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Message from the CEO
 | | Dr. Eugene T.W. Sanders, CEO |
As we enter the fourth month of our five-year Academic Transformation Plan, I cannot help but feel pride and gratitude for the hard work of our staff and the remarkable support of the Cleveland community.
When I stood with Mayor Frank Jackson and the Board of Education last January to unveil the Academic Transformation Plan, the District had zero dollars allocated to fund the aggressive school reform initiative.
People throughout Cleveland asked, "Why embark on such a bold path for our students without the means to do it?"
The answer was simple.
The incremental changes of the past that resulted in a 54 percent graduation rate and only pockets of success throughout our District were not enough. The time had come to move Cleveland's schools forward so that every student is provided the educational opportunities and skills needed to thrive in a 21st century global economy.
It has been far too easy for too long to blame budget cuts, rising costs and a stagnant economy for increased dropout rates and a widening achievement gap in America's schools. Communities are now banding together to start anew, to reinvent their schools, and to do, as we are in Cleveland, transforming education.
Two months ago, at the end of a week-long summit in New York City on America's national crisis in public education, MSNBC reporters chose CMSD to feature in their news wrap-up. Cleveland is earning national recognition for our determination to roll up our sleeves and do "Whatever it Takes" to transform our schools and our city.
Academic Transformation Update
Even though we embarked on the Academic Transformation Plan with a budget deficit and with no money allocated for transformation, we began the school year with unprecedented support from the state and federal government In SIG, Ed Jobs and Race to the Top funding to support our reform initiatives.
Across-the-board cuts in spending and the shared sacrifice of our staff, District-wide, who took reductions in salaries and benefits, helped to reduce the budget deficit.
While tightening our belts, the Academic Transformation Plan could not have moved forward without the generous support of the Cleveland Foundation, Gund Foundation and a growing list of private and public partners who recognize the value of strong schools for the revitalization of our city.
In less than a year, we faced a substantial budget deficit, closed 16 schools and successfully transitioned thousands of students, hundreds of teachers and numerous resources for a successful school opening.
Even after reducing our bus fleet from 229 to 200, we are transporting an additional 1,100 students to our schools this year, where banners celebrating the academic gains in more than 70 of our schools continue to remind students that we are "Continuously Improving."
While the financial challenges we have faced will continue, so will our determination to fulfill our mission. In the days ahead, we remain committed to holding ourselves and one another accountable for raising student achievement in Cleveland. To reach our goals, it will take the shared initiative, shared sacrifice and shared responsibility of the entire community to keep our schools on the Path to Premier.
Sincerely,
Eugene T.W. Sanders, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
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(Above) Volunteers paint a long hallway, while another volunteer (right) meticulously works on a mural.Volunteers paint William
Cullen Bryant
When the 350 PreK-8 students at William Cullen Bryant entered their school on Monday, Nov. 15, they saw brightly painted classrooms and hallways, whimsical murals in the media center, new bean bag chairs, and donated furniture and supplies. Teachers and staff invested weeks preparing the rooms for the massive painting project, and 250 volunteers worked nonstop on Nov. 13, standing on scaffolds and expertly wielding paint brushes and rollers.HandsOn Northeast Ohio, part of an international network of more 370 volunteer centers, and American Express sponsored the event and recruited volunteers. The event was part of a nationwide American Express Members Project School Day to help schools meet critical needs through volunteer service. Other projects were organized in New York City, Los Angeles, Tampa and Phoenix. CMSD Chief of Staff Christine Fowler-Mack, Ward 13 Cleveland Councilman Kevin Kelly and William Cullen Bryant Principal Melissa Watts kicked off the Saturday paint-a-thon at the school. The day ended with a two-hour volunteer fair, featuring local non-profits who work with the District.
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Mt. Sinai grant leads to expansion of
PATHS curriculum
A $200,000 grant from the Mt. Sinai Health Care Foundation has allowed CMSD to provide training and professional development to expand PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies), a program which helps young children understand their emotions.
Because of the Mt. Sinai grant, PATHS will be expanded to include grades 3, 4 and 5. The grant pays for training teachers, principals, assistant principals and support staff. The program is expected to sustain itself, with minimal costs for training new personnel.
Based on four critical lessons - self-esteem, impulse control, feelings and behavior - PATHS trains teachers to help students understand how their emotions control their behavior. District officials chose the program, an international, evidence-based curriculum, as an early intervention tactic for social and emotional learning during the early grades. The PATHS curriculum has been incorporated into daily classroom instruction.
A teacher survey has confirmed widespread satisfaction and success using PATHS, with an overwhelming 86 percent of teachers attributing improved classroom behavior and overall classroom environment to the implementation of the PATHS curriculum.
"Mt. Sinai is pleased to support this early childhood prevention curriculum so that Cleveland's children can succeed in emotional development, educational attainment and other life skills," said Foundation President Mitchell Bank.
Through PATHS, students are encouraged to model "turtling," a technique that mimics how a turtle withdraws into its shell when it encounters a threat. Students cross their arms around their bodies and are even encouraged to put their heads down for a few minutes.
The "turtle" teaches a student to stop, breathe and verbalize what the problem is and how he or she feels, a lesson students at Clark School conveyed in letters they recently sent to Rufus, the Ohio University mascot who tackled Brutus the Buckeye before the OU vs. OSU game. One student wrote: "Dear Rufus, it was a bad idea to knock Brutus down. You should tell yourself to stop and do the turtle. Cross your arms over your chest and take a deep breath. Tell him you are sorry. Your friend, Talaysha."
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Reporter Alicia Booth interviews HealthCorps' Chrystal Okonta and Dr. Oz.
Dr. Oz promotes healthy habits for
high school students
Dr. Mehmet Oz, heart surgeon, bestselling author and host of the nationally syndicated talk show, "The Dr. Oz Show;" visited John Marshall High School on Nov. 1 to address students and school staff about his vision for HealthCorps.
Dr. Oz founded HealthCorps, a national health movement to bring nutrition, fitness and mental-strength classes to high schools in underserved communities. The program also empowers students and their families to become health activists.
Dr. Michael Roizen, Cleveland Clinic's chair of the Wellness Institute, introduced his friend Dr. Oz to the enthusiastic John Marshall crowd. Dr. Oz was in town to speak at the Clinic's Innovation Summit.
Michelle Bouchard, HealthCorps president, and Chrystal Okonta, HealthCorps coordinator at John Marshall, also spoke to students about the impact of poor health choices, HealthCorps' vision for America and the importance of teens as influential health activists who can help stem the nation's obesity crisis.
Okonta, who is working on her master's degree in public health, said the students liked Dr. Oz's presentation but were shocked by what they learned. With smoking on the rise among teens, there was a collective gasp among the students, she said, when Dr. Oz showed a photo of a healthy lung and then an image of a tar-spotted smoker's lung.
"Since his visit, I have had more students come to me with questions about their health," she said. But Okonta added that healthy lifestyle adjustments don't happen over a couple weeks. "It comes in baby steps. I am happy when I hear students say they are drinking less pop and drinking more water."
HealthCorps, a proactive health movement, offers an in-school educational and mentoring program for 41 schools throughout 11 states. Like a "Peace Corps for health," this movement engages recent college graduates who defer entry into medical school or graduate health programs to participate in public service through a two-year, full-time assignment at a designated public high school.
For more details about Dr. Oz's presentation at John Marshall, read The Plain Dealer's coverage.
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"Season's Readings" will raise money for new library books for seven CMSD schools.
Young Lawyers holiday event raises funds for library books
The Young Lawyers Section of the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Association is hosting its annual benefit and live auction, "Season's Readings," on Friday, Dec. 9, from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., at the Club at Key Center, 127 Public Square.
 Proceeds from "Season's Readings," formerly known as "Scrooge-Cratchit," will be used to purchase new books for the libraries of seven CMSD schools: Euclid Park, Warner, Douglas MacArthur, Miles Park, Hannah Gibbons, Waverly and Buhrer.
"Studies have shown that children who cannot read proficiently by the fourth grade are significantly disadvantaged throughout the rest of their lives," said Kevin Dunn, chair of the Young Lawyers Section and co-chair of "Season's Readings."
Frank DeSantis, the Cleveland Metropolitan Bar Foundation's president, added, "This is a fun way for all of us to raise significant and critical funds to help improve the educational experience for children in our community."
The Young Lawyers Section has partnered with CMSD because of the need for new, age-appropriate books for elementary school children. For the 2010-11 school year, each student is allocated $8 for books, but the average book costs $12, and many CMSD elementary school libraries have collections that are dated, according to CMSD's Office of Academic Instruction and Intervention at CMSD.
This year's benefit includes an evening of cocktails, hors d'oeuvres, entertainment, a 50/50 raffle, silent auction and the opportunity to participate in a live auction for, among other things, trips to a Napa Valley Wine Country Experience, Costa Rica Luxury Resort Vacation and NASCAR Car Racing Experience.
Tickets are $50 per person. Contact Aubrie Wancata, event co-chair, at 216-274-2342 or visit www.clemetrobar.org to purchase tickets. |
Universal Meals Program
Parents need to pick up applications at their schools for the Universal Meals Program.
The federally funded program allows qualifying students to receive breakfast and lunch at no cost to parents. In order for the district to receive these funds, 100 percent of the meal applications from qualifying households must be completed and returned to the schools.
"This program supports children in the district," said Regis Balaban, executive director for CMSD's Food and Child Nutrition Services Department. "Children need nutritious and wholesome meals every day to thrive in an educational environment."
Thousands of applications have been submitted, but many more are needed. You can help. Please pick up the forms at the schools, complete them and return them promptly.
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Jane Addams hosts
'Learning Differently' fair
 | | Volunteer nurse Ashley Hazeldine gives Ben Cantillon a hug. |
A parent group called The Special Education Family Support Team partnered with CMSD to host a "Learning Differently" fair, Oct. 16. Event coordinators held the fair to encourage awareness of the different ways students can learn and how families, educators and various support groups can collaborate to achieve new levels of success. More than 40 Cleveland-area service providers and District specialists met at Jane Addams to help parents and students benefit from various community resources. Dr. Michael Manos of the Cleveland Clinic lectured participants on becoming better change agents for families utilizing intervention services. District representatives answered questions and provided guidance on implementing effective Individualized Education Plans. A puppet show entertained the children, culinary arts students provided refreshments, and a nurse - a Jane Addams graduate - graciously volunteered her time. |
Warm Waverly welcome for T.J. Ward
Waverly students showed their allegiance to the Browns when T.J. Ward, Cleveland Browns safety, visited their school on Oct. 19. Ward spoke to students about the importance of education, working hard and never giving up on their dreams.
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Simone Mays' poster won his class a pizza party and his school a plaque.
Case student creates winning poster for
Fire Safety Month
The Cleveland Fire Department and American Red Cross observed National Fire Safety Month in October by challenging Cleveland school children to create posters on the theme, "Smoke alarms: A sound you can live with."
Case third-grade students participated in the poster contest, sponsored by the Cleveland Fire Department and the Red Cross of Greater Cleveland. Bob Lee, president and CEO of Swiger Coil Systems, donated funds to the program.
Simone Mays from Case was selected as the winner. Gail Wernick, Cleveland Red Cross representative, and Larry Gray, Cleveland Fire Department public information officer, presented Principal Temujin Taylor and Assistant Principal Gail Opaskar with a plaque recognizing Case as the winner of the 2010 Fire Safety Poster Contest.
Simone was likely a big hit among his classmates because firefighters rewarded his third-grade class with a pizza party for their participation.
The National Fire Protection Association promotes the annual Fire Safety Month with a new theme each year. |
A volunteer helps Newcomers students choose new uniforms.Students shop for new uniforms at Silverman's
Mayor Frank G. Jackson's 4th Annual Youth Summit, for youth entering grades 7-12 in Fall 2010, was held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, June 5 at the Cleveland Convention Center downtown.
It featured workshops on leadership, dining etiquette, health and fitness, healthy relationships, giving back to the community, school success and career readiness; the Cleveland Police Department will present "Healing the Breach."
The summit is sponsored by Mayor Jackson's Youth Advisory Council, the City of Cleveland, GE Volunteers, the city Water Department, City Year Cleveland, the Cleveland Browns and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
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Ohio awaits feds' schools cash; $400 million not linked to Strickland model, state official says
By Jim Siegle, The Columbus Dispatch
The assistant state superintendent of schools told lawmakers yesterday that even if Gov. Ted Strickland's new evidence-based school funding model is scrapped next year, Ohio still should have no problem collecting its $400 million in federal Race to the Top money.
"We are confident the reforms can be implemented regardless of the funding mechanism that is in place," Michael Sawyers told the State Controlling Board, a legislative oversight panel that approved a new fund so Ohio can start spending the first $100 million in federal money next month.
Republican Gov.-elect John Kasich has said he plans to do away with the school-funding formula implemented last year, a move Strickland has said would jeopardize Ohio's federal money.
But a Kasich spokesman said the governor-elect spoke yesterday afternoon with U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who told him that Ohio would not lose its funding.
"Gov.-elect Kasich has believed that there was no basis to deny Ohio its Race to the Top funds and is glad the Department of Education has confirmed that,' Kasich spokesman Scott Milburn said. "John is a firm believer in the reform and accountability principles that are at the heart of Race to the Top, and he looks forward to pursuing those reforms vigorously as governor."
Strickland raised his concerns with Duncan more than a week ago. Now, Strickland and Kasich have opposite views of what Duncan's department thinks about the situation.
"Not only does the governor's office disagree with [Sawyers'] opinion, but so does the U.S. Department of Education, which clearly stated that any significant change to Ohio's application would put Race to the Top funds in jeopardy," said Amanda Wurst, spokeswoman for Strickland.
But what constitutes a significant change?
Ohio barely beat out New Jersey this summer to join nine other states in receiving Race to the Top grants. Sawyers said he expects the 488 traditional and charter schools that chose to participate in Ohio can start accessing the money in the third week of December.
Strickland, who ran in 2006 promising to fix Ohio's school-funding system, created the evidence-based model in an effort to cost out the components of a quality education. While generally supported by public-education advocates, it was never implemented because a state budget crisis forced most districts to take a two-year cut in daily operating funds.
Republicans want to get rid of the model and argue that Ohio's Race to the Top application had little to do with Strickland's funding plan.
"Unless there is something that significantly changes the overall application for all the specific areas we've outlined, we do not think we're in jeopardy,' Sawyers said.
Sawyers later said that the U.S. Department of Education has not told him what constitutes a 'significant' change. "We've asked if there is a specific example, and there has never been an answer," he said.
Sawyers said that although Ohio's new leaders can change the funding system, they must continue with other changes outlined in the application such as curriculum reforms and measurements of student growth.
"To me, that would be significant, because curriculum and assessments are the foundation for about everything that happens throughout the entire grant," he said.Dispatch reporter Mark Niquette contributed to this story. |
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