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 High School Shuttle - RIDE FREEGet to school On time, All the time
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District launched a shuttle service this academic year that is reducing absences and tardiness because students now have shorter walks to school.
"Shuttle stops within 1½ miles from each student's high school limit a student's walk to less than a mile to get to school, said Patrick Zohn, chief operating officer for the District. "I don't know how many adults if they lived 2½ miles from their job on a January day when it's five degrees outside are going to walk on ice-covered sidewalks to get to their jobs."
Ohio law does not require school districts to provide transportation for high school students. When CEO Eric S. Gordon was hired last summer to lead the District, he vowed to improve transportation. The plan that Gordon unveiled at a school board meeting before the end of the last academic year achieves that objective.
For more information about the District's transportation plan, call 216.634.7021; RTA routes and schedules, call 216.566.5100.
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'Bully' screening leads to emotional discussion on issue
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 Busloads of students from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District visited the State Theater earlier this month to view "Bully," director Lee Hirsch's much-talked about documentary that kicked off a weeklong summit on bullying. The summit reflected a District-wide commitment to stop bullying, and seminars and discussions that surround the 90-minute film were a partnership between the District and Facing History and Ourselves. Called "Not on Our Watch," the summit was designed with long-term purposes: to ensure the safety of every parent's child and to promote a climate free of bullying behavior, said Denine Goolsby, director of Humanware Department. Goolsby said bullying is a serious problem in District schools and elsewhere in America. While thousands of students will eventually see "Bully," she said the District reach out to student leaders in Grades 7-12 to take part in the initial screening on September 7, which Hirsch attended and led a discussion. Students were riveted by what they saw, which was "an intimate, unflinching look" at how bullying had affected the lives of five children in Iowa and Mississippi and their families. The documentary spent a good deal of time on 14-year-old Alex, a teenager with autism whom his peers bullied. In Alex, Hirsch said he saw himself, which made it easier for him to tell the underdog's story. "Don't forget it's a very real issue," Hirsch told students. "The stakes are really, really high when it comes down to these kinds of experiences." The movie screening was just the beginning of a conversation, as the purpose was not to solve bullying in one session, but to begin the discussion. The discussion took place through September 14 at the Barbara Byrd Bennett Development Center in Bratenahl where groups of 250 students took part in one-day seminars. "There were frank discussions and breakout sessions that gave students a better understanding of bullying, what it means, and what its consequences are," said Brian Simmons, a Linkage Coordinator with CMSD's Closing the Achievement Gap. Simmons had taken part in pre-film sessions and attended the viewing. Students returned to their schools and led in-building campaigns against bullying behavior. He echoed others in stressing the importance of the summit. "It's a great initiative by the District to raise the level of awareness in an attempt to curb bullying behavior," Simmons said. For information about "Not on Our Watch," contact Humanware. Visit Stopbullying.Gov here. Visit Ohio.Gov for fact sheets here. |
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Hi-tech times come to Old Brooklyn's New Tech
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 Old Brooklyn is joining hi-tech times thanks to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District's decision to bring a New & Innovative school to the West Side neighborhood this academic year. Facing History New Tech High School, another project-based, technology-pioneered learning center, opened with an inaugural class - all freshmen - of 50 students, though its curriculum is designed to handle 100. Like the other New Tech schools in the District, Facing History takes a collaborative approach to learning; it stresses teamwork, reflection, oral and written communication and work ethic. Teachers have latitude to be creative in delivering instruction, and their courses and curriculum are designed to connect learning to other educational disciplines and to the "post-high school world." The school will partner with the community, higher education and local businesses. One of its key partners is Facing History and Ourselves, an international organization that provides professional development services and curricular resources to educators. It has played a pivotal role in getting this New Tech campus launched. For information about Facing History New Tech High School, call 216.838.8600. |
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'Officer BOB' program allows District police,
students to build rapport
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Chief Lester Fultz looked for an opportunity for his CMSD Division of Safety & Security team to build rapport and came upon an innovative, fun program that is promoting safety on buses.
The Officer BOB program, an acronym for "Buddies On Buses," is a series of baseball-like trading cards that profile Fultz's 25-plus officers. The police chief launched the program Aug. 15.
All the cards are numbered, and each one features a photograph of a CMSD police officer with personal information about him or her. The trading cards also include a safety hotline number and a link to an Internet site for reporting crime.
The program began the first day of the academic year. One of its goals is to ensure safety on school buses, Lt. Tammy Tarleton-Fortson said. She said the cards are designed to create a "positive interaction" between District police officers and students.
Because of the collectible nature of the cards, each officer will become more than a badge number and a stranger, she said. The officer will become a familiar face.
"The program is an opportunity for students to get to know us as people," Tarleton-Fortson said. "It also might inspire some of the students to look at law enforcement as a career."
Now that the program has kicked off, she said the District's safety team plans to offer quarterly prizes to students who collect the most Officer BOB cards.
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Montessori network adds Tremont to its learning roster
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 Tremont Montessori, one of the many high-performing schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, earned membership into one of the most prestigious bodies for Montessori education.
With more than 500 students in grades PreK-8, Tremont is now an "associate" member of the American Montessori Society, one of the two governing bodies worldwide in Montessori education.
"I feel it is essential to have this endorsement to our school," principal Heather Grant said. "We also have access to professional development and a network of other public Montessori schools.
"As members of AMS, our school is featured on their website so that parents or other organizations may reference. This is a great marketing tool for us. We will also have proof of membership to display in the school."
The next level for Tremont is "full" membership, which is possible once every teacher in the school is Montessori trained.
"This is our next goal," said Grant, who called this the first of many steps to "transform" her Montessori program. "From there, we can begin the year-long self-reflective study of earning at the highest level, which is "accreditation."
The AMS, a not-for-profit organization based in New York City, is considered the leading advocate for Montessori education, which is an innovative, child-centered approach to learning. With 13,000 members worldwide, the organization serves as the hub of all-things Montessori.
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New Tech East named Midwest demonstration site
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Go here to learn more about the New Tech model |
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District has had one of its New & Innovative schools selected as one of two demonstration sites in the Midwest for New Tech training.
The selection of New Tech East @ East Tech, a high-performing school, proves how well the New Tech model of project-based learning has evolved in the District, New Tech principal Ryan Durr said.
With nearly 100 New Tech programs across the country, Durr's school is one of only two schools in the New Tech network that has an urban demographic. The other New Tech school in the Midwest is not in an urban setting.
Because of its location, New Tech @ East Tech will be an attractive campus for other urban districts to visit as they explore bringing the New Tech concept into their schools.
"People will want to say, 'We don't want to see a school in Napa Valley, California, we want to see a school with kids who look like our kids - kids from an urban environment,' " Durr said. "They'll come visit us."
He said his campus will host educators from across the country. Teachers and staff will sit in on classes, talk to his faculty, observe and ask questions about how this project-based program works.
Once a school decides it will adopt the New Tech model, it must send faculty to a demonstration site for further observation and training. Durr is expecting his campus to be a popular choice.
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CMSD grads spend summer as law interns
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Dontea Gresham, a 2012 valedictorian at Martin Luther King Jr. High School, was one of the 15 CMSD students who took part in the inaugural Louis Stokes Scholarship Program this summer. Gresham is now a freshman at Morehouse College.
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Sponsors of Louis Stokes Scholars Program saluted the 15 members of its inaugural class of legal interns at a luncheon August 10 as thanks for their participation. All the interns graduated from high schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
Called "Stokes Scholars," the interns spent eight weeks working alongside lawyers for courts, law firms and legal nonprofits. The purpose of the paid internships was to give each participant a better understanding of the career opportunities available to blacks, Hispanics and other underrepresented groups.
At their luncheon, Louise Dempsey, a lawyer and vice chair of the Cleveland Board of Education, gave the keynote speech.
The Cleveland Bar Association sponsored the scholars. In a program named for retired U.S. Rep. Louis Stokes, the internships were designed to fuel interest among minorities in the legal profession. Law ranks at the bottom in terms of the percentage of minority members compared to all other professions, a troubling statistic for a profession that prides itself on justice and equality.
The Stokes program fills a hole in the bar association's diversity initiative, joining the Cleveland Mock Trial Program, Stephanie Tubbs Jones Summer Legal Academy, The 3Rs - Rights, Responsibilities & Realities, Minority Clerkship Program and Judicial Externship Program.
In order to participate, students must be graduates of CMSD or the East Cleveland Municipal School District. The other requirement was that students must be enrolled in college or scheduled to enroll in the fall after their internship.
CMSD alums include: Katia Roberts, Kelsey Bragg, Brandon Brown, Trevor Scott, Diamond Donald, and Ryant Taylor from John Hay Early College; Dontea Gresham and Brittany Radford from Martin Luther King Jr. High School; Ahmad Hamad, and Lynell Ogletree from John Marshall High School; LeQues Harrison and Derrick Hollifield from Cleveland School of the Arts; Shayla Ivezzy from John Adams; Miriam Lowe from MC2STEM; Krystal Foster from John Hay High School.
During the internship, each student was matched with an attorney-mentor who ensured the experience provided a good introduction into the profession. The mentors provided career counseling, and are encouraged to continue to be a resource for interns after the summer ends.
For more information about the Stokes Scholars Program, contact Mary Groth, director of Development & Community Programs. |
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Internships in medicine available for CMSD students
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 The Office of Diversity at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation and the Health Legacy Project are urging students from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to apply for a paid, 12-week internship in the Charles R. Drew Academy. For its Class of 2013, the Drew Academy will selection 30 interns. The purpose of these internships is to expose blacks, Hispanics and other underrepresented minorities to careers in medicine. The Academy is named for a prominent black physician who was an authority on human blood for transfusion, and the coursework will help teenagers develop the critical skills needed for careers as physicians, dentists and scientists. To be eligible, a student must carry at least a 3.5 GPA, have an aptitude for science, be proficient in math, and be a sophomore, junior or senior. Volunteer experience in a hospital, nursing home or community-based program or activity is considered a plus. The deadline for applications is 4:30 p.m. Friday, October 12. The selection process is considered lengthy for this prized internship. The Class of 2012 had more than 100 students apply. The internship begins Tuesday, January 8, 2013, with an orientation session; classes on Saturdays. For more information about the Drew Academy, or about other Clinic internships and application forms, go here or contact Angie Eichelberger in the CCF Office of Diversity. |
Boys' academy moves to accommodate growth
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 Kenneth W. Clement Boys' Leadership Academy, one of the New & Innovative schools in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, has returned to its old home on Woodworth Avenue to accommodate the growing interest for male-centric learning. With the larger space, Clement, a K-6 academy in the Collinwood neighborhood, has additional slots available for the 2012-13 academic year. Launched in 2007 to mirror a private academy, Clement had been sharing space at the Margaret Spellacy building on East 162nd Street with Ginn Academy, also a male-centric learning environment. But the academic success of these boys-only academies strained the capacity at Spellacy and forced District officials to look elsewhere to house Clement. With test scores as their proof, educators at Clement have created innovative ways to erase the achievement gap between urban, underprivileged boys and their suburban peers. For enrollment information about Clement, call New & Innovative Schools at 216.348.3651. |
Muni Court teams with CMSD, police to fight truancy
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 A program to address truancy without tagging a juvenile with a criminal record has led the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to partner with the Cleveland Municipal Court and the Cleveland Police Department. Called "Redirecting Our Curfew Kids" (ROCK), the initiative is a diversion program for parents or guardians. The ROCK program brings all interested agencies together in a comprehensive response to reduce curfew violations. "Everyone's really excited about the program," said Tracy Hill, executive director of Family and Community Engagement who has played a key role in developing ROCK. "We hope that, as a result of this program, parents will become more aware of their role as their child's first teacher." More than 3,300 citations were issued last year to parents or guardians for minors who violated curfew. The citations carry fines and court fees of around $300 for each violation, plus a parent or guardian is required to appear in court, which means he or she might miss work. Under this diversion program, parents and their child will participate in an education session and perform joint community service. Parents must also complete several involvement activities with their child's school. Instead of the $300 fine, parents who complete their ROCK obligations pay $35. The broad aim of ROCK is to keep a child from becoming a repeat offender. The family and the child will be linked to resources that can improve or educate them on a range of problems like anger management, decision-making, substance abuse and curfew laws.
"The program sends a clear message to the student: 'We care about your safety; we're concerned about your achievement,'" Hill said. "If you're not in school, you're not going to meet your goals."
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Warren Franklin interview
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'Footloose' debut inspires Whitney Young Student
Warren Franklin was a freshman at Whitney M. Young School when he won the role as "Ren" in the All-City Musical "Footloose," and Franklin used the role to make himself a star. It's the Ohio Theatre now, but is Broadway in his future?
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VOTE NOW for your 'Cool School'
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 Not one, not two, but three schools from the Cleveland Metropolitan School District have been nominated for FOX 8's "Cool School of the Week" contest. All designated as "high performing schools," they are: Louisa May Alcott Elementary, Michael R. White S.T.E.M. School, and William Cullen Bryant Elementary.
Vote now for your cool school here. Voting ends Thursday, Sept. 27 at 5:59 a.m.
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The Board of Education does not unlawfully discriminate in educational programs, activities or employment on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, citizenship status, economic status, religion or disability.
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