GARFIELD HEIGHTS CITY SCHOOLS 5640 Briarcliff Drive Garfield Heights, OH 44125
A publication designed to keep an open line of communication with the community.
GH
Superintendent’s Introducing Message
Superintendent
Linda N. Reid
www.gar fieldheightscityschools.com Garfield Heights City Schools Launch
Bulldog Business Partnership On January 21, 2010, district officials launched the Bulldog Business Partnership, an innovative plan designed to create a stronger, mutually beneficial relationship between The Garfield Heights City Schools and the local business community. The partnership will provide local businesses the opportunity to become an official partner of the schools by sponsoring an academic program, contest, or event that promotes higher academic achievement. In return, participating businesses will receive increased exposure to the school community to increase patronage. Examples of increased exposure include regular recognition at extracurricular events, a page on GHTV, and feature stories in future editions of Open Line. Fifteen members of the local business community attended the morning meeting held at the Central Office building. Following a brief overview of the partnership, each participant was picked up by a school bus and dropped off at one of the district’s five school buildings. For the next hour, participants were taken on a tour of their respective school building and given the opportunity to interact with students and faculty. At the conclusion of the buildings tour, all business partners were taken back to the Central Office for a light lunch and an opportunity to discuss any thoughts or impressions they gained from the tour. The reactions were all positive, although some individuals expressed concern over the lack of district space for students. Business leaders recently toured district buildings. Overall, the launch of the Bulldog Business Partnership was a success, as all of the participants agreed to attend a follow-up meeting in March, which will include another tour of the district’s buildings. District officials are excited about partnering with the local business community and believe that in working together, Garfield Heights will become a better, more friendly place with an improved sense of Bulldog Pride! 4
It is my honor and privilege to write to you in this edition of the Open Line newsletter as your new superintendent of The Garfield Heights City Schools. At a Special Board meeting held on February 19, 2010, the Board appointed me to begin a new era for the district, and I am confident that in the weeks and months to come, The Garfield Heights City Schools Superintendent Linda N. Reid will in fact work hard to reach its potential as a district, one student at a time. Being named superintendent of The Garfield Heights City Schools is very special to me, as I have a profound relationship with the school district, the parents and students, and the community. A bit About My Background… For the past 10 years I have experienced the outstanding attributes of the school district and how it fits within the community. Beginning with the district as an intervention specialist, I saw classroom-level, firsthand experience of the needs of our students and the challenges and opportunities that confront our educators and staff. From there, I served the district as building principal at William Foster Elementary School and helped to encourage our staff from an administrative perspective. Nearly four years ago, I was asked to join the Central Office staff as Director of Curriculum, during which our team worked to make relevant curricular strides and place a focus on improving test scores. I believe that the efforts began then, are becoming a reality today. And finally, prior to my appointment as superintendent I most recently served the district as assistant superintendent.
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Garfield Heights City Schools
Educated at Kent State University as an undergraduate, I learned the values of organization, leadership and communication. I also learned the value of hard work, as a member of the varsity track and field team. From there, I earned a Master’s Degree from John Carroll University, and shortly thereafter, began my education endeavors with The Garfield Heights City Schools. Today, I am married for 27 years to my wonderful husband and have three adult children. Because my husband and I are ‘empty-nesters,’ the time required to invest into our schools is available in my life, and similar to my running days, the race has begun, we’re ready to work hard to make the district all it can and should be as a public school system. …Looking Ahead We believe in the extraordinary potential of all of our more than 4,000 students and are committed to meeting their individual needs. Our work together requires teamwork, dedication and collaboration. That collaboration extends beyond our school district staff and students to the entire community. We look to engage our community in creating a shared vision for our district to guide us toward excellence. We are very proud of the accomplishments of our students and staff and with the help and support of our community, look forward to creating new levels of greatness. In the days, weeks Mrs. Linda Reid makes remarks at the and months that lie ahead, I State of the Schools address. look forward to a continued dialogue with the community. As always, if I can be of service to you, do not hesitate to contact me at any time.
www.gar fieldheightscityschools.com