The City of Cleveland is working hard to make sure students and families have more free, high-quality educational options. 

Breakthrough Schools is the highest-performing network of free, public charter schools in Cleveland. As a network, their students have the highest test scores in the city, including a 93% in Reading and 90% in Math. They have VERY LIMITED openings at four campuses for this school year in grades K, 1, 2, 3, 6 & 7:

- Citizens Leadership Academy, E 97th & Chester (Grade 6 Only)

- Citizens Academy East, E 125th & St. Clair (Grade K-2 Only)

- E Prep & Village Prep :: Cliffs Superior Campus, E 36th & Superior (Grades K-3, 6)

- E Prep & Village Prep:: Woodland Hills Campus, E 93rd & Union (Grades K-2, 6-7)

These schools all offer high-quality academics, caring teachers, college prep curriculum, and are FREE and OPEN TO ALL.

If you would like to learn more about these schools or about how to enroll your child, go to www.BreakthroughSchools.org or call Lashelle Jefferson at (216) 367-5720. Spaces are very limited and half of the Breakthrough Schools are already on wait-lists.

Breakthrough Schools is sponsored by The Cleveland Metropolitan School District. It is not common for public charter schools and public district schools to cooperate like this. In fact, this new approach to providing quality options may put Cleveland on the national map for improving education. What is Cleveland doing differently? Putting students first.

You may have read about Mayor Jackson’s Cleveland Plan to change the way our public schools operate. This plan includes empowering proven educators and leaders to make changes at their schools, such as a longer school day, longer school year, introducing innovative programs, and more flexibility regarding curriculum.

One other major change includes partnering with proven, high-performing charter schools.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) has acknowledged that some charter schools are terrible, and some charter schools are great. The Mayor, Governor, Republicans, Democrats, CMSD, and the Cleveland Teachers Union have all voted to:

1) work directly with the best non-profit public charter schools

2) work together to close the worst charter schools

This is a big change in the right direction for our city and especially our students -- and the first time this has ever happened in Ohio. In fact, cities including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, and New Orleans have all contacted Cleveland about the changes the Mayor is making here.

What does it mean? More quality options for families, and fewer bad options.

Which public charter schools will CMSD be partnering with? So far, CMSD will be partnering with Breakthrough Schools, the highest-performing network of free public charter schools in Cleveland.

Over the last few years, Breakthrough Schools has been awarded funding by the U.S. Department of Education and national philanthropic foundations to open new schools in Cleveland. Breakthrough Schools now has nine campuses and serves ~2,000 students.

The City of Cleveland is working hard to make sure students and families have more free, high-quality educational options. Please take advantage of the new opportunities presented to our community by learning more about Breakthrough Schools and The Cleveland Plan. Visit BreakthroughSchools.org or call (216) 367-5720 to learn more today!