Changes are coming to Rhodes High school that were not voted on by Cleveland’s own tax payers or discussed with our families. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is trying to sneak these changes by taxpayers and silence the voices of parents, students, teachers, and administrators. Everyone needs to be educated on these changes, NOT just the few that the district selects.

As a Rhodes student, I am extremely concerned about how these changes will affect our school’s future.

What does this mean?

According to the district, these changes are designed to help “grow the number of high-performing district schools in Cleveland as replacements for underperforming schools.”

Although Rhodes had the highest ACT scores in the district last year, CMSD has labeled Rhodes as “underperforming.”  The district believes Rhodes should be taken over and forced through the chaotic changes that other Cleveland high schools, such as John F Kennedy and John Marshall, have experienced in the past few years.

The transition from serving as of the only traditional high schools in Cleveland to a group of small schools means that Cleveland will no longer have a comprehensive high school. By getting rid of traditional schools in Cleveland, it seems to contradict the Cleveland Plan’s promise of “school choice” and a “portfolio of schools.”

Next year these changes will start by taking over the 9th graders, then it will continue the year after with 10th graders. The new 9th graders will be separated and isolated somewhere else unknown.

Who is paying for this?

CMSD already has a grant from the Carnegie Corporation to get these changes started. However, the grant only lasts 3 years and then the district is going to have to spend its own money.

Once again, this means that the district will be spending tax payers’ money on a new school that was never voted on.

How will this affect Rhodes?

Other Cleveland schools have struggled with these changes because it breaks apart the building physically and socially.

These negative changes can ruin school spirit, sports, and programs that the principals, teachers, advisors have worked so hard to build.

I am worried about how these changes will create chaos in our school.

I am worried about how these changes will destroy school unity.

I am worried about how sports teams will fall apart.

I am worried about the future of programs like JROTC and Project Lead The Way.

I am worried about how good teachers will be pushed around or pushed out.

I am worried about students who won’t get the chance to have a traditional high school experience because the district wants to “experiment” and wastefully, secretly spend our money.

I care about my education. I care about my teachers.  I care about my school.

Yet, no one asked to hear my concerns. No one asked to hear my peers’ concerns. No one asked to hear my parents’ concerns. No one asked to hear my teachers’ concerns.  

I believe we, as a student body, need to unite and demand that our voices are heard.

We do not want these changes forced on us.

We do not want Rhodes to fall apart.  

Don’t divide the Rams. Help us grow!