March 12: Board Work Session, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
Covered by Documenters Barbara Phipps (notes) and Marvetta Rutherford (live-tweets)
Robert H. Jamison keeps students and teacher in the loop
An effort in teacher looping – the educational practice of keeping the same teacher with a class of students for more than one year – has proven beneficial at one Cleveland school.
In a presentation to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) Board of Education, Alyssa Roye, principal at Robert H. Jamison Leadership Academy, said a fourth-grade class that the school “looped” with its prior-year teacher is performing well.
Board Member Denise Link asked if that example is a model for the school. Roye said she would love for it to be a model, but the idea needs more teacher support.
Left wondering: Documenter Barbara Phipps also thought big-picture, asking in her notes, “How frequently does CMSD utilize teacher ‘looping’ to benefit student learning? Will it be increased?”
Jamison Academy, located in Ward 1, has 367 students, Roye said. Monthly student roundtables – where students discuss issues and possible solutions – are a hallmark of the school.
Wheels down: CMSD bus driver shortage could mean more money for transportation partners
The Cleveland school district has a bus driver shortage, which is in line with trends across the country. To fill transportation gaps through the remainder of the 2023-2024 school year, CMSD is looking to boost reliance on its transportation partners.
CMSD CEO Warren Morgan II presented for discussion a resolution that would allow the district to pay some providers up to about $3.5 million more than previously agreed to.
About $1.7 million would go to Community Bus Services and Rightway Transportation, said Morgan, who added that the bus driver shortage caused CMSD to “repurpose” more than a dozen school routes to those providers.
Approximately $1.8 million would go to cab and van suppliers to meet what Morgan called a “growing demand” for those services.
The board is set to vote on the resolution – and the other 40 presented at this meeting – at another meeting.
John F. Kennedy High School in line for new athletic stadium
Another resolution Morgan presented would move forward plans for a new athletic stadium at John F. Kennedy High School. The cost tied to this resolution is $4.1 million, with CMSD and the City of Cleveland essentially splitting the bill.
The plans include protocol for managing stormwater on an artificial turf field, a task Morgan said was “somewhat unregulated” in the past.
Want to learn more about Robert H. Jamison Leadership Academy? Check out Principal Roye’s slide presentation.
Read the notes from Documenter Barbara Phipps:
Read the live-tweet thread from Documenter Marvetta Rutherford:
