Chicago mayor advises O’Malley on schools

BALTIMORE (AP) — Mayor Martin O’Malley plans to emulate Chicago’s school reform efforts by leading a campaign over the next six months to upgrade Baltimore’s public school buildings.

Mr. O’Malley met with Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley and school leaders Thursday to learn how to lead the budget-strapped Baltimore school system toward financial accountability and improve buildings’ appearances.

“We’re going to do everything we possibly can between now and the start of school to improve the campuses of all of our school buildings,” Mr. O’Malley said. “I would love to get rid of some of that ratty, chain-link, institutional-looking fencing that surrounds our buildings.”

Mr. O’Malley wants building trade unions, developers and businesses to donate labor and resources, with a citywide civic campaign raising money and partners. City school officials say school buildings need more than $1 billion in improvements.

“Many people will walk away from a challenge, but [Mr. O’Malley] is willing to take the challenge and say, ’I am willing to do a better job,’” Mr. Daley said. “When you take the full responsibility, you’re saying to the public that I firmly believe that your child’s education is the most important part of life.”

Mr. O’Malley — accompanied by Deputy Mayor Michael Enright and others— spent all day with Mr. Daley and Chicago school officials.

Mr. Daley’s administrators told how they tried to instill disciplined accounting procedures at each school.

Test scores since Mr. Daley took over have risen, but have recently leveled off. The Chicago system, with a $3.8 billion budget, is facing a $100 million deficit this year.

“Just because the mayor has had control for nine years, everything isn’t rosy,” said Hosanna L. Mahaley, chief of staff to Chicago public schools chief Arne Duncan. “We haven’t figured everything out.”

Mr. O’Malley said Mr. Daley has restored pride in schools by improving appearance. Chicago has invested $4 billion from property-tax increases into improving school buildings and their landscapes.

Mr. O’Malley said he would not ask the General Assembly for the type of full authority that Mr. Daley received in 1995 and used to rejuvenate schools.