We (almost officially) have a home!

The Start

Over a year ago, I had the opportunity to meet Pastor Green of Cedar Hill Baptist Church (12601 Cedar Rd). In one of many “coincidences” along this journey, it turns out that he and my parents went to undergrad together. 

He shared how their church - which has an incredibly rich history dating back to the late 1800s - used to run a school until closing it in 2008 shortly before his arrival. (A notable student: Mayor Justin Bibb.) It just so happened that the church was in the midst of evaluating their future and how to best leverage their facility and four-acre campus to serve the community. 

The idea of a school coming back was compelling, particularly as Pastor Green had seen the impact of the The Oaks, a school in Indianapolis achieving extraordinary results. (Another cool “coincidence”: The Drexel Fund, which is supporting me this year, supports The Oaks. I had the chance to visit and train on-site there in November, and their approach to the start of the school day has deeply influenced how we’re designing Forest City Academy so each student knows they are safe, cared for, and experience a deep sense of belonging from the moment they enter the building.)

While there are a few things that still need to line up to make it official, I am beyond pumped (as someone whose default state is already too energetic, “beyond pumped” doesn’t even begin to cover it) that, pending fire alarm system things, Forest City Academy will be opening our doors at Cedar Hill this August!

Why This Location is Ideal

1) Great Location for Families

• Cedar Hill is on an RTA bus route, making it an accessible option for families who face transportation challenges. It’s also on a major road heading into downtown, conducive for families to drop off their child on their way to work.

• The school is within 2 miles of Fairfax, Larchmere, Shaker Square, University Circle, and East Cleveland, making it a viable option for families in neighborhoods lacking quality schools as well as for those living in Cleveland Heights seeking an alternative to the status quo. A silver lining of our Cease and Desist is that it allowed us to rebrand in a way that reinforces what we have always believed: the quality of a child’s education should not be determined by zip code or what “side of the tracks” they live on and that parents should be able to access the right school for their child without fearing legal consequences.

• The location is within walking distance of Cedar Fairmount, Coventry, and Shaker Lakes, and just 6 minutes from some of the best cultural spots in the Midwest.

2) Space Conducive to Deep Learning Today

I’ve seen incredible schools in subpar buildings and beautiful buildings with toxic school cultures. While a space doesn’t make a school, it can unlock opportunities.

With access to:
 ✅ A gym for movement and play
 ✅ Massive classrooms designed for hands-on, mastery-based learning
 ✅ Outdoor space & a playground to foster exploration and creativity

We have an environment that fits hand-in-glove with our commitment to learner agency, ownership, and exploration.

3) Room to Grow and Innovate for Tomorrow

In Year 1, our two big priorities are simple: implementing a mastery-based model with fidelity and a fostering culture conducive to a deep sense of belonging (I am incredibly indebted to Dan Coyle, author of the Culture Code who sacrificed his time to meet up and offer insight and ideas around this).

With that, this space isn’t just for today. It allows us to dream big about tomorrow. For example, with the:

• Commercial kitchen- family-style meals. After all, “all great change in America begins at the dinner table.”

• Massive campus- brainstorming around what an outdoor classroom and garden could look like

• School Capacity - the previous school peaked at just under 200 students. Growing towards that number allows us to move towards a model that is sustainable while also small enough to ensure no student falls through the cracks as we grow down to Pre-K and up to … (that number intentionally left blank)

• Indoor Rooms - spaces that can be adapted- ie makerspace, recording studio - based of the needs and goals of our students

What Still Needs to Happen

The major hurdle to making our space official and opening our doors is the installation of a new fire alarm system. This involves, among other things, a major smoke detection system (those smoke detectors from Home Depot that you replace the batteries every daylight savings time aren’t sufficient), pull stations at each exit, and some other emergency safety upgrades to ensure we are fully up-to-code. Side note: as a former kindergarten teacher, I can confirm that “PULL” is not exactly a word you want on something within reach of a five-year-old unless, of course, there’s an actual fire.

The cost for this upgrade is ~$120,000. To put it in perspective, Ohio provides vouchers of up to $6,166 per K-8 student. This means nearly two-thirds of the state funding we expect in Year 1 will go towards this essential upgrade.

If you believe in our vision and want to help make it a reality (or know someone who would), we’d be forever grateful for your support. Whether through a connection, an introduction, or a financial contribution, every bit brings us closer to crossing the finish line. Find time to connect.

Without Further Ado

(I promise the teaching quality will be better than the video quality)