Thursday, June 10, 2004

School's... Out... For... SUMMER

The joy of students as they race out the classroom door on the last day of school cannot hold a candle to their teachers bliss as they turn in record books and sign out on their last day.

Today was the last day of school for the 7,000 teachers in the Cleveland Municipal School District. I spent the afternoon celebrating the end of the school year with my Max Hayes colleagues at Tremont's Southside (great food, marvelous martinis, and gorgeous patio) then it was down to the flats for the Cleveland Teachers Union annual celebration. The Beachcomber was packed; wall to wall, door to deck--dancing and drinking, shouting and singing. Even the recently laid-off were there, to toast the end of classes and the start of summer vacation.

We pause for a moment to catch our breath and gather new fortitude. August will be upon us in no time. This coming year will test the schools as never before as we work to educate Cleveland's future with 1,000 fewer teachers, and vastly depleted resources.
But...I won't think about that right now...it's summer.

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