A digest of Baltimore news from local sources.
From the Baltimore Sun: Polls open in Baltimore and across Maryland, as primary election begins
"Voters in Baltimore head to the polls Tuesday to select candidates for mayor, City Council and other top city offices.
"Across Maryland, competitive presidential and congressional primaries also will also be decided.
"Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
"The combination of races, several of them hotly contested, has some predicting record-high turnout in the state, where more than 260,000 people already cast ballots during early voting."
From the Baltimore Sun: Maryland school board to vote on standardized test scores required for graduation
"In a crucial decision for high school students, the Maryland State School Board is expected on Tuesday to set the passing scores on tough new tests required to earn a diploma.
"With thousands of students now failing the tests, the school board must balance its desire to have high standards with the reality that keeping those standards would prevent many students from getting a diploma.
"Earlier this winter, board members debated setting a two-tiered high school diploma while others suggested the high standards be phased in.
"On last spring's Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers tests, about 45 percent of students passed the 10th-grade English exam and only 40 percent of students passed the Algebra I test. If the state lowered the passing score to three on a scale of one to five, with five being the highest, the pass rates would rise to 65 percent for Algebra and 74 percent for English.
"The goal of having high percentages of high school graduates ready for college is unrealistic in the near future, some education experts say. Less than half the states require passage of high school exit exams to get a diploma. And only in the past decade has the idea been entertained of making college readiness a graduation standard.
"High schools in the state gave the new test, tied to the Common Core curriculum, for the first time last spring. A much smaller percentage of students passed than did the previous high school exam, known as the High School Assessment.
"Because last year's test takers knew the results didn't count for them, education officials say they believe pass rates will go up as students view the tests more seriously."
From City Paper: After arena rally, Sanders takes part in Community Conversation on Young Men of Color in Sandtown
"The pews at Carter Memorial Church of God in Christ were packed for the Community Conversation on Young Men of Color, a forum hosted by activist Kwame Rose that featured presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, former NAACP president Ben Jealous, actor Danny Glover, and Pastor Jamal Bryant.
"Sanders, in town to campaign ahead of Maryland's April 26 primary, was at the church following a much larger rally held at the Royal Farms Arena on Saturday afternoon. Amongst the attendees were diverse and eager supporters, activists, and even mayoral candidates Patrick Gutierrez and DeRay Mckesson.
"After being introduced by cheers and a chant of his name, Sanders covered all of the expected topics on his platform including college tuition, healthcare, poverty, and women's rights.
"'[In Sandtown-Winchester] there wasn't even a grocery store!' Sanders shouted. 'How do people get fresh produce?' He then ran through his solutions for affordable housing, schools, and health clinics, what he referred to as 'the things that people need to thrive and grow.'
"Referencing economic disparity, he told the crowd: 'We are trying to bring people together. To stand up and tell the one percent that this country just doesn't belong to them. It belongs to the kids in Baltimore.'"