(Cleveland) - The Cleveland Board of Education has narrowed the list of CEO candidates for CMSD’s next CEO to two school leaders familiar to our school community.
Dr. Ricardo “Rocky” Torres is a Cleveland native. He served CMSD as a school administrator from August 2014 through June 2019, before his appointment as Assistant Superintendent of Student Services for Seattle Public Schools. Torres is bilingual in English and Spanish, and proficient in French. He began his career as a bilingual special education teacher in the New York City Department of Education. He earned a Ph.D. in Urban Education from Cleveland State University and has mentored educators throughout his career, frequently sharing best practices at regional and national conferences on curriculum, equity, restorative practices, instruction, and community voice.
Dr. Warren Morgan grew up on Chicago’s South Side and attended schools with demographics similar to CMSD. He worked for CMSD as a Network Leader for the District’s Phase 2 Investment schools from July 2014 through August 2016. In his current role as the Chief Academic Officer for Indianapolis Public Schools, Dr. Morgan oversees the academic vision, strategy, and policies of the district. Previously Executive Director of an education nonprofit in St. Louis, Dr. Morgan was a White House Fellow under U.S. Presidents Obama and Trump. He earned an Ed.D. in Urban Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
Eight community panels will interview the finalists on April 24th and 25th, in addition to the Board and Mayor Justin M. Bibb. The interview panels include teachers, licensed staff, principals, parents, students, classified central office staff, community partners, union leaders, and senior leaders in the district. On Monday, April 24, two of the interviews – one with students and one with parents/caregivers – will be live streamed and recorded to enable the school community to provide feedback on the candidates.
Following the completion of the finalist interviews, the Board will review interview notes, public comments, and community feedback. After this review, the Board, with the concurrence of the Mayor, will select the candidate it intends to appoint as the next CEO. The interview schedule and a link to provide feedback on the live-streamed interviews, are posted on the CMSD website, along with the details and timeline of the CEO search process.
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