Cleveland Metropolitan School District
----- SV 47) 04.01.15 -----
Edward Hill moved from small town Ohio to live with his Aunt in Cleveland's Edgewater Neighborhood. Hill was a troubled student, who's slipping grades and lack of attendance was attributed to his beloved Grandfather's passing.
Hill was placed into CMSD's School of One program, a program which assists teens at risk of dropping out, and began riding his bike to school daily. His health and progress in school soared until his bike was stolen. Hill's counselor quickly reached out to Cleveland Police and Joy Machines Bike Shop to help replace the bike, and the team got him back on track.
----- SV 46) 03.25.15 -----
Students from CMSD's new Cleveland High School for Digital Arts took their education on the road last week to Cuyahoga Community College's Hospital Management Center to film a Cleveland celebrity cooking show! Area chefs took part in "Food Fight Revolution" where they competed to create Revolutionary War-era food in an educational cooking show. The challenge integrated history, match, chemistry, film and was entirely orchestrated by students.
Digital Arts High, co-launched by the Center for Arts-Inspired Learning, is a new CMSD school that believes in merging core academics with the study of filmmaking, recording arts and game design.
----- SV 45) 03.18.15 -----
CoolCleveland caught up with Eric Gordon, the CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, just as he arrived from a private meeting with President Barak Obama, Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and eight other school superintendents and board members.
The President announced that High School graduation rates in the U.S. are the highest on record. And that increase is reflected in Cleveland, where graduation rates have increased 12.1% over the past 3 years, and are also at a record high. ClevelandMetroSchools.org
----- SV 44) 03.11.15 -----
While the topics varied, Mayor Jackson hit education hard in his Sate of the City address last week at the Cleveland Convention Center. The Mayor heralded the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for raising graduation rates, in addition to turning the tides on the atmosphere inside schools across the board.
"People feel better about the system," said Jackson when addressing the changing views of public education in Cleveland. With upcoming construction projects, in creased graduation rates, increased parent interactions, and increased arts education programs, it's hard not to think we're headed in the right direction. Keep up the good work CMSD!
----- SV 41) 03.04.15 -----
What would the classroom be without its teachers? The Cleveland Metropolitan School District honored its teachers last week by rolling out the red carpet for Teacher Appreciation Day at their East Development Center, literally! In addition to walking the legendary red felt, teachers also received certificats that honored the hard work they put in everyday.
For them, working hard to educate students seems to be what they were built for. It's no wonder that there has been so much progress for CMSD. With determination like that, how could kids walk out of school unsatisfied? Watch the videos, and see for yourself!
----- SF 40) 02.25.15 -----
CMSD has recently partnered with the Shaker Heights and Cleveland Heights-University Heights school districts to sponsor the Promises Kept Project (Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and Life.) The project consisted of the screening of the documentary "American Promise," in addition to subsequent meetings with students and educators.
The project helped to evoke conversations on closing the African-American male achievement gap as well as practical strategies for parents. Guest speaker Hilary Beard, co-author of “Promises Kept: Raising Black Boys to Succeed in School and in Life,” led a Q & A at Shaker Heights High School after the screening.
----- SV 39) 02.18.15 -----
It's lunch time. You're in 6th grade and you walk into the lunchroom. Where do you sit? CMSD's Wilbur Wright School's students are looking to eliminate that exact anxiety! Last Tuesday students took part in National No One Eats Alone Day and sat with students they wouldn't normally sit with.
The event was initiated by California-based group Beyond Differences, and featured guest Nicole Hockley, whose son, Dylan, was among the 26 people killed in the shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The lunch was a success and the school plans on switching seats once a month.
----- SV 38) 02.11.15 -----
CMSD students hit the stage this week with auditions concluding for the upcoming All-City Arts spring musical: "Memphis." More than 100 students from 20 different schools came out to PlayhouseSquare to audition for roles through singing, acting and dancing.
Students in grades 8th through 12th poured their hearts and souls out for the chance to work with sought after professional directors, stage managers and costume designers, whom have worked worldwide. The musical is being produced through the CMSD's All-City Arts, which is a district-wide after school and weekend program providing artistic and college readiness skills, for students. Break a leg!
----- SV 37) 02.04.15 -----
Watch as CMSD graduate, Jayrone Elliot, inspires students at his old high school: Glenville High. Elliott, who now plays as a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers, spoke to students and told them to stay in school, go to class, stay out of trouble, make a plan and work that plan.
The speech really hit home for the students because, like some in the audience, Elliot struggled throughout high school. “I didn’t realize how important school was then” said Elliot, who stayed after the speech to take photos, shake hands, and interact with the students.
----- #10796 c) SF 36) 01.28.15 -----
CMSD has seen a dramatic increase in face-to-face contact between parents and their children's schools since last year. Parents and caregivers representing three-fourths of students have visited their children's schools this school year. While that number does fall short of the 100% requirement, set by the Cleveland Plan to have been completed by this past December, educators still seem optimistic.
In addition to the required contact being set, CMSD also sites the strengthening of its parent-teacher programs as the source behind the increase. Administrators and teachers worked feverishly to rebuild the parent-teacher trust that, in many cases, had been broken.
----- #10796 b) SV 35) 01.21.15 -----
Expectations for CMSD's new Cleveland School of the Arts, while high, were seamlessly met thorough impressions at their recent open house, which took place at their interim home: the former Harry E. Davis Middle School. The more than 200 perspective students and parents from private, charter, suburban public and CMSD schools got an inside look into what goes on behind the soon-to-be walls.
Guests met potential peers who study visual arts, literary arts, theater, dance, etc., and got info on the upcoming boot camp (Sat 1/31 @ 9:00am - 3:00pm), which will help prepare applicants for required admission auditions.////
----- #10796 a) SV 34) 01.14.15 -----
Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s CEO, Eric Gordon, met with CMSD Student Advisory Committees in order to take suggestions on how to improve their system of education on Friday. Students from nearly 30 different CMSD schools came together at Windows on the River to discuss changes they need made in their class rooms.
Ideas were written down like: starting social justice or culture clubs, offering more field trips, bringing in more speakers, improving teaching, security and cafeteria food, and many more. The group was lead by keynote speaker Nina Turner, who recently ended a six-year run in the Ohio Senate.
¡Qué divertido! Watch as CMSD students from the Buhrer Dual Language Academy perform, as part of their "Hispanic Heritage Program." To complete the program, each class, PreK-8, is asked to develop and perform a program that represents a culture from a Spanish speaking country.
In addition to the presentation, students must also complete research based on which country they choose. BDLA has seen an immense success in the program and has kept it running annually for 10 to 12 years. Not only does the program encourage students to look outside Cleveland, but it also brings families together to celebrate.
----- #10790 b) SV 32) 12.31.14 -----
Who said Principals aren't cool? Check out this fun video made by Collinwood High School students as they teach their Principal, Maria Carlson, how to dance. The students challenged Carlson to attend all of the school's “family time” groups and to learn a dance from each.
The gender-based family time groups meet with an adviser every day for about a half-hour and concentrate on what is called “social emotional learning." During that half-hour, students learn to understand and manage emotions, set and achieve positive goals, feel and show empathy for others, and how to make responsible decisions. Cool video guys!
----- #10790 a) SF 31) 12.24.14 -----
CMSD students are speaking out through music. Take an inside look into CMSD students’ participation in the Maltz Museum of Jewish Heritage’s “Stop the Hate” competition. Teaching Artist, Afi-Odelia Scruggs, and other CMSD staff are working with CMSD students at Collinwood High School to create songs centered around themes like: hate, bullying, acceptance and tolerance.
The process begins, when the students first walk through an exhibit at the Maltz, becomes inspired, brainstorm, write and perform songs, and then finally record them. It’s easy to see how the students are becoming inspired, and we wish you the best of luck guys!
----- #10789 c) SF 30) 12.17.14 -----
During a panel discussion that featured District Chief Executive Officer Eric Gordon, last week, President Obama hailed Cleveland Metropolitan School District's Pre4CLE program by stating that it's a top example of how a program is "bringing entire communities together on behalf of children." The program aims to make high-quality preschool available to as many Cleveland children as possible.
Access to high quality preschool programs is an integral piece in CMSD's Cleveland Plan, a state-approved blueprint for Cleveland education reform. The nation has less than 30 percent of its 4-year-olds enrolled in high-quality preschools, and CMSD is moving for change.
----- #10789 b) SF 29) 12.10.14 -----
Just in time for the holidays! Students of Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Washington Park Environmental Studies Academy will be hosting their annual Holiday Flower, Wreath and Centerpiece Sale on Thu 12/11 @ 8:30am – 6:30pm & Fri 12/12 8:30am – 3:30pm.
There will be over 2,000 student-raised poinsettias up for grabs at their Washington Park greenhouses. The high school, which focuses on plant and animal sciences, rallies around the nearly 40-year old tradition. Profit made goes to help pay for Future Farmers of America field trips and other FFA activities at the school and needed materials.
----- #10789 a) SF 28) 12.03.14 -----
Cleveland Metropolitan School District recently announced that, in addition to the current redevelopment taking place, the Cleveland School of the Arts will also be taking on an academic refurbishment. The school is currently transitioning from grades 6 - 12 to becoming only a high school over the next two years.
CSA is looking to expand their capacity for arts education, while also looking to foster core curriculum studies. Parents can additionally expect to see an increase in art education for the lower grades as well, in order to inspire students to attend the new high school.
----- #10786 c) SV 27) 11.26.14 -----
You don’t need a plane ticket to learn about other cultures, all you need to do in Cleveland is attend a CMSD classroom. As part of their International Education Week, CMSD students from Lincoln-West High School and the Walton K-8 School cheered, jumped, sang and danced to more than a dozen on-stage international performances.
The students learned about the importance of understanding other cultures, and seemed well prepared to move on and graduate into more advanced levels of study. The performances ranged from Latin fusion music, to an African fashion show, to Nepali dancers and to a Vietnamese lion dance!
It was a whirlwind of innovation last week as students from CMSD's Cleveland School of Architecture and Design took part in the annual "Give Me Shelter" challenge at Case Western Reserve University. The challenge, designed to get students motivated into thinking critically and creativly, challenged participants to design disaster shelters from pipe cleaners, balloons and other objects.
The project's designer, Cleveland architect Judson Kline, and others taught the students the basics of design throughout the past couple weeks and put them to the test at the challenge. While the objects they used may have been small, the ideas were large.
The report "Poised for Progress,"published recently by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, ranks Cleveland Metropolitan School District's Clark PreK-8 School at the top of the list, in comparison to other Ohio urban schools. The study focuses in on each school's performance index and value-added rating.
Clark scored 18.5 in value added, making it the top ranked among 81 schools (48 public, 33 charter schools.) The index is a composite of all applicable test scores, while value added calculates student achievement data over time to measure gains in learning. Good job CMSD! Keep the good news coming.
----- 10777 c) 10.29.14 -----
The Cleveland Browns and The United Way of Greater Cleveland teamed up last week in order to construct a new playground at the K-8 Louis Agassiz School, as part of their Play360 campaign. The campaign, which was launched with the hopes of inspiring kids to play 60 minutes each day, really came through for the playgroundless students of the school.
A project hat has been ten years in the making, the team assembled last Tue 10/21 to complete the task in merely six hours.
It's always great to see the team in action on and off the field.
----- 10777 b) 10.22.14 -----
With ebola awareness on the rise, CMSD has taken appopriate steps to prevent an outbreak in our community. Last week, a teacher who works at E³agle Academy, alerted CMSD to the possibility of her/his contact with the virus. While the teacher's name remains anonymous, preventative measures have been taken.
The school was thoroughly sanitized over night, starting around 1:00am. Although health officials said there were no risks to students and staff, the District ordered the cleaning to ease concerns about the former Cranwood School, a building E³agle shares with PACT (the Problem-based Academy of Critical Thinking.)
----- 10777 a ) 10.08.14 -----
We love seeing progress, and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District has certainly made some strides in the last year. Thanks to the Cleveland Plan, the turn around that is already visible in CMSD schools is incredible.
CEO Eric Gordon took to the podium last week at their annual State of the Schools address and spoke on how CMSD is "shaking the status quo."There is still plenty of work to be done, but it seems as if CMSD is accepting the challenge. Watch their insightful documentary "A Year in Review" and see the progress being made in our schools.
----- #10773 c) 10.01.14 -----
School has certainly started, not only for the students, but also for parents. Open houses that took place two weeks ago saw a rise in participation of 26% percent at PreK-8 school open houses, and nine percent for the high school level. Thanks to the Cleveland Plan, all CMSD parents and caregivers are required to have face-to-face contact with their children’s schools by Mon 12/15.
Additionally, 1,198 participants found that more than three-fourths thought their children’s PreK-8 school had a welcoming feel. Parents and caregivers will visit again at parent-teacher conferences held on Tue 10/21.
----- #10773 b) 09.24.14 -----
MetroHealth and CMSD are partnering to bring hands-on experiences to local high school students. The MetroHealth system is sponsoring education, internships and mentoring to students from Lincoln-West High School. The program, that will hopefully inspire the participants to follow a career in the medical field, is currently underway for 28 eager students.
All of the students participating in the program are juniors because the minimum time needed for the internship is two years. The juniors will attend monthly lectures by MetroHealth doctors on health care topics and careers, and when the summer hits, the students will be offered three-week internships at MetroHealth.
----- #10773 a) 09.17.14 -----
CMSD’s latest state report card does not give much to celebrate yet, but shows encouraging signs that aggressive reform initiatives are working. The District’s high school graduation rate has continued to rise and reached a record high 64.4 percent in 2012-13, an increase of 5.1 percentage points from the previous year.
That’s a 12.2 point gain since Eric Gordon was named chief executive officer three years ago. The report card shows scores on 24 tests spread across eight grades. Proficiency increased on 15 of those tests, climbing by as much as 5.8 points and staying steady on two.
----- 10763 c) 09.10.14 -----
There's legislation in the works that would set back CMSD’s efforts to prepare students for success in the 21st Century, said the organization's CEO Eric Gordon testified earlier this month in Columbus — and that legislation is House Bill 597. The bill would wipe out four years of preparation, realignment of the curriculum and investment in technology needed for tests, Gordon told the House Rules Committee.
Instead of rote memorization, the Common Core would promote critical thinking and other advanced skills. Gordon said that would end “teaching to the test,” a criticism of the old assessments, and give teachers more freedom, not less.
---- 10763 b) 09.03.14 ----
The United Way of Greater Cleveland kicked off its annual campaign last Thursday at CMSD’s Franklin D. Roosevelt School, calling attention to a symbol of the organization’s new investment priorities.United Way has traditionally launched its annual campaign by serving pancakes on Public Square, but instead a phalanx of flippers made flapjacks for students.
FDR is home to a full-fledged Boys and Girls Club. And the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Cleveland serves as the “lead agency” at the school, helping to organize community “wraparound” services for students and families in an initiative underwritten by the District, United Way and donors.
----- #10763 a) 08.27.14 -----
Bard High School Early College Cleveland students just started their new school year. The High School allows students in the 9th and 10th grades to take a college curriculum, and then allows students in the 11th and 12th grades to engage in college level course work, which can land them up to 60 college credits from Bard College.
Graduating students have the ability to earn an associates degree, in addition to a CMSD diploma, before they even get to college. Only three other schools in the country have partnered with an independent college, like Bard.
----- #10761 c) 08.20.14 -----
Teachers got a first glimpse of the new Max S. Hayes high school last week as they toured the construction site. The schools new location, on W 65th St. & Clark Ave. will provide a state-of-the-art advancement over the last school, which was built in 1957.
The two-story, 170,000-square-foot building will have space for 800 students and will include such features as overhead doors for access to shops, glass-enclosed locations that show off mechanical systems and outdoor spaces where students can work freely on projects. With construction about 65% percent complete, the school should be ready for the 2015-2016 school year.
----- #10761 b) 08.13.14 -----
There's turnaround happening at Collinwood High school with the application of their New Tech curriculum. Collinwood High school is among 14 schools in Ohio adapting to the program with three others in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. The new curriculum focuses on integrating technology into the education process.
"It's really exciting because it's all project-based learning and all grounded in real-world applications,” said Principal Maria Carlson. “So often, students will say, 'Why am I even learning this? I'll never use it.' That's not ever going to be true anymore because they'll be applying it in real time.”
----- #10761 a) 08.06.14 -----
How inspiring! It was great to see all of the smiling faces at CMSD's annual Army of Believers Luncheon last Fri 8/1, and boy did they have a reason for smiling. This year, 13 students from local CMSD high schools were awarded scholarships.
Totaling well over $50,000 dollars, the scholarships were earned by students who showed excellence in their academic records or overall contributions to the community, via recommendations, and through an essay and interview analysis.The Students will be attending such colleges as: Ohio State University-Mansfield, John Carroll University, Ohio State, Columbia University, Kenyon College, Cleveland State University and many more.
----- #10755 c) 07.30.14 -----
The school year is here with classes starting this Mon 7/28 for four local schools MC2STEM, E3agle Academy, PACT (Problem-based Academy of Critical Thinking) and the Cleveland High School for Digital Arts. These four schools will follow a year-round calendar that alternates 10 weeks of classes with three-week breaks.
New this year are the two schools E3agle (the E’s stand for Envision, Engage and Excel), PACT. The schools will open with ninth-graders and add a class per year for the next three years. CMSD’s state-approved blueprint for reform, The Cleveland Plan, is the support for the new year-round schooling.
A white house official Alejandra Ceja, Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics, took a tour of Cleveland Metropolitan School District's Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy and was impressed. The Newcomers Academy is a K-12 school which helps students from other nations and Puerto Rico learn a new language and customs.
Executive Director Ceja was highly impressed that the school also works with parents, offering GED and citizenship classes. She said that the approach should be a model for other existing schools in areas where similar needs can be serviced.
----- #10755 a) 07.16.14-----
Cleveland's East and West Sides are home to many ethnic communities. Now 17-year-old Lincoln-West High School senior Hari Kumar Dahal, who located to Cleveland in 2013 from a Bhutanese refugee camp in Nepal, is publishing Connecting Cleveland, a dual-language newspaper for the growing local Nepali community.
Check out this video to see how this Cleveland Metropolitan School District student creates the newspaper each month on his home computer and then hand-delivers the 4-page papers to homes & stores in the West Park neighborhood, as well as the W. 40th area, Lakewood and Cleveland Heights.
Students spending their summers at Thomas Jefferson International Newcomers Academy are working hard with their ESL teachers to improve their english. While the students’ reading scores may currently be below the national average, these teachers seem to be using innovative techniques to turn that number around.
Who says summers can’t be productive? These students are learning the skills they need, all while having a blast. In addition to their classroom studies, the nearly 50 students have recently went on a neighborhood walk, toured downtown on Lolley the Trolley and traveled to the Western Reserve Historical Society’s Hale Farm and Village.
----- #10737 b) 07.02.14-----
Incoming Freshmen of Cleveland Municipal School District's Max S. Hayes High School got an early start on their education with the "Take it to the MAX" Summer Camp.
The camp The camp, geared at getting students acclimated to their new high school, is the perfect example of how hands-on learning can take place, even during the summer. Watch as the students develop and create their own racecars using 3D printing and woodwork.
SPONSORED: Number meeting reading standard spikes. Nearly 80 percent of CMSD third-graders complied with Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee during the 2013-14 school year, roughly doubling the number who met the standard in the fall. The District is working aggressively with the remaining 625 third-graders to help them comply. More here.
----- #10736 c) 06.18.14-----
When the Cleveland Metropolitan School District presented options a few weeks ago for construction, renovation & maintenance of their facilities, they immediately scheduled a series of Open Houses, which are already generating comments and suggestions from the public.
For example, initially the plan called for replacing Michael R. White STEM School on the East Side with a new building. But Chief Operating Officer Patrick Zohn, who oversees construction, said: "The community has indicated a preference for keeping the existing school, and we are honoring their request." Other scenarios are changing as the District is receiving public input. "We’re only halfway through the community meetings and haven’t made any final decisions on these scenarios." Read more.
Check out this video about the 27-day Summer Reading Academy, now in the enviable position of experiencing waves of students attending this summer school program to improve their reading scores.
"In a way it is the kind of problem you want to have, and it’s a good sign that having it right away in the summer will push our numbers up," said Karen Thompson, deputy chief of curriculum and instruction.
The third-grade reading guarantee means those students must attend, but the good news is the program is also attracting students in Kindergarten through 3rd grade. Watch the video.
SPONSORED: "Significant progress..." under The Cleveland Plan According to CSU President Ronald M. Berkman and Tri-C President Alex Johnson, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District is making headway under The Cleveland Plan, the state-approved blueprint for reform. Read more here.
----- #10735 c) 05.28.14-----
Think Hip-Hop music and lyrics don't belong in the schoolroom? Think again: The raw urgency and urban creativity of Hip-Hop collided with the academic rigor of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) last week for more than 100 Cleveland Metropolitan School District students a year-ending summit.
The event, sponsored by the program Closing The Achievement Gap, featured urban education advocate Christopher Emdin and rapper-scientist Jabari Johnson led a workshop with students.
"You don't really have to make a decision between being an academic person, a smart person, a scientist or a mathematician and being a cool person that has got swag and presence and being an MC," Emdin told the students. Watch the video here.
----- #10735 b) 05.21.14-----
Now is the time. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has launched a new site where teacher candidates across the country can apply online. The site features testimonials from District educators explaining why they enjoy living and working in Cleveland.
With a wave of retirements looming, CMSD will begin hiring large numbers of new teachers for the first time in years. The goal is build a pool of 4-7 candidates for every opening.
Recruiters believe candidates will be excited to be part of The Cleveland Plan, a sweeping set of reforms designed to reshape the work force and change school culture.
----- #10735 a) 05.14.14-----
It's been a long, cold winter, but now the sun is starting to shine!
The 2014 FFA (Future Farmers of America) bedding plant sale at CMSD’s Washington Park Environmental Studies high school, 3875 Washington Park Blvd. (I-77 off Fleet Ave. exit) begins 8:30AM on Wed 5/14.
Get ready for Spring. The Washington Park Environmental Park Environmental Studies high school has been hosting their plant sales since the early 1970′s. The money raised goes to FFA scholarships, camps and activities at the high school.
----- EDITORIAL 05.07.14-----
