BALTIMORE — She's had the second-longest tenure as the head of Baltimore's City School system.
Tonight, she's being honored for her work.
This summer marks the seventh year Dr. Sonja Santelises has been in charge of BCPSS.
Mayor Brandon Scott and state lawmakers recognized her work today, noting 98 schools have started extended learning programs, with all schools set to implement it in the coming years.
Senate President Bill Ferguson says the stability is a major opportunity for Baltimore.
"I think people underestimate the challenge of every single day is a fight for progress every single day. And what really matters when you look across the country? Stability is what matters. When you have stability and leadership and you have confidence in those leaders. That's when you see transformative change," said Ferguson.
Of course the school system has had its share of controversies as well.
Last month, a Maryland Inspector General's Office report found more than 12,000 failing grades in Baltimore were changed over a five year span ending in 2020.
READ MORE: Report: Baltimore City Public Schools changed more than 12,000 grades from failing to passing
The report claims teachers and principals were pressured to make those changes by leaders at city schools headquarters.
In response, city schools said the issues that report revealed have already been dealt with, through a grading policy overhaul enacted in 2019.
