February 12, 2020 For Immediate Release
Baltimore City – Last night at its meeting, the Baltimore City Board of School Commissioners voted to extend the contract of Baltimore City Schools CEO Dr. Sonja Brookins Santelises for another four years. This will extend Dr. Santelises’ tenure through June 2024.
“It has been an honor to work alongside teachers, staff, community partners and families to transform the lives of nearly 80,000 young people in Baltimore City,” notes Dr. Sonja Santelises. “I am constantly amazed by our students’ talent, their resilience, and their determination to overcome any obstacles and realize their dreams. I share their dreams, and I am humbled by the responsibility we bear in supporting them in making their aspirations a reality. We have made a significant start, but we have far to go and it will require an unprecedented commitment of resources and genuine concern across all of our communities and every strata of our society if we are to be successful. I am thankful for the support and partnership of the Board of School Commissioners and I remain committed to our mutual goals.”
Under Dr. Santelises’ leadership, Baltimore City Public Schools has initially focused on the areas of student wholeness, literacy and leadership through her multiyear Blueprint for Success, a plan that reimagines what public education could and should look like in Baltimore.
“I was thrilled that Dr. Santelises accepted a second contract,” stated Board Chair Linda Chinnia. “Her talent, her commitment, and her compassion for every young person in Baltimore is good for our schools, good for our families, and good for our city. We are very fortunate to have her.”