Looking to the North -- Baltimore #1

Sunday's Baltimore Sun had a long takeout, "Big job," about the job that lies ahead for new Superintendent of Schools Andres Alonso. A sidebar lists the tasks ahead:

Never a dull moment

Here is a sampling of the challenges Andres Alonso will face when he becomes chief executive officer of the Baltimore school system today.

• Politics: Navigating a feud between the governor and the state superintendent, and sidestepping the politics of the city's mayoral race.

• Special education: Trying to end a federal class-action lawsuit that's dragged on since 1984.

• Facilities: Running an educational system in crumbling buildings, without adequate money to fix them.

• Staff loyalty: Gaining acceptance as an outsider in an insular system.

• Middle school achievement: Turning around the city's failing middle schools and ensuring that elementary schools expanding to serve sixth through eighth grades have needed resources.

• High school achievement: Preparing thousands of students to pass state graduation exams and improving the graduation rate.

• Teacher and administrative turnover: Recruiting and maintaining a stable work force.

These tasks that seem remarkably similar to those lying ahead for Michelle Rhee, if she becomes the new Chancellor of the DC Public Schools system.