New facility combines modern upgrades, recognition of history MARSHALL Three small high schools will now share building, ending traditional single school from A1
The new John Marshall High School has many artifacts from the old school incorporated into the new design.
(Lynn Ischay/Plain Dealer)
Eric S. Gordon is CEO of the Cleveland schools.
I was privileged last week to deliver my fifth State of the Schools address and to share the progress we are making on our Cleveland Plan goals.
The Cleveland Plan is working.
With a transformed education system in place, test scores are up, the graduation rate is at an all-time high and new school models are giving families high-quality options across the city.
But a pervasive problem prevents us from making even stronger gains than those we are seeing -- the problem of poor attendance in school.
Life can be challenging for students, especially in poverty-stricken urban areas like Cleveland where chronic absenteeism runs high. Poor health care, a lack of transportation and other hurdles can get in the way of getting children to school.
But the alternative - a future without hope - is worse. Students who attend school regularly fare better academically; they are more likely to go to college and their income potential is far greater.
Our school system is improving and our educators are doing their part to provide quality instruction in classrooms across the district. But we can't teach children who aren't in school.
In nearly two-thirds of our schools, more than half the students are chronically absent, defined as missing 10 or more days in a year.
That's why, this year, we kicked off our "Get to School. You Can Make It!" student attendance campaign -- a grass-roots effort to educate our families and the entire community of the dangers of missing one day of school a month.
Our citywide "Get to School. You Can Make It!" campaign lets students know they can make it to school today, they can make it to school tomorrow, they can make it to college or a career, and they can make it to their goals.
Ten days, slightly more than a day for each month a student in in school, may not seem like a lot.
But our research shows that CMSD students who miss 10 days a year are 9 percent less likely to meet Ohio's Third Grade Reading Guarantee, required to move to fourth grade. In high school, it reduces the chances of graduating from high school by 34 percent.
State reading test scores drop by an average of 12 points. Math scores fall by 15 points. The losses grow as the days mount.
Achievement is up in our school district and we have the people and resources we need to continue our Cleveland Plan journey.
A host of partners recognize the importance of student attendance in reaching our goals and are putting their clout and credibility behind this cause: The Cleveland Browns Foundation just signed on, joining the Cleveland Public Library, city of Cleveland, Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority, United Way of Greater Cleveland, Cleveland Transformation Alliance, Radio One, Clear Channel Outdoor, Neighborhood Progress Inc., Greater Cleveland Congregations and Cleveland NAACP.
You can help, too.
September is Attendance Awareness Month throughout the nation. Please join our campaign to make sure Cleveland's kids get to school on time every day.
Sign the pledge (at www.get2schoolcleveland.com).
Request an attendance campaign yard sign for your home or business.
See that your children or grandchildren get a good night's sleep and do their homework, reducing frustration that can cause them to give up and avoid school.
Keep tabs on the neighborhood and make sure kids are where they are supposed to be.
Their futures, and ours, depend on it.
Eric S. Gordon is CEO of the Cleveland schools.