Cleveland Plan News
Highlighting our progress and partners
July 2021
Report calls CMSD ‘window of opportunity’ for students
Urban districts are beating expectations when their challenges are taken into account, and CMSD stands out as an example, according to a new report from the Council of the Great City Schools.
The Council, which represents 77 U.S. big-city districts, issued the findings in “Mirrors or Windows: How Well do Large City Public Schools Overcome the Effects of Poverty and Other Barriers?”
The study poses the question of whether districts merely reflect the impact of poverty and related circumstances or serve as windows of opportunity. Even in a city with the nation’s highest rate of child poverty, CMSD clearly acts as a window.
The study examined results of the National Assessment of Educational Progress, also known as the Nation’s Report Card, from 2009 to 2019.
NAEP takes representative samples of fourth- and eighth-grade reading and math scores. CMSD is one of 27 districts that voluntarily make their results public.
When researchers adjusted scores for poverty and factors such as special education and language barriers, CMSD was among several large urban districts that performed significantly better than predicted in three of the four categories. In two areas, the District had performed below expectations in 2009. Education Week took notice of CMSD’s showing in an article that can be found here.
“Context matters, but this is more evidence that the steps we have taken to level the playing field are paying off for our scholars,” CEO Eric Gordon said. “All students can learn when given the opportunity.”
CEO receives statewide award for excellence
The Martha Holden Jennings Foundation has named CEO Eric Gordon winner of this year’s Ohio Superintendent Outstanding Performance Award.
The foundation supports Ohio PreK-12 education, in part, by honoring educators for outstanding work that enriches learning and empowers students.
Executive Director Daniel Keenan Jr. cited Gordon’s role in advances such as creating CMSD’s portfolio of school models, developing the portrait of a model graduate and helping to launch Cleveland’s Say Yes to Education scholarship program.
“Everything he does ties into the end goal for students,” Keenan said.
The award is in its 25th year. A committee of educators picked the winner.
The foundation is giving the District $10,000 in CEO Gordon’s name.
CMSD, city to review proposals for surplus school property
CMSD and the City of Cleveland will pursue further discussion with developers interested in 14 surplus school properties.
The properties were among 19 that were offered for redevelopment in a process facilitated by the city. The list included 12 closed schools and seven vacant parcels –- in all, 61 acres of land and nearly 1 million square feet of building space.
The Board of Education had asked that the District find use for property that was no longer needed. The board expressed the interest in 2019, when it approved a long-term plan for programs and facilities.
“CMSD and the City of Cleveland have collaborated to establish an unprecedented process to transfer buildings and properties no longer being used for CMSD purposes,” said Mayor Frank G. Jackson. “Through this effort, CMSD will be relieved of liability and maintenance costs and the city’s neighborhoods will benefit from private investment in these properties.
Say Yes scholars achieving their dreams
Twelve Say Yes to Education scholars graduated last month from Cuyahoga Community College.
They followed Leann Andino, who became the first Say Yes Cleveland student to earn a bachelor’s degree when she graduated from Cleveland State University in May. Leann received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and has been admitted to CSU’s master’s program in clinical psychology.
The CMSD alumni are some of the first success stories from Say Yes, which came to Cleveland in 2019.
Using funds from a locally generated endowment, Say Yes provides scholarships to graduates of CMSD and partnering charter high schools. To qualify, students must live continuously in the District or city of Cleveland and be enrolled in a CMSD or partnering charter high school from ninth grade until graduation.
Andino was valedictorian of the New Tech West High School graduating class in 2019. While in high school, she participated in the High Tech Academy dual enrollment program and earned an associate’s degree from Tri-C.
CSU professor joins school board
The newest member of the Cleveland Board of Education left a mark on CMSD long before he took office.
Nigamanth Sridhar, a professor of computer science at Cleveland State University, was sworn in July 1 at City Hall. Mayor Frank G. Jackson administered the oath to Sridhar and three board members reappointed to new terms: Chair Anne E. Bingham, Vice Chair Robert M. Heard Sr. and Lisa Thomas.
For 17 years, Sridhar has taught and conducted research in computer science and software engineering at Cleveland State. He also served as dean of the CSU College of Graduate Studies from 2017 to 2020.
He has been part of the “CS for All” movement, started from scratch about eight years ago with the goal of giving every CMSD student, kindergarten through 12th grade, access to computer science. With half of the high schools now providing at least one course in the subject, and several elementary schools offering opportunities, the District’s program ranks in the top quartile of districts its size nationwide.
CMSD News Bureau staff members win Emmy, Press Club awards
CMSD News Bureau multimedia journalist Darrielle Snipes has won a regional Emmy award.
Her story, “Classical guitar lessons improve grades, emotions of CMSD students,” won for education news in the Lower Great Lakes Regional Emmy Awards. The story tells of the Cleveland Classical Guitar Society’s work in multiple schools.
The competition covers portions of Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Snipes took first place over reporters from eight broadcast and cable television outlets. See a complete list of winners here.
Snipes and CMSD TV Studio Manager Benjamin Draher were also nominated in the entertainment category for “All-City Arts Winter Concert featuring the Cleveland School of the Arts.”
Snipes’ story on the classical guitar lessons also won first place for public service in the Press Club of Cleveland’s annual Excellence in Journalism Awards. The Press Club presented Snipes and Draher first place in the television show category for the winter concert production.
Glenville, John Marshall fall short of state titles
Glenville’s boys track team came within a half-point of adding another state championship to its illustrious record.
The John Marshall women’s rugby team also fell just shy of a state championship, finishing as runner-up to Cincinnati Walnut Hills in club competition.
Glenville won the final event – the 4X400-meter relay – but Woodridge’s fifth-place finish in that same race earned them enough points to take the overall Division II track and field title last month.
Glenville’s boys track and field program has won 16 state championships, the most in Ohio, according to Ohio High School Athletic Association records.
The John Marshall women’s rugby team began competing in 2017. A student organized the team – the first of its kind in the District -- after she wasn’t selected for the football team.
Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Email: newstips@ClevelandMetroSchools.org
Website: ClevelandMetroSchools.org
Location: 1111 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, OH, USA
Phone: 216-838-0000