Families, Students, and City of Cleveland Residents: 

On Monday, roughly 5,600 students will return to our Cleveland City Schools.  I am excited to welcome back our city’s most precious resource, our students.  This week our teachers reported back to work as well as our teacher assistants and other professionals that are so important to the daily experience of our students.  

Please be mindful next week that our bus fleet will once again be on the roads ensuring students are safely transported to and from school.  Our buses drive over 2,500 miles per day on our city streets and our drivers provide a positive experience for students each and every day.  As a reminder, please drive the posted speed limit in our school zones and pay close attention to buses as they are picking up and dropping off students at bus stops.  

We have much to be proud of in Cleveland City Schools.  Our school board is extremely supportive and helps guide the work of the district through clear and relevant policies and by approving a budget that provides for the needs of our teachers and students.  Our mayor and city council are also very supportive of Cleveland City Schools and I appreciate their willingness to listen and provide for our needs.  Our school system leaders and the city staff have a cordial and professional working relationship and that is invaluable.  

In the near future, a ground breaking will take place for our new Candy’s Creek Cherokee Elementary School.  Each of our elementary schools are currently at or over capacity, some utilizing space in their building for classes that was never originally designed for that purpose.  This new school will provide for our needs in the elementary grades for years to come.  Again, thank you to our school board, mayor, and city council for understanding this need and for providing guidance and funding for this new school.  Thank you to our city staff as well for working diligently with our staff on the behind the scenes items required to move this process forward. 

This past year, the school board approved a new mission and vision statement for our district. Teachers, administrators, students, parents, community members, and others had input into our mission and vision.  These statements, along with our new strategic plan, will guide us as we move forward and provide a focus for all we do as a school district.  Our Strategic Plan is found on our website, www.clevelandschools.org, under the Director of Schools tab. 

Mission: Our mission is to educate and equip students with the academic, social, and emotional skills necessary to be successful and productive. 

Vision: Our vision is to inspire and educate thriving and confident students who become exceptional life learners and contributing citizens in their community. 

Please download our Cleveland City Schools app for your smartphone in the Android or Apple app store to stay in the know regarding activities in our district and in our schools.  

I appreciate your support of Cleveland City Schools and am proud to serve our community as the director of schools.  Please join me in wishing our students and employees a wonderful school-year! 

Dr. Russell T. Dyer
Director of Schools