High school is valuable for many reasons, but primarily, this is the last low-stakes time in a person’s life when they can learn, explore and even dabble in a variety of subjects and activities, prior to stepping into the real world. In high school, students can attempt an activity or a subject and determine that it isn’t their favorite.

However, once a student is pursuing a major in college or professional career, deciding the topic or industry is no longer of interest and has greater consequences. High school also prepares students in areas far beyond the classroom curriculum. It helps teach students to research, listen, collaborate, lead, be creative and innovative, and put forth consistent and prolonged time, effort and hard work into activities, classes and subjects that matter.

The Baltimore City Public School System was set up so well in the past. The magnet schools were set up to propel students to success. Attending City College High School, you became a lawyer or politician. Attending Baltimore Polytechnic Institute High School, you became an engineer. Western High School is the oldest public all-girls high school remaining in the United States. Baltimore School for the Arts was the best performing arts school in the country. If you were interested in trade schools you attended Mergenthaler or Carver vocational technical high schools, Carver Vo Tech or Edmondson Westside High School.

One of my favorite things about this, my hometown, is that anyone who is from Baltimore immediately knows that this question means “where did you go to high school.” I would always return with pride: City.

This month I had the pleasure to attend my high school reunion. It was a top notch event, but I wouldn’t expect anything less. The committee did an excellent job. We have a tremendous class of talented individuals. It was great to see my classmates and remember those great moments at the castle on the hill. The tribute to our fallen knights was very touching. Of course, the conversions quickly turned to the City v. Poly game.

The City-Poly football rivalry is the oldest American football rivalry in Maryland and one of the oldest public school rivalries in the country. Its rivalry began in 1889, when a team from Baltimore City College met a team from the Baltimore Polytechnic Institute, and has continued annually. City went on to beat Poly 12 years in a row. Poly countered in the ‘70s winning 17 in a row. City, ranked No. 1, won the last game played on Thanksgiving. City has won the last 12 meetings and now leads the series 68-60-6. City beat Poly again 44-6 on Oct. 28 in a game held at Morgan State University. Why isn’t this game televised?

Baltimore City Public Schools has marginalized these great schools by adding many more magnet schools. Spreading the talent over that many magnet schools has not provided high performance in zoned schools.

In 2023, Fox 45 reported just 26% of the students at Poly who were tested scored proficient in math. Baltimore School for the Arts, had just 10% of its students test proficient in math. City College High School and Western High School each had 8.9% test proficiency.

My first reaction was: I hope this is wrong. My second reaction was: Why do Baltimore City Public Schools make changes to things that are working?

Creating a slew of magnet schools may help educators to balance racial diversity, however it saps all your talent and resources from other schools and does not improve academic outcomes. Magnet schools were developed to counteract neighborhood racial and ethnic segregation by attracting a wide variety of students with specialized academic and arts programs. A slew of magnet schools does not change the fact you must have high performing zoned schools. If every school is a magnet school, it is counter to the very purpose. History shows this focus has hurt top schools and lowered academic achievement throughout the system.

If we are really serious about helping Black children succeed, how about making moves that really work? I hope every student has the experience I had at Baltimore City College. Go Knights!

Ryan Coleman is the President of the Randallstown branch of the NAACP. He can be reached at randallstownnaacp@gmail.com.