April 9, 2024: Board of Education, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Covered by Documenters Lena Anglin (notes) and Marvetta Rutherford (live-tweets)
Expanding CMSD’s school-based health clinics
New health clinics are planned in schools on Cleveland’s West and South East sides.
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Board of Education is mulling a resolution that would formally accept about $3.7 million from Cleveland City Council for three school-based neighborhood clinics. CMSD would spend up to $1.85 million on building the clinics at John Marshall and John F. Kennedy High Schools and at Anton Grdina PreK-8 school. The remaining funds would go to outreach and administrative costs.
CMSD CEO Warren Morgan II said the proposal would allow CMSD to expand from three existing school-based clinics. They are at Glenville High School, Clara E. Westropp and Mound.
The money comes from Cleveland’s pot of American Rescue Plan Act dollars. In early 2023, when council approved the use of the funds, former CMSD CEO Eric Gordon said the Integrated Health Initiative would not be only for students but would welcome their family members and CMSD staff, too.
The resolution is pending the board’s approval at a future meeting.
New faces on CMSD, Cleveland Public Library boards
The board welcomed new member Charlene Jones. Earlier that day, Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb swore in Jones to fill the remaining spot among the board’s nine voting members.
Jones graduated from Collinwood High School and Cleveland State University. She started the “Conversations for College Success” podcast.
The board also appointed a new Cleveland Public Library trustee. Cleveland State grad and nonprofit grant-writing consultant Melaak Rashid replaces John Hairston, who resigned after 16 years on the library board of trustees.
Sara Elaqad, chair of the board of education, said that because the library was originally a school district library, Ohio law gives the CMSD board the authority to appoint library trustees.
CMSD going buy the book
CSMD is looking to streamline its English language arts curriculum across schools.
To make that happen, the board is considering a resolution that would let the district spend up to about $3.6 million on textbooks for the 2024-2025 school year.
CMSD Chief Academics Officer Selena Florence detailed the district’s process for identifying recommended curriculums (HMH’s Into Reading for K-8 students and Savvas’ My Perspectives for high school students).
As part of its process, CMSD scored curriculums on factors such as:
- College/career readiness
- Support for students with disabilities
- Cultural diversity and representation
What about the textbooks that would no longer be used? Florence said the goal is to remove them from the schools.
Left wondering: Documenter Lena Anglin asked, “What is the district’s plan to inform parents and guardians about upcoming curriculum changes?”
Check out the full presentation about the textbook and curriculum choices for more.
Read the notes from Documenter Lena Anglin:
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Marvetta Rutherford:
