As you know, urban flight to Cleveland’s suburbs has been a problem for decades. Not being a parent, I never understood the impact that school districts have on this issue. Now that many of my friends have children, I am beginning to see the connection between a city’s overall health and its schools. Parents want to send their kids to good schools that will give them a great education. This education is vital to building a future for one’s offspring and making them employable and in today’s competitive economy. Most of the parents that I know choose private schools or home schooling over public education, or relocate to a suburb that has a better school district. This urban flight leaves us with lower housing prices, lowering the tax base, which in turn is the primary source of funding for the school district. The issue is a complex one, but I applaud anyone who tries anything to tackle it. Enter Put Cleveland’s Children First and the transformation plan to make Cleveland’s schools more competitive:
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s proposed Academic Transformation Plan is a potentially game-changing step forward for the district and the community—and a lifesaving change for the youngsters of Cleveland.
The Transformation Plan’s goals are ambitious, clearly-defined, and achievable.
• To graduate all students ready to
compete in the 21st century global
economy
• To provide high quality schools that
promote student achievement so
that all families have choices
• To hold everyone responsible for
student success, using performance
data—teachers and principals, central
office staff, parents, students, and
the community
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s Transformation Plan is a bold plan to transform the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. It is a plan driven by research and best practices in student achievement and in school reform initiatives calling for fundamental, system-wide changes in our schools.
The Plan is based on three foundation-funded assessments of CMDS’s specialty programs, turn-around strategies and facilities. Community forums held at schools throughout the city were useful in gathering input for school-by-school recommendations. The final transformation plan is based not only on that collaborative effort, but also on objective, data-based research undertaken by the District’s Strategic Development Initiative, funded by the Cleveland Foundation and the George Gund Foundation.
That integrated process involved three highly-respected consulting firms that took an objective, fact-based look at where our schools are today and identified “pockets of success” on which we can build for the future of all of our schools.
Input from a 17-member Community Advisory Committee that included parents, educators, community leaders and public officials was extremely helpful to consultants who created the foundation for the plan.
Go to their website and sign the petition to support this action plan. Whether you are a parent or not, are a Clevelander or a suburbanite, you should know that building up our schools is good for Cleveland, which is good for the regional economy, and ultimately good for everyone. Won’t you join me in showing your support?
