June 2, 2020
A collective of superintendents that serve
communities that border Cleveland, Ohio, the First Ring Schools Collaborative
seeks to improve the education of our students so that they can experience
life-long success. We draw on our collective
strength to collaborate, problem-solve and advocate for our school communities.
Recent events in America have been a
devastating reminder of the obstacles that our students, particularly our
African American students, face. Acts of
violence against George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor underscore the
intransigent problem of race and discrimination that continue to cripple the
progress and spirit of our country.
We condemn these acts and join the chorus of
voices across the public and private sector that are demanding systemic change
to address the brutal acts of violence against Black and Brown people in
America. Each of these acts is an
assault not only on the individuals, their families and communities, they are
also an assault on the soul of our country and the ideals that we seek to
instill in our students. Our hearts weep
for the families of the victims. Our
hearts are heavy knowing that our students are profoundly affected by what we
are all experiencing.
The First Ring Schools Collaborative remains
committed to ensuring that barriers are eliminated in order to assure all of
our students receive the resources and support that they need to succeed at the
highest levels as they matriculate through our school systems. We will continue
to work in concert to identify and dismantle systems in Ohio that are an
obstacle to our students' success.
Advancing Education Together,
Tracy Wheeler, Superintendent, Berea City
Schools
Andrea Celico, Superintendent, Bedford City
Schools
Mark Gleichauf, Superintendent, Brooklyn City
Schools
Liz Kirby, Superintendent, Cleveland Heights
University Heights City Schools
Eric Gordon, Superintendent, Cleveland
Metropolitan School District
Tom Evans, Superintendent, Cuyahoga Heights
City Schools
Christopher Papouras, Superintendent, Euclid
City Schools
Bill Wagner, Superintendent, Fairview Park
City Schools
Chris Hanke, Superintendent, Garfield Heights
City Schools
Mike Barnes, Superintendent, Lakewood City
Schools
Charlie Keenan, Superintendent, Maple Heights
City Schools
Charlie Smialek, Superintendent, Parma City
Schools
Renee Willis, Superintendent, Richmond Heights
City Schools
David Glasner, Superintendent, Shaker Heights
City Schools
Linda Reid, Superintendent, South Euclid
Lyndhurst City Schools
Donald Jolly, Superintendent, Warrensville
Heights City Schools