By Ryan Coleman
The original Woodlawn High School opened in 1961 with two major additions in 1969 and 2002 at roughly 195,000 square feet (18,100 m2) in size. Woodlawn was my zone school; I had many friends that attended Woodlawn. So, I want the best for Woodlawn and its students.
Let’s talk about some positives. Woodlawn is home to the only Early College program in Baltimore County. The program provides students the opportunity to simultaneously earn a high school diploma and an associate’s degree. The partnership with the Community College of Baltimore County (CCBC) allows for a supportive and rigorous educational environment. It also allows for professional development opportunities for teachers.
In addition to this program you have honor roll students, and you have teachers that are working magic at Woodlawn to support their students. Listed below are some of the positive real life experiences:
-Students had a great time at Towson University on Jan. 12, 2025, learning about careers in sports.
-Representatives from the military met with students at the Military Careers Exploration Fair on Jan. 14.
-CCBC representatives spoke with students on financial aid options for college on Jan. 16.
-More than 20 students took part in the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery on Jan. 30.
-Students took part in a field trip to explore the teaching programs at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC) on Jan. 30.
-Another group of 25-plus students learned about careers in the supply chain at Morgan State University on Jan. 31. Students learned about Morgan’s Services and Supply Chain major which prepares students for exciting careers in the rapidly growing logistics industry.
Black children are growing up in an anti-Black society, and everywhere they go, people are devaluing and dehumanizing them. Above are some of the positive things Woodlawn students are doing—let’s shout them to the rafters.
We don’t raise future Martins and Michelles by belittling them or beating them into submission as they are growing into adults. It is so important that the empowerment of our children begins at home and school. That means that their voices need to be heard. We can’t raise the future Black leaders, thinkers and innovators that we need if we are constantly telling Black children to sit down and be quiet. In doing this, we give them both subtle and overt cues that their voices, opinions and feelings do not matter, and then we send them out into a world that confirms it through anti-Blackness. We must know our history and that our children can be anything they want to be.
Now to the fight at Woodlawn. We cannot run from the facts. We cannot run from what happened. We cannot stick our heads in the sand. We must embrace the truth so we can find solutions. I received several videos of the fight that occurred at Woodlawn High School in the cafeteria. I was outraged at the level of violence I saw. Children that look like me deserve better and I will always advocate for our Black children. Who is at fault? Is it the parents, school, community? Pointing fingers will not solve our problems.
No doubt, it’s hard for students to learn in a school where classmates are constantly getting into fights and where bullying or disruptive, threatening behavior is common. Teachers who have to spend classroom time breaking up altercations can’t do as much teaching. Academic researchers back that up. A 2013 study in Chicago found that violent crime on school grounds has a negative effect on test scores. The stress and the disruptions get in the way of learning.
One might reasonably assume that principals and teachers need to reduce violence and improve school culture before they can succeed in getting kids to learn more. Research shows schools must have high expectations, accountability and be consistent with disciplinary incidents. I totally agree with
this. Is this the culture at Woodlawn? Only the parents, staff and students can answer this question.
I have spoken with the superintendent and I am confident that the response to this situation is appropriate. It is refreshing to have an open line of communication with the superintendent. I look forward to working with the school community, the business community and elected officials to proactively stop disruptions to the learning environment and continuing to increase academic outcomes at Woodlawn High School. To this end, the Randallstown NAACP and McDonald’s of Woodlawn will be giving four $1,000 scholarships specifically to the students at Woodlawn.
The post Commentary: Woodlawn High School fully unpacked appeared first on AFRO American Newspapers.
