“What Euclid is doing is innovative,” said Dr. Prakash Ganesh, Medical Director for the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. “I keep telling other cities to look at what Euclid is doing when they ask me about reducing violence in their communities.”

Over the past two years, while Euclid, Cuyahoga County, and nationwide gun violence have reached the highest levels we’ve seen in our lifetime, three Euclid mothers have kept an ongoing text thread of mutual support and encouragement.

Chances are, we’re not the only ones.

Over the past two years, while Euclid, Cuyahoga County, and nationwide gun violence have reached the highest levels we’ve seen in our lifetime, three Euclid mothers have kept an ongoing text thread of mutual support and encouragement.

Chances are, we’re not the only ones.

Beginning in January 2023, Euclid property owners should notice a drop in their tax bills because a $5.2 million emergency school tax levy is set to expire at the end of this year.

“We promised voters that if the State of Ohio ever fairly funded schools, we would relieve some of the burden on our taxpayers,” said Donna Sudar

As I reflect on the goals of these new programs, I am excited about what this could mean for Euclid students and families. The 2022-23 school year will be a year for implementation, measuring outcomes and adapting our strategies based on what the data teaches us.

During each regular monthly meeting, we have a school leadership presentation. In January, it was Euclid Middle School, in February – Chardon Hills STEM, and in March – Arbor elementary. This has become one of my favorite parts of board meetings, when students, teachers, staff and families are there to celebrate all of the good programs and people in our schools. This also helps the board stay connected to the personal impact of our policy and budget decisions.

May 2-6 is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I hope you’ll take a moment to connect with the teachers in your life. I still see a few “We support Euclid teachers” signs around town, and I like the idea that our community appreciation doesn’t have to be limited to contract negotiations and nationally recognized holidays.

If I could choose a single goal over the next four years to have the most positive impact on our school community, it would be improving family-school engagement.

On Wednesday, December 8, Selina Wright and I attended our second board meeting since being elected. If you follow local news and social media, you know the meeting was a tense one. With teacher contracts still being negotiated, a rally of support was coordinated by the Euclid Teachers association before and during the meeting.

It has been one week since Election Day, and I am still humbled and grateful for everyone who placed their trust in me with your votes, volunteerism, honest conversations and campaign donations. Special thanks to those who offered their condolences — as recently as yesterday — when the online results showed that I came in second place, which is true!

I have been a Euclid resident for 20+ years, and I am the parent of three children who have attended both public and private schools including CMSD’s Campus International School. My two sons are current students at Euclid High School. I am also an active volunteer with Citizens for Euclid Schools, coordinating the social media and website, etc. for the ECS levy campaigns.

Thank you to the Chardon Hills Homeowners Association for providing an opportunity for all school board candidates share our ideas with residents. Perhaps due to weather, the audience was relatively small, but the discussion was lively, and I am grateful that our voters have a vibrant mix of passionate Euclid School Board (ESB) vying for the opportunity to support our students and schools. Below is a summary, with an attempt at objectivity, based on the participation of each candidate and the questions asked by the audience.

Good citizens know that they are a part of something larger than themselves. They have a sense of pride in their community and they feel seen, respected and valued. In order for Euclid students to feel that sense of belonging and connection, we need stronger ties between our community and our schools. It is very hard, as a parent, to hear residents talk down about our schools and students. On the school board, it will be my goal to make sure the community knows more about all of the amazing things going on in our schools and that we have honest conversations about our challenges.

This morning I’m thinking of a recent conversation with a longtime Euclid resident who is known for her support of Euclid City Schools, even though her children attended parochial schools back before EdChoice vouchers were even a thing. We have worked together through Faith in the City, the Euclid Chamber of Commerce, the Euclid Peace March and other community programs.

My campaign for the Euclid School Board was unanimously endorsed by the Euclid Democratic Club. Two additional school board candidates also attended the endorsement meeting, Taneika Hill and Selina Wright, and I would welcome the chance to work them on the school board. I also support Richard Tolton who is endorsed by the Euclid Dems for City Council in Ward 2 — I think his place on council will be important to the collaboration we need between our city leadership and schools.

Often, people ask what my “platform” is or what changes I plan to make when I am elected. The truth is, I didn’t know at first, and I still don’t know to some extent. All I know is that I have watched our school system — which serves predominantly African American students — struggle for years, with a revolving door of leadership and a statewide educational system that sets us up to fail.

One of my most enduring beliefs is that we tend to see what we are looking for — both in other people and in our communities. During our school research phase and my first year as a parent returning to Euclid schools, I was looking for “the good.” Not just for my own family, but because I know that it’s too easy to get twisted up inside by all the fear-based, negative information that our culture thrives on. No matter what decision we made with our son, I wanted it to be a fair and informed decision.