CLEVELAND’S PLAN FOR
TRANSFORMING SCHOOLS
reinventing public education in our city and serving
as a model of innovation for the state of Ohio
Briefing Document
November 14, 2012
The Partners
Cleveland
Teachers
Union –
Local
279
Local Context
Challenges in Cleveland
 $65 million budget deficit for 2012–13 school year
 31,000 children attend failing schools
 More than 30,000 students have left CMSD in ten years
Progress in Cleveland
 37 excellent and effective public schools in 2011 that
educate over 11,000 students
 15 new CMSD schools opened since 2006 that offer a
diverse selection of high-quality choices
 Deepening partnership between CMSD and several highperforming charter schools
National Context
CHARACTERISTICS OF
PORTFOLIO DISTRICTS
Citywide choices &
options for all families
School autonomy
Pupil-based funding
Diverse support
providers
Talent-seeking
strategy
Extensive public
engagement
Performance-based
accountability for
schools
Center for Reinventing
Public Education
Across the country, urban
districts are moving from a
traditional, single-source
school district …
…to a portfolio of district and
charter schools held to the
highest standards and
working in partnership to
create dramatic student
achievement…
…thereby shifting the role of
central office from compliance
to performance management
and improvement.
Cleveland’s Plan
Grow the number of highperforming district and charter
schools in Cleveland and close
and replace failing schools.
Focus district's central office on
key support and governance
roles and transfer authority and
resources to schools.
Cleveland’s Portfolio
Schools Strategy
Create the Cleveland
Transformation Alliance to
ensure accountability for all
public schools in the city.
Invest and phase in highleverage system reforms across
all schools from preschool to
college and career.
Grow the number of high-performing district
and charter schools in Cleveland and close
and replace failing schools.
Promote, expand
and replicate
existing excellent
schools
Start new schools,
emphasizing
innovative school
models
Refocus and
strengthen midperforming
schools
Immediately
address lowperforming
schools
Focus district's central office on key support
and governance roles and transfer authority
and resources to schools.
New role
for district
central office
School
autonomy
based on
performance
Redistribution
of money
to schools
and
classrooms
Invest and phase in high-leverage system
reforms across all schools from preschool to
college and career.
High quality
preschool
education
College and
workforce
readiness
Year-round
calendar
Talent
recruitment
and capacity
building
Academic
technology
enhancement
Support for
high-quality
charter
schools
Create the Cleveland Transformation Alliance
to ensure accountability for all
public schools in the city.
Ensure fidelity to
the citywide
education plan
Assess the quality
of all public schools
in Cleveland
Communicate to
parents about
quality school
choices
Watchdog charter
sector growth to
ensure quality
What Success Could Look Like
Targeted number of
students enrolled in highperforming schools in
Cleveland
3X
45000
40000
35000
30000
25000
20000
15000
10000
5000
0
2010-11
2012-13
2014-15
2016-17
2018-19
Our goal is that at the
end of six years, we
will have tripled the
number of Cleveland
students enrolled in
high-performing
district and charter
schools, and eliminated
failing schools.
Creating the Conditions
for Success: HB 525
HB 525 Highlights
Flexibilities

Enables the CEO to take corrective action to improve
the district's lowest-performing schools without being
bound by existing collective bargaining agreements.

Provides the CEO with sole authority to determine the
school calendar and school day.

Allows the district to apply for exemptions from
specific statutory provisions or rules under the
innovative education pilot program.

Permits the district to direct any monies received from
the sale of property into the district’s general fund
(with a few exceptions).
HB 525 Highlights
Work Rules

Codifies a new performance-based evaluation and
compensation system for principals and teachers.

Eliminates seniority as the sole or primary factor in
personnel decisions, including layoffs and recalls.

Allows the district to terminate teachers who are rated
"ineffective" for two successive years.

Establishes building-level hiring committees comprised
of the principal, union representation and others,
thereby eliminating seniority-based transfers.

Provides the district significant flexibility in
determining teacher and principal contract terms and
duration.
HB 525 Highlights
Charter Quality and Collaboration

Establishes a Transformation Alliance to recommend
to ODE what charter school sponsors can open schools
in Cleveland, to ensure fidelity to the plan, to provide
input in the development of new district schools and
partnering community schools, and to report annually
on the performance of all public schools in Cleveland.

Authorizes the school district to share a portion of levy
proceeds with high-performing charter schools who
partner with the district.

Authorizes the school district to include the academic
performance and enrollment data of students enrolled
in partnering charter schools on the district's report
card.
Community Support

The Cleveland Plan is widely supported by the
community—educators, business, philanthropy, civic
leaders, elected officials, community organizations,
religious organizations, parents and students.

Cleveland voters approved an unprecedented 15 mill,
4-year levy in November with 57 percent of the vote.

The levy will generate between $64 and $70 million
per year. One mill is set aside for partnering charter
schools.
Questions and Dialogue