May 2017 Commission Convening
The National Commission hosted its first site visits and public meetings May 1-2 in Cleveland. The Commissioners met with educators, students, and policymakers to learn about the ways that the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) has been integrating social and emotional learning into its schools and programs through its Humanware Initiative. The CMSD Humanware Initiative was launched about a decade ago, following a school shooting, to reframe curricula, student services, and teacher professional development in order to better support students in school and in life. Commissioners visited Wade Park Elementary School and Facing History New Teach High School and heard from CMSD chief executive officer Eric Gordon about the district’s community approach to social, emotional, and academic development and the positive outcomes the district has seen since implementing its Humanware Initiative. The Cleveland meeting wrapped up with public panels that focused on the role of state and local leadership in supporting social, emotional, and academic development and the importance of partner and community collaboration in these efforts.
