“Not Present or Accounted For": Part 3

The following is a transcript of Part 3 of the radio series “Not Present or Accounted For: The Attendance Crisis in Baltimore Schools,” which was supported by a grant from the Open Society Institute-Baltimore.

As thousands of Baltimore students and their families struggle with school attendance issues, some have made great strides toward success. They say the key is seeking and getting extra help with academic and social problems. In the third installment of WEAA’s documentary, “Not Present or Accounted For: The Attendance Crisis in Baltimore’s Schools,” reporter Melody Simmons filed this story of one family’s journey.

A couple of years ago, teachers at Stueart Hill elementary on the Westside told Dashawn {Day-shawn) Wooden’s mother he had fallen way behind in class. Still, he was promoted to the next grade. That flawed practice has repeatedly been cited as a major reason many Baltimore students lose academic ground, become truant and drop out.

Shante Sellman took action on her son’s behalf.

“I went to the school and I said, is no way that my son could be passing to the third grade with the grade level that he was on…his math and his reading were at U’s, under, below average. That’s failing.”

This single mother took it one step further. She went to a community center on west Baltimore Street.

Dante Wilson, who heads the Reclaiming Our Children program there, linked Dashawn with a private tutor. He’s done that with dozens of other struggling kids.

“Our goal is to troubleshoot, help the young person develop a new insight.”

For Sellman, moving Dashawn forward in school was an urgent and personal mission. Like so many families touched by chronic absenteeism, their back-story is peppered with hard luck. Sellman first got pregnant at 14. She dropped out of 10 th grade after her second child was born.

 “I had to drop out. I had children and then I didn’t have anyone to watch them so I had to start working at the age of 16. Had two babies and been working ever since. So I said, you know what? I’m encouraging my sons to better their education, when I don’t even have one myself.”

In 2003, Dashawn’s father was murdered on Baltimore’s violent streets. His little brother died of a bronchial infection a year and a half later. Sellman uses these hardships as teaching lessons.

“I encourage them – you saw it from both ends. Your father lived the streets, your mother is trying to live the right way. And he know that the streets is not for him.”

Dashawn, now 11 and in fifth grade, has come a long way. Today, this once quiet and withdrawn student frequently participates in class. He holds a place on the honor roll. He dreams of becoming a doctor or a football player.

“School is important to me because I want be successful in life. Take care of my family.”

Working with a tutor helped retrack him academically. It built confidence in going to and staying in school.

“When I was slipping, I was not doing well. But now when I come here, they break down things to help us in, like math and reading.”

As for his mother, she is refocused on school, too. Last December, at age 26, Sellman received her high school diploma. Now working in housekeeping at a downtown hotel, her next goal is college. She spoke emotionally of the ups and downs in her life.

“Well, you know, we are black and some black people don’t make it nowhere in life, and I’m determined that me and my children are going to make it some way in life. That’s my purpose in life to encourage them and encourage myself to be something in life…what’s your inspiration? My children. Some people have houses that belong to them, own cars. I don’t have none of that. I rent my house. But I have my sons, to keep me going. That’s my gasoline. They keep me going in life.”

With Dashawn on the honor roll and his 9-year-old brother headed toward gifted and talented classes, this is one family that has overcome great odds already and is now focused on education.

I’m Melody Simmons, reporting from west Baltimore.