While classes are paused for the summer, the Baltimore City Public Schools (City Schools) team is actively preparing to welcome students and families to the upcoming school year. “School readiness” is a complex, data-driven effort that begins months before the first day of school. It includes all school operations, academics and scheduling, staffing, budgeting, facilities, school climate and culture, family communications, transportation, and immunization and attendance initiatives.
That is certainly true at Vivien T. Thomas Medical Arts Academy (Vivien T.), a small school with a big heart and a mission to prepare students for careers in the medical field. Principal Lori Bush and her team have been hard at work ensuring the school is properly prepared to support students pursuing pathways in nursing, dental assisting, emergency medical services (EMS), Project Lead the Way Biomedical Sciences, certified nursing assistant (CNA), pharmacy technician, and sports medicine.
“If you're going to be in healthcare, this is the school,” Principal Bush said.
That commitment is reflected in student outcomes. This year's graduating class of just 60 students earned more than $3 million in scholarship funding, and 76 percent of seniors graduated with an industry-recognized certification.
During one of Vivien T.'s summer planning meetings, the leadership team reviewed state assessment (MCAP) math data alongside a district math specialist to analyze the previous year's performance. Together, the team identified strengths, pinpointed areas for growth, and developed strategies to build on the school's upward momentum in MCAP math achievement.
“If you don't look at data, you're leaving kids behind,” Principal Bush said, noting that data is essential to student success.
Another major part of school readiness at Vivien T. is scheduling, the process of creating every student's individual schedule. While families only see the finished product in August, this complex work begins as early as January, led by Assistant Principal Trish Singleterry, who builds the master schedule by balancing graduation requirements, student data, GPAs, career interests, course requests, staffing, and available classroom space.
Because every student follows a Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathway in the medical field, the process is even more challenging than at many traditional high schools. Each pathway includes specific required coursework and clinical experiences. With more than 140 students on the waitlist, every classroom, lab, and class period must be used strategically to keep students on track for graduation and future careers.
For Principal Bush, however, the most important part of school readiness is school culture and climate. That philosophy influences everything from school safety and arrival procedures to uniforms, expectations, and the environment students experience when they walk through the doors each morning.
“If your culture and climate isn't in place, you cannot educate,” she said.
Principal Bush also places a strong emphasis on relationships. Knowing this school year would bring an entirely new morning entry team, she intentionally ensured familiar staff members would be present to welcome students on the first day. Even a brief interaction at the front door, she believes, can help students feel seen, connected, and ready to learn. 
By the time students walk through the doors on the first day of school, months of planning will already have laid the foundation for their success. Every schedule adjustment, data review, facilities improvement, and conversation with families is designed to ensure students are ready to learn from day one.
Just as important as the academics are the relationships students build along the way. Bush says it's not unusual to see graduates return long after earning their diplomas, sometimes throughout the summer, simply because they still feel at home. That enduring connection reflects the culture Vivien T. works to create: one where students are challenged, supported, and prepared not only for their next step, but for a lifetime of success.