Hi family, friends, students and staff of Mary M. Bethune School.  I am Yvette Uter, a born, bred and lifetime fan of the City of Cleveland.   I have a long history as a Cleveland resident, and I am a product of the Cleveland Public Schools.  I attended Tremont, Fundamental Education Center, Fullerton and South High Schools.   I have been married over 20 years. I am a mother of four and grandmother of two.  I am a graduate of Cleveland State University, where I studied Elementary Education and minored in History.

 After graduation, I joined the City of Euclid at the Child Development Center’s Kindergarten.  However, I longed to work in my true calling, Elementary Education.  In January, 1994, I joined the Cleveland Public Schools as a fourth grade teacher at the old Miles Park Elementary.  I was hired by my 7^th grade teacher’s best friend.  The best performance evaluation I ever received was from a former teacher of mine.  I never knew how important it was to make positive lasting impressions until then. 

I have taught grades 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and yes, even 1^st.  I have taught at Miles Park Elementary, Alexander Hamilton Junior High, Case, Harry E. Davis, George Washington Carver and Mary Bethune.  That seems like a lot, yet I am grateful for the experiences.  I have learned so much from colleagues and from my students.  A lesson I learned from a fellow teacher is to be “fair yet firm” in my discipline.  My students have taught me to teach with a “passion.”  Overall, my career as an educator for The Cleveland Municipal Schools has prepared me to continue my journey as a lifelong learner.