Cleveland’s high school graduation rate is about 70 percent, according to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. But not all of those students continue their education. For many graduates, the cost of college is too high, or they don’t have the support they need to achieve a postsecondary degree.
To help these students, CMSD, the Cleveland Foundation and other community partners are working to bring a program called “Say Yes to Education” to the city. Say Yes would give the CMSD $15 million over six years to coordinate tutoring, after-school and summer programs, legal assistance, and mental and physical health support services – all aimed at helping school children improve their performance and better prepare for post-secondary education. Cleveland is competing for this program, and there are challenges ahead, including raising the necessary funding for tuition support. One of the key parts of the program is guaranteeing financial support for every student to further his or her education after graduation.
In this installment of Cleveland Connects, we look the challenges ahead in bringing “Say Yes to Education” to Cleveland – and how it might benefit the city’s schoolchildren.
Panelists
- Eric Gordon, CEO, Cleveland Metropolitan School District
- David Rust, Executive Director of Say Yes To Education in Buffalo, NY
- Monyka S. Price, Chief of Education, City of Cleveland
- August Napoli, President & CEO, United Way of Greater Cleveland
- Sharon Sobol-Jordan, Chief of Staff, Cuyahoga County
Moderator
Mike McIntyre, host of The Sound of Ideas, ideastream’s daily public affairs talk show and Tipoff columnist for The Plain Dealer and cleveland.com
Broadcast Times
90.3 WCPN: Monday, September 18, 2017, 9:00 p.m.
WVIZ/PBS: Monday, September 18, 2017, 7:00 p.m.
Ohio Channel: Sunday, September 24, 2017, 6:00 p.m.