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Students answer Dr. Morgan’s Listen and Learn Tour Questions (Video)

 

CMSD NEWS BUREAU

10/11/23

Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Dr. Warren Morgan received an earful when he asked students to answer the three questions that are a part of his Listen and Learn Tour. 

student advisory committee

At his first Student Advisory Committee meeting, more than 300 students from high schools across the district were brutally honest with their feedback. 

When asked “what is needed to improve the quality of education in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for our students and families?” students had ready answers: better communication and better school lunches was their consensus. 

“We need to improve school lunches,” said  a student from Cleveland School of Science and Medicine. “We need better quality and not processed foods.” 

Another student talked about the lack of time for lunch. 

“We only get 20 minutes, and we can’t take our lunch to the classroom and if we are late we will get a zero,” she said. 

Still others wondered why the district is facing a $100 million dollar deficit in its next fiscal budget. 

“Where is the money?” demanded one student. 

Student Advisory Committee

Students expressed frustration over not being heard and demanded that they be included in the decision-making process regarding their education. 

“Because when an issue is affecting our education, it is a problem,” shared a student. “We need those issues to be resolved so we can have the education we deserve so that we can be great in this world.” 

A day later, Dr. Morgan met with another group of students. He stopped by the Get More Opportunities Student Allocation Meeting to hear the student’s latest funding proposals for the unrestricted $20 million dollar gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott. 

The young CMSD philanthropists particularly enjoyed one of the listening tour questions: what would they do if they were CEO? 

“I would pay the teachers more money because they work hard,” said a student.

Dr. Morgan says the students are CMSD’s number one customers and he is hearing their concerns. 

“That is the work I need to do,” said Dr. Morgan.  

“The work is making sure their voices are heard and doing the work on behalf of the students, so they have a great education experience,” he said.