Baltimore City Schools’ next CEO sets goals for Maryland’s lowest performing district

Baltimore (WBFF) — As Baltimore City Public Schools prepares for new leadership, FOX45 News is taking a closer look at the man set to lead the district.

Project Baltimore recently sat down with incoming CEO Dr. Jermaine Dawson to discuss his record, accountability, and how he defines success within a struggling school system.

When Dr. Dawson becomes the next CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools on July 1, he’ll be inheriting the lowest performing school system in the state of Maryland.

“Baltimore City Schools has the lowest graduation rate, the lowest attendance rate, the lowest average SAT score, the lowest English proficiency rate, the second lowest math proficiency rate. The school system has the highest dropout rate in the state and the highest rate of chronic absenteeism,” Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst said during the interview with Dawson. “Do you know what the problem is?”

Dr. Jermaine Dawson becomes the next CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools on July 1 (WBFF)

“I won’t say I’m just coming in, to be honest with you, Chris,” Dawson replied. “But I can tell you that Baltimore City Schools, although you tout this data, I see data where it is making significant improvement.”

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City Schools, since 2023, has seen some academic improvements. The attendance rate increased from 83% to 86%. English proficiencies went up from 26% to 31% and graduation rates increased from 70.5% 71.7%. Dawson says his goal is to continue that trajectory.

“I want, what I believe you want, and what I believe all of your listeners want. They want strong schools that are creating great opportunities for our young people,” Dawson stated. “And that’s why I chose to come to Baltimore City Schools.”

Dawson comes to Baltimore from Philadelphia, where he served as Deputy Superintendent of Academic Services, starting in 2023. While in that role, The School District of Philadelphia saw mixed academic results. According to Pennsylvania state data, from 2024 to 2025, math proficiency rates increased from 13.5% to 15.3% while English Language Arts proficiency rates decreased from 26.4% to 25.0%. In those same years, the four-year high school graduation rate also fell from 76% to 74%, according to state data.

According to Pennsylvania state data, math proficiency rates increased while English Language Arts proficiency rates decreased as did the four-year high school graduation rate (WBFF)

While in Philadelphia, Dawson tells Fox45 News his focus was supporting teachers and principals, developing a viable curriculum and growing community support around schools.

“Those are some of the things that I’ve done. Addition to that, Chris, what I’ve been championing in the district is accountability,” said Dawson. “You have to really be serious about outcomes for young people.”

Prior to his time in Philadelphia, Dawson was in Birmingham, Alabama where he served as that school system’s Chief Academic and Accountability Officer from 2020 to 2023. While Dawson was in Birmingham, Math and English proficiency rates significantly increased from 3.9% to 11.8% and 19.5% to 27.1% respectively. But, according to the Alabama Department of Education, the number of “F” rated schools also significantly increased. An “F” is the lowest rating an Alabama school can receive.

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In the 2021/2022 school year, seven Birmingham schools earned a “F’ rating from the state. One year later, Dr. Dawson’s final year in Birmingham, 15 schools earned an “F” rating.

“How do you explain that? What happened there?” Questioned Papst.

“No, the number of schools did not go up in my time in Birmingham,” replied Dawson.

“They did not?” Papst asked.

“I don’t believe so,” Dawson responded.

Dawson refutes the data, saying he’d have to look into it. Project Baltimore got the numbers directly from the Alabama Department of Education’s website.

When we pressed Dawson about the data, he said this, “We had a hard time getting students to come back into schools during that particular time, and it was the systems and structures that we put in place during that time that started to move this needle to get it to where it is today.”

According to the Alabama Department of Education, the number of “F” rated schools is the lowest rating an Alabama school can receive (WBFF)

In 2025, two years after Dawson left Birmingham, that number has fallen to one “F’ rated school.

Dawson, in a few weeks, will start the next phase on his career in Baltimore – where he may face his biggest challenge yet trying to elevate a school system that has been the state’s lowest performing for many years.

“What does success look like for you in Baltimore City Public Schools?” Papst asked.

“I want to make sure that we have increases in our literacy and math data, that chronic absenteeism is on the decline, that our graduation rate is moving in the right direction,” Dawson replied. “I won’t say a particular number, but because I will have to get into the district and see. But I would want to see upticks in those numbers in those particular categories for our young people.”

During our interview with Dr. Dawson we also spoke at length about specific policies and practices that have been controversial in Baltimore City Schools – such as social promotion and grade inflation. Does Dr. Dawson believe those policies help or hurt students? That part of the story in the coming days.

Follow Project Baltimore’s Chris Papst on X and Facebook. Send news tips to cjpapst@sbgtv.com