Back to School Updates: When Students Feel Comfortable, They Thrive

Students in CMSD’s year round schools and charter high schools were the first Cleveland schools to return to in-person learning for the 2021-22 school year, beginning in the first week of August.Cleveland’s earliest starting schools include the following:Cleveland High School for Digital Arts, Davis Aerospace & Maritime High School, John Adams College and Career Academy, Lincoln-West School of Global Studies, Lincoln-West School of Science and Health, MC2²STEM, Cleveland College Preparatory School, University of Cleveland Preparatory School, Northeast Ohio College Preparatory School, Frederick Douglass High School, Invictus High School, Old Brook High School, and Regent High SchoolFor more return to school updates, including registration information for Cleveland public and charter schools, visit our Back to School Page. Our School Quality Navigators will continue to update this information as frequently as possible, as they connect with schools and families throughout the year.Cleveland Metropolitan School District recently announced a change in its dress code, eliminating required uniforms at most schools. CEO Eric Gordon said the new dress code was the outcome of a task force developed in response to concerns of parents and students over the past 18+ mos. Most importantly, beyond a student dress code to empower active and engaged learning, Gordon also indicated that the new CMSD dress code is designed to “support all students in developing a body positive self image” and is intended to be gender neutral.Throughout the month of August and September, Cleveland students will continue returning to the classroom — with safety measures in place for COVID-19 precautions, including mask requirements in most schools. Based on our 2020 "Family Listening Campaign," safety is a top priority for Cleveland families when making decisions about the right school for their child(ren) and many families  have concerns about COVID-19, especially for children who are too young to be vaccinated. You can find links to the safety precautions being taken by each school/network of schools by visiting our Back to School Page.This summer, we heard from many parents and community members through our Common Ground Family Café event and ongoing Family Safety Survey which remains active through Friday, August 13. Parents and caregivers do have ongoing school safety concerns — a return to safe, in-person learning is a high priority for most students and families. It's important to note, however, that safety concerns vary from person to person and family to family — from health-related concerns to community safety, cyberbullying and mental health issues. Cleveland schools and families are talking about what it means to ensure that every child has a safe and inclusive learning environment.

Images from Common Ground CLE Family Café

Previous NextWe’re taking this information to heart, as the Cleveland Transformation Alliance Board has done a months-long ‘refresh and review’ of the original Cleveland Plan for Transforming Schools as we reach our 10-year anniversary. As part of this process, we anticipate sharing an updated plan with the community in early fall.“You thrive where you’re comfortable,” said one Ohio University intern at our Common Ground Family Café event this summer, probably not realizing how much his words would come to guide our leadership and board members, as we look ahead to the next phase of our work in building and supporting a diverse network of safe, inclusive schools for every Cleveland child.How can we ensure that every Cleveland child feels comfortable enough to thrive in his/her/their school? We’d love to hear from you on this topic and others. Let us know your thoughts by filling out this brief family safety survey (before midnight Aug. 13) or chat with other Cleveland families on our Cleveland Family Café bulletin board —  Just click here and register to join the conversation.