School, Civil Rights Officials Visit Md. Schools

BALTIMORE - WBALTV.com

Two well-known civil rights and political leaders spend Friday touring Baltimore city schools as part of a listening tour organized by U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich and civil rights leader Al Sharpton joined Duncan on the tour. Holabird Academy in east Baltimore was one of three schools that played host to the group.

"I'd love to hear what changed in the school, what was working before, what wasn't working and why are things doing better now," Duncan said.

Students were quick to share what's made the difference in their education.

"When you get successful and go to college and get a big job, you'll want to thank the teachers who pushed you," one student said.

The leaders asked students questions about differences between schools and whether visiting a college campus made them want to one day get a higher education.

"I think that we are seeing that the students want to learn. They want to achieve. It's been really inspiring to me to hear students say, 'I want teachers to be strict. I want an environment that makes me bring the best out,'" Sharpton said.

"First of all, you learn that there is hope, because the best schools in America are very, very good. I mean, students grow up and they become young adults rather than children, and they do their work and they like it, and they're challenged and they're growing," Gingrich said.

Duncan had a hand in making Baltimore a part of the tour.

"To see what these schools are doing, to see the tremendous turnaround in a very brief amount of time is remarkable, and it just makes me very, very hopeful where we can go as a country," he said.

"It's a testament to the hard work of many people. It's about teachers and principals leading. It's about the community coming together in support of the schools," said Baltimore schools CEO Dr. Andres Alonso.

Sharpton said it was good for students to see politicians from opposing parties and viewpoints working together.

All three will appear together on Sunday on "Meet The Press" with David Gregory.

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