Southwest Baltimore Charter School

1300 Herkimer Street - Baltimore MD - 21223
Type of autonomy arrangement: School Charter / Bylaws
Basic Profile

Opened In

2004

Grades

K-8

Environment

Urban

Type

Chartered
Autonomies

Program

Determine learning program
Set school-level policy
Determine professional development
Determine authorizer assessments
Determine state assessments

Personnel

Select colleagues
Evaluate colleagues
Transfer or terminate colleagues
Determine tenure policy
Select leaders

Administrative

Determine school budget
Set staff pattern
Determine compensation
Determine teacher workday
Set schedule
Teacher Authority Is...
De Jure and De Facto

De jure authority is granted via their charter contract with Baltimore City Schools. De facto teachers make many decisions in the area noted.

About the Learning Program

The following tenets have guided our development of curricula and school culture:

Differentiated Instruction – a philosophy of teaching that aims to meet each child where he or she is and move him or her forward
Expeditionary Learning – a curriculum that allows children to use all their senses to construct and retain knowledge through integrated units that allow for in-depth study of a topic from multiple perspectives
Arts Integration – a way to foster students’ artistic skills and self expression through a multitude of art forms while deepening their understanding of academic content\
Choice Theory – an approach to behavior management that teaches children to be intrinsically rather than extrinsically motivated, and guides them in making choices that will lead to personal success