Photo: twitter.com/CLEMetroSchools
(CLEVELAND) - In a move that has surprised many, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Eric Gordon, announced this afternoon that he would step down in June, at the end of the 2022-23 school year. Gordon has held the title of CEO for more than 11 years.
Gordon said the timing and conditions were right for the District’s transition to a new school leader.
“I will forever be proud of the work we have done over the past 11 years at CMSD and grateful for the role each of you has played in the District’s progress that I have every reason to believe will continue in the year ahead,” he said. “While the decision to leave CMSD was not an easy one for me, the time and conditions are right for the Mayor and Board to identify a CEO to lead the District’s long-term recovery from the pandemic and to build on the gains we achieved during a remarkable and historic period in K-12 education.”
Mayor Justin Bibb had this to say about Eric Gordon and his time as CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.
“We are grateful to Eric for his dedicated service to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and his stewardship of The Cleveland Plan for more than a decade,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb. “Eric is a true leader who puts the needs of students and families first. He has had a tremendous impact on Cleveland’s young scholars and future leaders, and there is no doubt he will continue to guide and inspire those around him. We wish Eric all the best in his next chapter.”
Gordon was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District and its 36,000 students in June 2011 after serving as the District’s Chief Academic Officer for four years.
Since taking over, CMSD saw a 71.6% increase in enrollment in high-quality preschools across the district. The district closed the achievement gap for African-American and Hispanic students with increased graduation rates that outpaced their peers statewide. On the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), CMSD was one of six districts identified as beating the odds with consistent improvement on at least two grade/subject combinations since 2009. Since 2011, when the state began releasing an annual report card, CMSD has ranked fifth among Ohio’s fastest-improving districts and remains in the top 1% for graduation-rate growth.
Anne Bingham, Cleveland Board of Education Chair released a Statement in Response to CEO Eric Gordon’s Announcement
While deeply saddened by CEO Eric Gordon’s decision to step down at the end of the 2022-23 school year, the Cleveland Board of Education is extremely grateful for Eric’s dedicated service as one of the District’s longest-serving superintendents. It has been our privilege to work with Eric. His legendary leadership of The Cleveland Plan over the last decade has restored trust in CMSD and earned national recognition for turning our once-failing school system into a continuously-improving one. The Board will work closely with Eric throughout this year to ensure a smooth leadership transition this spring, as we also work with Mayor Bibb to find the right leader to lead CMSD into the future. Eric’s game-changing innovations and the District’s steady growth and progress under his leadership put CMSD in an enviable position to attract the nation’s top school leaders to build on his success and continue our progress.
No replacement has been named; Eric Gordon will meet with the media tomorrow.
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