need to establish a system in Baltimore where teachers in high performing public schools like KIPP can choose to work an extended day within an affordable pay structure. Ultimately, this will require a change to Maryland’s charter school law.
KIPP Baltimore’s parents, teachers and staff deserve praise for their patience over the past six months as we have worked to reach resolution, and we are grateful for their unwavering commitment to KIPP and to our students.
Thank you for your support and belief in KIPP’s mission. Please let me know if you have any questions about our agreement with the BTU for next year.
Sincerely,
Jason Botel
Executive Director
KIPP Baltimore
- When giving tours at KIPP, my favorite stop is the Golden Ticket Wall. I love to share with visitors how our students work really hard to earn themselves entry to some of the best college-prep high schools in Maryland and the Country for that matter! — Hilarie Szczygiel, Director of Talent Recruitment and Retention
- Working at KIPP has been liberating for me as an educator. I am given the freedom to really teach the curriculum but also life lessons and good habits, the way that I know is best for my students. I can see the impact I am making on each and every child I come in contact with, even once they leave KIPP. — Megan Hall, High School Placement Coordinator
- I love working at KIPP because I feel like I belong here! The students and staff are constantly working together to achieve success. We leave no room for excuses and take an active role in our future. — Nancy Poole, Alumni Solutions Coordinator
- I know that when I first started my career, I was told by some veteran teachers that there are two or three special students in every class and you show up mainly to teach them. For the rest you just do what you can. But here, it isn't about a couple of good kids here, all kids can and do learn, excel, and find success. — Eric Fitzgerald, 7th Grade English
- I work here because I hope my life will have some small impact on the lives of others. I love our kids because they choose to be here, they choose to work longer and harder, and they choose to climb the mountain to college. If I can help them achieve their goals, then my time and effort are well spent. I love watching our kids grow into young adults who will have a positive impact on their families, their communities, and their world. — Mike Lucas, Ujima Founding Teacher
- KIPP taught me to be more of a gentleman than I was before. — Randolph Taylor, Alumni
- I learned all I need for high school from KIPP! — Darian Wilson, Alumni
- I absolutely love working at KIPP. I feel such a strong commitment from every adult involved in the education process - parents, staff, teachers, administration - to do anything necessary to help our students get to college. The result is a group of students who know they are cared about and are working hard to build character and academic skills necessary to be successful. — Jessica Cline, Spanish Teacher
- If there is a problem, we solve it. If there is a better way, we find it. If a teammate needs help, we give it. If we need help, we ask for it. — KIPP Credo
- What strikes me most about KIPP Baltimore is the dedication and passion that the teachers and staff members brings to their jobs. It makes my job as a board member that much better to know that I am helping to support such an amazing group of educators. — Hugh Cole III, Board Member
- KIPP Baltimore is positively effecting change in the lives of school children by producing extraordinary results. From my perspective, KIPP is Baltimore's brightest light! — Mitchell Whiteman, Board Member
- The public - private partnership of the KIPP model provides a high return on investment for the private supporter KIPP funds go far both in number of students served and in their outstanding performance. — R. Hutch Vernon, Board Member
- As I look back on why I choose KIPP Ujima Village Academy it was because of what KIPP had to offer. My daughter needed a school that was challenging and better than the average middle school. I was sold on the slogan Knowledge Is Power - and their commitment to prepare her for high school and college. — Janet Alford, 7th Grade Parent
- Our future leaders are our children and it is my privilege to work with the team at KIPP Baltimore to help prepare our students for success in college and in life. We teach our students the value of an education and teach them the importance of building their character and academic skills in order to succeed in college and beyond. We hope to help build a better future together to teach children to be happy, self sufficient, successful adults in this global competitive world. The greatest reward from volunteering at KIPP Baltimore is to see the tremendous joy on the faces of our students as they work together as a team, read, learn, grow, and help build a better world for themselves and for all of us. — Wendy Perrow, Board Member
- My daughter is a Senior at KIPP Baltimore. Choosing KIPP as the middle school for my daughter was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. My daughter has been attending KIPP since the 6th grade and she has received an excellent education there. Because of her KIPP education my daughter is well prepared to succeed in High School. I would recommend KIPP to everyone, it is truly the BEST middle school in Baltimore! — Sharee People, 8th Grade Parent
- "KIPP Baltimore has become an essential part of the revitalization of the Park Heights community. The opening of KIPP Harmony Academy will allow us to reach more children at younger ages to ensure that they are on the path to college. As their futures get brighter, the future of this community and of the city gets brighter with them." — Baltimore City Mayor, Sheila Dixon
- "I am so excited to see KIPP Baltimore opening a second school to serve children in my district. KIPP has made great contributions to the lives of young people in Baltimore, and I am proud to be an Honorary Board Member of this important organization as it expands its impact in our city." — Congressman, Elijah Cummings
- "With every new high-quality school we open in Baltimore, we raise the bar for what our students can achieve. KIPP Baltimore has been raising the bar since it opened its first middle school in 2002, and now with the opening of KIPP Harmony Academy, City Schools looks forward to continuing to work with KIPP for many years to come to keep raising the bar for our children and their families." — Dr. Andres Alonso, CEO of Baltimore City Schools
- I love working a KIPP Harmony Academy because I get the opportunity to see our students grow each and every day! There’s no greater joy than to receive a hug from a happy child because they have just mastered reading their first book or moved up to another reading level. I am so excited each day to see our students do more than they did yesterday! — Donna Randolph, Harmony Office Manager
- I work at KIPP Harmony Academy because I believe in our school’s mission! Our kindergarteners are already talking about what they plan to study in college. I believe they will ALL get there because they choose to work hard, be nice and be safe each and every day. I have never been happier driving to school every day. Watching these little KIPPsters come grow into READERS in kindergarten is more than exciting! — Jamie Sienko - Founding Interventionist, KIPP Harmoy Academy
- When you become a Team and Family member here at KIPP Ujima Village Academy you truly realize the movement you are a part of. KIPP holds their students and teachers to high expectations which creates an environment that empowers all to be the change they wish to see in the American Public Educational System. — William Stapleton - 5th Grade Science, KIPP Ujima Village Academy
- I love working at KIPP because I get to work with students who have a passion for learning and teachers who have a passion for teaching. I love how everyone - students, teachers, administrators, and staff - is willing to do what it takes to meet our high expectations. — Jason Farber, 6th Grade English Teacher
