Collinwood students speak out about layoffs and the future of Collinwood
That fateful day: Marcella Hall, Collinwood CAST coordinator - front left - and Dorothy Fair Collinwood CTU Building Rep - front right - at the CMSD School Board meeting held April 20, 2010 when the lay off decision was made.
Recently a lot of Collinwood’s finest teachers have been laid off due to financial problems in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Our students are speaking up about the future of Collinwood and where it lies. These students have been asked, “What is the future of Collinwood?”
But a lot are not sure.
Collinwood has always been a school dedicated to the learning and success of young scholars. Is that not worth protecting, the education of students? The students are worried about their education. How will they learn with fewer teachers and more students?
Sharon Smith, a ninth grader, asked, ”How can we learn with 45 children in the class?” She wants Collinwood to improve itself with the number of teachers. She also wants to preserve the outside knowledge that Collinwood has recently presented students about sex, love and relationships in all-school programs such as Kaiser Permanente’s ”Secrets” and a special assembly by actress-teen spokeswoman, Lakita Garth.
Another student stated, “If they lay off all of our good Collinwood staff, there won’t be any learning.” This student also believes that we need to protect our great teachers, principals, and staff because they are the ones who increase the number of students who graduate. Not many teachers and principals get involved as much as the Collinwood staff in helping students that take the OGT by making sure they stay on top of it and get extra tutoring sessions.
To the CMSD CEO, Dr. Eugene Sanders, the students of Collinwood would like to know why are you taking away our teachers and then closing our schools? Do you care about our education? How will this effect Collinwood and other communities in Cleveland? Collinwood will not be a stable learning environment that fends and provides for their children in the future.
Social Studies teacher, Mrs. Svigelj Smith, hopes that the district will find a way to rehire the teachers. She thinks we need to secure the students and staff of Collinwood that she loves. Our hearts go out to all the teachers of CMSD that are affected by this lay-off.