Eric Gordon, CEO of Cleveland Metropolitan School District, announced his resignation on Monday. This came as a shock to many people, including staff, faculty and parents.
One of those parents being Jessica Boiner.
“I was like, shocked because I didn’t expect it,” she said.
She has an 8-year-old son who attends one of the CMSD schools. Her son has autism, so she is concerned that the new CEO won’t invest educational resources into students with disabilities.
“You don’t want someone to come in and they’re just focused on all the typical kids and things like that,” she said. “You know, you don’t want your child to be left out of the new plans.”
She has hopes whoever takes Gordon’s place will make the time to focus on students who are part of the special education program.
“I would hope that the next CEO takes the time to see what there is out there, different programs and resources for children like my son with a disability,” she said.
Boiner spoke with other CMSD parents who were also shocked by the news, but she said that change can be a good thing.
“I’m open to change as a parent,” she said.
Gordon announced his decision to step down Monday, adding he made the announcement early enough for Mayor Justin Bibb and the school board to find a successor. Gordon will serve as CEO for the rest of the school year until June 2023.
While he said there was no specific reason for leaving the position, he said in a video posted to Twitter that it’s important to know when you’re the right person, and know when it’s time to leave.
“While the decision to leave CMSD at the end of this school year was not an easy one for me, the time and conditions are right for the mayor and board to identify the next CEO to lead the district’s long-term recovery from the pandemic and to build on the gains we achieved during a remarkable and historic period in K-12 education,” Gordon said.
