Message from CEO Eric S. Gordon

I am grateful for CMSD families and educators who have shown patience and understanding as we continue to live through ongoing changes brought on by the pandemic.

Our scholars continue to attend classes in person and engage in new and creative ways. Support from our students, families and educators has allowed the District to embark on a bold new vision of learning. A vision that more deeply engages students, giving them more control of their learning and providing them with authentic opportunities to present their work.

You might have noticed flyers and other material referring to “The CMSD Experience” and promising that with it, you “Get More!” Indeed, through this new vision, you do get more. A lot more.

Already, we have expanded arts, music and extracurricular activities and hired additional nurses to ensure we have a health professional in every building.

We are rolling out a career planning and exploration curriculum for students in grades 6-12 and, with the help of Say Yes Cleveland, starting after-school programs focused on the arts, health and wellness, and academic enrichment.

There is still more to come, including major investments in Senate League athletics, expansion of esports and conversion of school libraries to cyber cafes where students can chart their futures.

Amid all this excitement, we remain mindful of the COVID-19 pandemic, the toll it has taken on our community and the threat it still poses.

Our schools remain low-transmission environments, and we will continue to utilize a multilayered approach to ensure safety for students, staff and visitors.

Everyone is required to wear a mask when in a CMSD facility. School sites check temperatures upon entry. Custodial teams fog classrooms with sanitizing mist each evening, and PPE is distributed quarterly to all sites.

The District has begun offering weekly COVID testing for students and staff. We also continue to collaborate with agencies providing access to vaccine clinics throughout the city and in our schools.

For more information, go to ClevelandMetroSchools.org/CovidSafety.

Sincerely,

Eric S. Gordon