After approving the layoffs of hundreds of employees last month, the Cleveland Metropolitan School District Board and the Cleveland Teachers' Union reached an agreement.
In mid-April, 278 CMSD positions were laid off, with 132 potentially on the chopping block.
RELATED: CMSD board approves layoffs of hundreds of employees
However, on Tuesday, a joint statement from CMSD and the Teachers' Union said 60 of the laid-off teachers have the option to serve as enhanced building substitutes for the next school year.
If the teachers choose to do so, they will keep their current pay and benefits. The agreement is only good for the next school year.
Read the full statement from CMSD CEO, Dr. Warren Morgan, and Cleveland Teachers Union President Errol Savage:
Over the past several weeks, we have been engaged in productive, collaborative conversations aimed at reaching an agreement that could help minimize staffing reductions. These discussions have been substantive and guided by a shared commitment to our staff and our students. These efforts could not be enacted unilaterally by either CMSD or CTU; they have had to be mutually agreed upon.
As a result of these conversations, we can announce that CMSD and CTU have agreed on a Memorandum of Understanding that will offer up to 60 laid-off CTU members guaranteed roles at their existing pay and benefits at least for the next school year. If all 60 positions are accepted, the total number of teachers who would experience disruption to their existing pay and benefits will be significantly reduced.
Under this agreement:
• Up to 60 Teachers who received layoff notices can opt-in to roles as Enhanced Building Substitutes (EBS) at their existing pay and benefits for the 2026-27 school year.
• The offers to continue as EBS’s will be generally based on seniority and school type (PreK-8 or High School).
• The EBS role will mean the teacher will retain their current salary and benefits until they are either recalled, choose to separate, or through the end of the 2026-27 school year.
• The District is actively working to identify where EBS positions will be allocated (i.e., not a guarantee of one at each building; some high need buildings may have more than one).
• If an EBS role is vacated after July 10, the District is not obligated to backfill it.
• The role will not be extended into 2027-28, but by the start of that year we are hopeful most of the teachers in these roles will be recalled to full time teaching positions.
It is the belief of both CMSD and CTU leadership that this agreement offers a positive opportunity for teachers who could otherwise be separated from district employment. It will provide 60 teachers with the stability and foreknowledge of their employment for another full academic year, improving teacher retention while providing CMSD with 60 fully accredited and licensed teachers serving as substitute teachers in buildings.
The District’s goal has been to find a path forward that reduces the impact of layoffs on CTU members while providing the district with the staffing flexibility necessary to meet enrollment needs and achieving the financial savings required to keep CMSD on solid footing.
We both recognize that this time of uncertainty is challenging for all staff. However, we appreciate the good-faith efforts of both organizations to reach a balanced and beneficial outcome.
The layoffs were part of the district's consolidation plan, known as Building Brighter Futures, aiming to save the district $30 million a year through downsizing.
Also part of the initiative is the plan to restructure the district's school system by operating 29 fewer schools next school year, resulting in 39 total mergers and moves. Eighteen CMSD-owned buildings and five leased spaces will not operate as schools next academic year.
RELATED: What's next for CMSD's buildings as restructuring plan progresses?
