2024 was a busy year for the Baltimore Banner’s Education Hub.

From small school closures to statewide policy decisions, the year left a mark on Maryland students, families and educators.

As we rounded out 2024, we began to debate the most memorable stories we’ve covered. Was it the Maryland Blueprint? What about principal allegedly impersonated with AI? Or could it be the last minute dark horse that was Luigi Mangione and his ties to Baltimore’s education scene?

I think our best stories are those that highlight overlooked issues and uncover complicated, and sometimes hard, truths. We’ve chosen our favorite stories of the year, from the writing to the revelations and impact.

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Here is our list, in no particular order:

1. Howard Community College’s president rattles a changing campus

Dr. Daria J. Willis, president of Howard Community College since January 2022, is interviewed in her office on the campus.
Dr. Daria J. Willis is Howard Community College’s embattled president. (Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Banner)

The Banner’s report on the growing discontent at Howard Community College, where president Daria Willis has overseen immense staff turnover and what some employees claim is a “toxic culture,” is a fascinating read.

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About the Education Hub

The story details an embattled leader, an anonymous website full of complaints and a lot of Legos, which in my opinion is the formula for a perfect story.

After the story was published, the college’s president and spokesperson both released tense statements. Willis has also backed a bill to expand the community college’s board of trustees after three of its members resigned earlier this year.

2. Man charged in racist AI scandal lied to get Pikesville High School job

Photo collage of silhouette of a bearded man cut out of generic diploma and resume with name “Dazhon Darien” on top. Scattered around the image are images of a mortarboard, football, first place ribbon and whistle on a yellow lanyard.
Dazhon Darien was never qualified for the Baltimore County Public School jobs he held, a Baltimore Banner investigation found. (Laila Milevski/The Baltimore Banner. Original images from Getty Images and courtesy of Colorado Mesa University.)

It started with an offensive viral audio clip. It became one of wildest stories of the year when police arrested Dazhon Darien, Pikesville High School’s former athletic director, on charges related to impersonating the school’s principal using artificial intelligence.

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An investigation by Banner reporters Kristen Griffith and Dylan Segelbaum revealed that Darien was never qualified for his jobs at Baltimore County Public Schools. He has a history of using fake credentials and false qualifications on job applications, and the school system missed the red flags.

He’s scheduled to stand trial on Jan. 28.

3. A school board candidate’s past came back to haunt him

Though Charles “Chuck” Yocum, 61, of Pasadena, was found not guilty of the charges 30 years ago, Anne Arundel County Public Schools officials had enough concerns that he never returned the classroom.
Chuck Yocum ran unsuccessfully for Anne Arundel County school board this fall. (Yifan Luo for The Baltimore Banner)

Chuck Yocum, a candidate for Anne Arundel County’s school board in November’s election, was once charged with child sexual abuse and removed from his teaching position at Northeast High School, the Banner revealed.

The story includes interviews with two of Yocum’s former students, and made public for the first time the allegations of sexual misconduct that led to his termination, then reinstatement as a central office administrator for 30 years.

After the investigation was published, elected leaders called for Yocum to drop out of the race and one of Yocum’s accusers came forward publicly. The next month, Yocum lost his bid for the school board.

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4. Her autistic d drowned. She wants to prevent more deaths.

Cara Bean and her daughter, Erin
Cara Bean's 3-year-old daughter, Erin, died in September 2021 after drowning in a river. (Photo courtesy of Cara Bean)

Between 2010 and 2019, at least 67 children in Maryland died by drowning. Education Hub reporter Maya Lora chronicled the tragedy and hope of one such story, and how one mother is trying to prevent other children from dying.

Cara Bean founded Erin’s Star, a nonprofit that helps pay for self-rescue lessons, where young children can learn how to float, get air and make it out of a pool by themselves.

5. ‘He is a legend’: Honoring a longtime custodian

Longtime school custodian Louis Watkins wipes back a tear as his 51-years of service is honored with the renaming of the cafeteria and gym at Lothian Elementary School to Watkins Cafe and Watkins Court.
Louis Watkins was surprised with the renaming of the cafeteria and gym at Lothian Elementary School to Watkins Cafe and Watkins Court. (Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Banner)

I acknowledge that a lot of the stories on the list are serious and sometimes sad, so rounding out our favorite stories this year is something to warm your heart.

Louis Watkins, a longtime custodian at Lothian Elementary School in Anne Arundel County, was surprised earlier this fall when the school’s gym and cafeteria was named in his honor. Students gathered with homemade signs to cheer on the beloved staff member, who has made an impression on them for over 50 years.

The story, and its photos, are sure to add some cheer this holiday season.

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About the Education Hub

This reporting is part of The Banner’s Education Hub, community-funded journalism that provides parents with resources they need to make decisions about how their children learn. Read more.