The Difference Is Night And Day…Or North And South

October 3rd, 2007 by Kenneth Burns

In case you missed it in this morning’s Washington Post, they reported that blacks have reached majority status in Charles County.  The Southern Maryland county black student population is now 51.6 percent.  White students now make up 40.9 percent while asian and hispanic students each make up nearly three percent.

Apparently, this is not news to School Superintendent James Richmond.   He says they knew it was coming based on the trends.  Charles is now the third majority-black school district in the state along with Baltimore City and Prince George’s County and the second in Metropolitan Washington.

And now the difference in competent and good management between Prince George’s County and Charles County.  The latter addressed concerns of parental involvement and lowered teacher expectations along with other issues.  Personally, I do not think that it was hard to address.

The black families moving into Charles County are not too much different from their white counterparts.  They wanted lower taxes, better schools, and low crime.  Overall, a better environment for their kids.  Believe me when I say Parents want to be involved with their kids education, but when schools are managed crappily, they are like why bother.  Those with the means, uproot and move into better districts like Montgomery, Charles, Anne Arundel and the like.   Some actually uproot and go into neighboring commonwealths.

Not all school districts are perfect, but when they are properly managed, which looks like the situation in Charles County, a demographic shift will not be a disaster.  Unfortunately, Prince George’s County was asleep at the wheel and it shows.

P. Kenneth Burns is the editor/writer of Maryland Politics Today and a contributor to Red Maryland.  He resides in Laurel, Prince George’s County and can be reached at kennyburns@marylandpolitics.us.

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