CLEVELAND — Ward 5 Cleveland Councilman Richard Starr has spent more than 15 years mentoring teens through the Boys and Girls Clubs of Cleveland, so Starr said it was that passion that caused him to stand up during theNov. 9 State of the Cleveland Schools address at the City Club of Cleveland and demand athletics program improvements.
Starr told relatively new district CEO Dr. Warren Morgan that Cleveland Schools sports programs need better funding, improved equipment, better facilities maintenance and changes in athletics coaching hiring policies to get the most experienced candidates on the job to better mentor student-athletes.
“It cannot be a system set up so that so long as you are in the teachers' union, you automatically get the job first. You need more qualifications, Starr said. “Right here at Dwayne Browder Field, this field is open. We need a lot of different repairs where we can’t even host games here, East Tech has still got equipment in the weight room from the 60’s and 70’s, that is insufficient.”
East Tech Basketball standout Wanda Ford, who was inducted into the Sports Legends of Cleveland Public Schools, told News 5 she tried to get a district basketball coaching position this past summer but said she was turned away.
“I inquired with the athletic director what can I do, just to even be a volunteer, but to coach you have to be in the union, you have to be able to work at the school," Ford said. “These young kids need mentors. You just can’t have somebody come off the streets and think that they can coach basketball or think that they can coach football.”
Cleveland Teachers Union President Shari Obrenski defended the union contract giving union members first dibs on district coaching positions and told News 5 that highly qualified candidates are getting those jobs.
“The coaching positions and the club sponsor positions that we have in CMSD are the work of the members of the Cleveland Teachers Union. That’s our negotiated work," Obrenski said. “We are very confident that the folks that step up to coach in CMSD are qualified. Right now, if a position isn’t filled, or if there aren't enough applicants, or we don’t have qualified applicants, anyone can apply."
Obrenski told News 5 that when it comes to school funding for athletics or other important district programs, there is a simple reason for a shortage of dollars.
“We need to look to Columbus for making sure that our districts are adequately funded," Obrenski said. "I mean we just had a state legislature that expanded vouchers to take more money away from public schools, so if you want to complain about school funding, start looking to Columbus."
During his State of the Schools address district CEO Dr. Warren Morgan told Councilman Starr he is in the process of gathering information through his ongoing listening tours, which will include speaking with district coaches about ideas to improve athletics programs.
Dr. Warren also issued the following statement in response to our story:
"As an educator, it is one of my priorities to ensure that sports and extracurricular activities are vibrant in CMSD schools. Excellent programs allow scholars to be engaged during the school day and bring those same scholars back to their schools after hours, so they remain engaged.”
“The safety of our scholars is our top priority, and we vigilantly consider this when creating policies around game start times and transit to and from after-school events. Start times for athletic programs often prove challenging as student travel is routinely based on CMSD transportation as well as other modes of external transportation.
Regardless, we look forward to partnering with CMSD parents and families and finding a middle ground so that students and families can participate in afterschool events with safety in mind.”
As I continue my listening tour across the District, I am keen on incorporating the valuable perspectives of our dedicated coaches and Cleveland Teachers’ Union into the decision-making process. I recognize the importance of learning from their experiences and insights to enhance our policies for athletics programs. The Athletic Department has been working hard to address these issues, and I am committed to collaboratively taking the next steps to further strengthen and support our athletics programs."
News 5 is committed to following through on this developing story.
