Baltimore Schools Fail: Diversity Case Study

Baltimore schools, like many progressive, diversity-driven systems, exemplify failure on multiple fronts—educationally, socially, and systemically. The city’s obsession with diversity and political activism has come at the expense of basic educational standards and community safety, leaving students unprepared and communities fractured.

Educational Failure: Zero Proficiency and Fraudulent Diplomas

According to Fox Baltimore, reports show that in 2017, six middle schools had zero students proficient on state tests. A separate report from Fox 5 News on October 27, 2017, revealed that one-third of Baltimore high schools had zero students proficient in math. To put it another way, of the 3,804 students who took the test, only 14 were proficient in math—a staggering failure rate.

This crisis has not improved. In 2023, Fox Baltimore reported that 13 Baltimore high schools had zero students proficient in math, with 74.5% of the 1,736 students tested scoring at the lowest level. The 2024 Nation’s Report Card further confirms the dismal state of education: only 13% of fourth-graders and 16% of eighth-graders in Baltimore were proficient in reading, with even less progress in math between 2022 and 2024.

Proficiency means passing; non-proficiency means failing. Yet, Maryland’s high school graduation rate reached 87.6% in 2024, according to the State Department of Education. This discrepancy reveals a harsh reality: most Baltimore diplomas are fraudulent, as students are not meeting basic standards. As seen in other diversity-crippled systems like Oroville High School in California—where only 25% of students were proficient in math yet 94% graduated—this pattern of inflated graduation rates masks profound educational failure, setting students up for struggles in college and beyond.

Reading Disparities and Gender Gaps

The reading crisis is equally alarming, particularly for Black boys. Fox Baltimore reported in 2017 that nine out of ten Black boys in Baltimore City were not reading at grade level. This issue extends beyond Baltimore. The *Los Angeles Daily News* on August 28, 2017, reported that 75% of Black boys in California failed to meet state reading standards, with a significant gender gap:

More than half of Black boys scored in the lowest category on the English portion of the test, trailing their female counterparts. The disparity reflects a stubbornly persistent gender gap in reading and writing scores that stretches across (non-White) ethnic groups... As early as fourth grade, for example, nearly 80 percent of Black boys failed to meet state reading standards. Of all ethnic groups for which the state collects data, Black boys trailed Black girls by the widest margin.

These reading disparities are not due to systemic racism but rather to cultural and systemic failures—schools prioritizing diversity over rigorous education, as seen in California with teachers like Marta Shafferin, who reject traditional standards as “White supremacy.”

Violent Crime and Social Breakdown

Baltimore’s educational failures are compounded by its social breakdown, particularly its high crime rates. In 2017, Forbes reported a violent crime rate of 1,417 per 100,000, with 343 murders—a city record. One victim, Ali Ouedraogo, a convenience store worker, was executed while praying. The victim, as is typical, was Black, and he had no criminal record. Most victims are Black, suffering at the hands of a violent Black subculture.

The city, approximately 65% Black, has a poverty rate of 25%—double Maryland’s average. Maps often show an overlap between Black communities, mass poverty, and murders, a pattern also observed in Aurora, Colorado, where demographic shifts correlate with rising crime. While gun violence near Baltimore schools has decreased—183 incidents with 13 deaths in 2024, per the CBS News Baltimore Gun Violence Tracker—school violence remains a pressing issue. A 2024 stabbing at Carver High School left three teenagers and a staff member hospitalized, prompting calls for accountability from the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police.

Educational failure fuels this cycle. Students who cannot read or do math are more likely to drop out, lack opportunities, and turn to crime, perpetuating a violent subculture. Baltimore’s focus on diversity and political activism does little to address these root causes.

Systemic Mismanagement: Misplaced Priorities

Baltimore’s school system has long been plagued by mismanagement. The Baltimore Sun reported on January 4, 2018, that the city had to return millions in state funding for building repairs, including heating, due to political corruption and incompetence dating back to 2009. The city lost $66 million for repairs, and in 2018, it couldn’t even heat its schools—yet diversity education and political meddling continued unabated.

In a glaring example of misplaced priorities, Gateway Pundit reported on March 7, 2018, that while parents stormed school headquarters demanding warmer classrooms, Mayor Catherine Pugh announced plans to send 60 busloads of students to an anti-gun march in Washington, D.C., complete with free T-shirts and meals. This focus on indoctrination over basic needs underscores the failure of diversity-driven governance.

Recent examples further highlight this dysfunction. The Baltimore Banner reported in February 2025 that the city doesn’t provide yellow bus rides beyond fifth grade, forcing children as young as 11 to endure long, unsafe commutes on public transportation. Students face sexual harassment, witness violent fights, and arrive at school unprepared to learn—yet the city continues to prioritize symbolic gestures over practical solutions.

Failed Interventions and Lack of Accountability

In response to ongoing violence, Baltimore launched the School-Based Violence Intervention Program (SBVIP) in 2024 at four high schools, including Carver and Digital Harbor. The program pairs schools with community organizations to promote conflict resolution and reduce violence. While it has shown some success—reducing suspensions at Digital Harbor from 99 to 67 in a year, per The Baltimore Sun—these efforts fail to address the core issue: educational failure.

City Council President Zeke Cohen noted in December 2024 that the juvenile justice system often releases young people who commit violent crimes, sometimes on camera, without proper assessment or accountability. This lack of accountability mirrors the educational system’s failure to hold students to rigorous standards, perpetuating a cycle of failure and violence.

A Broader Pattern of Diversity-Driven Failure

Baltimore’s challenges are not unique. In Aurora, Colorado, demographic shifts—68.7% Hispanic, 16.5% Black at Aurora Central High School—correlate with educational decline and rising crime, including a 2021 drive-by shooting near Hinkley High School that wounded six students. Similarly, in Oroville, California, a 94% graduation rate masks dismal proficiency (25% in math), reflecting the same fraudulent diploma trend seen in Baltimore.

These cities share a common thread: an obsession with diversity over merit. By rejecting objective standards and prioritizing political activism, they fail their students and communities, leading to cycles of poverty, crime, and despair. It’s time to abandon these failed policies and focus on what works—rigorous education, accountability, and addressing the root causes of social breakdown.