CMSD, CTU Keep 60 Laid-Off Teachers Employed for 2026-27 as Substitutes

1 articles · Updated · WKYC.com · May 12

Up to 60 laid-off Cleveland teachers will stay on next school year as Enhanced Building Substitutes under a new CMSD-CTU memorandum of understanding.
Those eligible will keep their current pay and benefits until they are recalled to full-time jobs, leave the district, or the 2026-27 school year ends.
The district said the arrangement softens the blow of layoffs while preserving staffing flexibility and financial stability; placements will be based mainly on seniority and school type, with assignments still undecided.
The deal follows CMSD's announcement last month that 410 employees would be cut, including 146 teachers and 86 administrators—about 6% of its roughly 6,500-person workforce.
Those layoffs are tied to the Building Brighter Futures plan, which closes or merges 29 schools as CMSD responds to declining enrollment and spending that exceeds revenue.

Beyond this temporary deal for teachers, what is the long-term plan for the hundreds of other staff facing layoffs?

Is this deal to save 60 teaching jobs a real solution for Cleveland's schools, or just a temporary financial patch?

With state funding cuts and expiring aid, are Cleveland's school closures and layoffs enough to prevent a future financial collapse?