Commission on No Child Left Behind

Dr. Andres Alonso

CEO Baltimore City Public Schools

At the age of 12, Dr. Andres Alonso emigrated to the United States from Cuba with his parents. Originally speaking no English, he attended public schools in Union City, New Jersey, and ultimately graduated Magna Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from Columbia University. Dr. Alonso went on to earn a J.D. from Harvard Law School and practiced law in New York City before changing course to become an educator. In 2006 he was awarded a Doctorate in Education from Harvard University.

From 1987 to 1998, Dr. Alonso taught emotionally disturbed special education adolescents and English language learners in Newark, New Jersey. He worked at the New York City Department of Education from 2003 to 2007, working closely with the Chancellor in planning and implementing the reform of the largest educational system in the nation. During Dr. Alonso’s tenure, New York City students reached their highest performance levels and cohort graduation rates, for all groups, since standards-based assessments were introduced to the city in 1999.

On July 1, 2007, Dr. Alonso was named CEO of Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools), and immediately launched a series of innovative programs. In 2008, at the end of his first year as CEO, Baltimore City students reached their highest outcomes in state exams, as well as their highest graduation rate and lowest dropout rates, across all categories of students. For the first time ever, elementary and high school grade students made Adequate Yearly Progress across all No Child Left Behind subgroups. In 2009, the district made significant steps toward disengagement in its 25-year-old special education lawsuit, and enrollment in City Schools increased for the first time in decades.

The centerpiece of Dr. Alonso’s reform program is Fair Student Funding, which moves money and resources from central administration to schools, while ensuring that every student enjoys equal educational opportunities and every school accepts accountability for improvements in student outcomes.  He also implemented an ambitious initiative to create 24  new “Transformation Schools,” combining grades 6-12, in the next four years.  At the same time he doubled the number of alternative education seats in one year.  His Community Support Initiative hired community organizations to work with more than 60 schools to increase the number of parent organizations and enlarge the role of parents in the decision-making process.

Dr. Alonso’s achievements have been recognized by newspapers and other prestigious organizations in the community.  In May 2008 he was given the “Audacious Individual Award” by the Open Society Institute – Baltimore. In September 2008 he was named “Best New Public Servant” by the Baltimore City Paper, and in October 2008 he was a co-winner of the “Innovator of the Year” award from the Daily Record. In January 2009 he was named “School Superintendent of the Year” by the Fullwood Foundation, and in February 2009 he was selected as a “Hispanic Hero Award” winner in the education category by U.S. Hispanic Youth Entrepreneur Education. In May 2009 Dr. Alonso was named as only the third recipient of the “Howard Pete Rawlings Courage in Public Service Award” by the Greater Baltimore Committee.

Throughout his career Dr. Alonso has been defined by his fervent commitment to students and their families.