CLEVELAND — The halls of Garrett Morgan High School is where 3News’ Danita Harris caught up with Cleveland Metropolitan School District CEO Dr. Warren Morgan where they discussed his first year leading CMSD.
“I learned a lot in my first year,” Dr. Morgan said. “There was a lot of challenges, but also just a lot of receptiveness from our community. I came in with a listen and learn tour where I prioritized getting out into the community, hearing the voices of our students, our families and our community members.”
A big challenge was the district’s multi-million dollar budget deficit.
“When that happens with the state of Ohio, the district becomes under fiscal watch,” he said. “So we had to make a lot of significant cuts. We prioritized the classroom. We kept our student-based, in-school-based budgeting flat, but made our cuts primarily at central office. And now we are not under fiscal watch. We're in the black for the next couple of years.”
Dr. Morgan also shared that the district was able to give teachers and support staff some of the highest raises they’ve seen in a while.
“When we talk about the future of CMSD, we're making sure every scholar in every neighborhood, no matter their background, their identity, has an opportunity to an equitable and excellent education,” he said.
When it comes to academic progress, the needle is moving in the right direction. English language arts proficiency is up by 3 percentage points in nearly every demographic. Math proficiency is also up by 3 percent, while college applications increased by 8 percentage points. Chronic absenteeism is also down.
While improvement is being made, Dr. Morgan said more work needs to be done.
“We have so many schools that are still not where they need to be,” Dr. Morgan said. "Schools that are under-resourced and need programming. And then this path to financial sustainability. We're on the ballot this fall for a levy, which will help us to continue to improve our academic excellence and then also to help improve our facilities.”
Dr. Morgan is clear on what needs to be done, and he said he knows it starts with his ability to lead effectively.
“I'll first start with myself,” he said. “The thing I want to continue to do is to continue to listen and learn. Listening and learning is not a moment. It is a way of leading. And that takes a level of humility. It takes a level of service. And that's something I continue to want to lean into.”