THE VISION ISSUE - City of Shaker Heights

THE SHAKER SCHOOLS UPDATE
National Search Under Way
for Next Superintendent
The Board of Education has undertaken a
national search for a successor to Superintendent
Mark Freeman,
who will step
down in July after 25
years in the position.
The Board’s goal is to
name a new superintendent
in the spring,
to take office this
summer.
Freeman
The Board will
give consideration to
both internal and external candidates and
will include community input in the process.
Says Board president Annette Sutherland,
“The Board trusts the District’s experienced
administrative team and faculty
will help us to maintain continuity during
the upcoming transition.” Regular progress
updates on the search are posted on shaker.
org.
Freeman joined the Shaker faculty as a
teacher in 1967 and within seven years had
moved into his first administrative position.
He was instrumental in creating and
obtaining outside funding for the Shaker
Schools Plan, one of the first voluntary desegregation
efforts in the nation. In 1988,
he was appointed as Shaker’s 12th superintendent
and the first internal candidate to
ascend to the post.
Reflecting on his career in Shaker, Freeman
emphasizes that all the District’s accomplishments
are team efforts. He is
proudest, he says, of the community’s commitment
to diversity; students’ successes
in academics, co-curricular activities, and
service; the adoption of the International
Baccalaureate program and other instructional
improvements; persistence in addressing
the needs of struggling students;
and modernization and preservation of the
buildings.
Says Freeman: “I’m committed to working
with our staff, students, and community
to make Shaker’s one-hundredth academic
year our best ever, and to leaving the
District well positioned for its second century.”
Hall of Fame Inducts Eight Graduates
Eight graduates were inducted into the Shaker Heights Alumni Association Hall of
Fame in October. From left: (front row) Anna Lupica Colagiovanni, recipient of an
honorary Shaker Heights High School diploma in 2012, nearly 80 years after she left
school to help support her large family during the Depression; Shoshana Stein Bennett,’71,
an expert in the field of assessing and treating postpartum depression and
related mood and anxiety disorders; Laurel Richie, ’77, president of the Women’s
National Basketball Association (WNBA); Richard Brubaker, ’50, attorney and former
professional football player; (back row) Austin Ratner, ’90, author of The Jump Artist
and other works of non-fiction and short fiction; Marc Nathanson, ’65, a former vice
president of sales and marketing in the for-profit sector who transitioned to leadership
positions in the nonprofit social services sector; and Jerome Taylor, ’92, assistant
professor of surgery at SUNY Downstate Medical Center and former battalion
surgeon for the Navy, where he earned the rank of lieutenant commander. Peter
Bergman, ’57, co-founder of the classic American comedy ensemble The Firesign
Theatre, was inducted posthumously.
Great Performances
Don’t miss these opportunities to see Shaker students shine:
DEC. 5-7: The High School theatre department presents Shakespeare’s As You Like
It, complete with Edwardian period costumes in a nod to the Shaker Centennial celebration.
The production benefits from department chair Christine McBurney’s recent
participation in a directing workshop at The Juilliard School focusing on Shakespeare.
High School Large Auditorium, 7 pm. For tickets, call 216-295-4287 or visit www.tix.
com.
DEC. 12: High School Winter Orchestra Concert, 7:30 pm in the Large Auditorium.
Free.
DEC. 17 & 18: High School Band Concerts, 7:30 pm, in the Large Auditorium. Free.
DEC. 19: High School Winter Choir Alumni Concert. Alumni are invited to join in
a rousing encore rendition of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus, a cherished Shaker tradition
that brings together five decades of singers. 7:30 pm in the Large Auditorium. Free.
JAN. 11: High School Winter Concert in Dance, 7 pm in the Large Auditorium. Free.
JAN. 27: The High School Wind Ensemble will perform at Severance Hall as part of
the Northeast Ohio Band Invitational. For advance tickets, contact Tom Deep at 216-
295-4233. Tickets are $10 for general admission. A limited number of box seats are
available at $15. Tickets may also be purchased on the day of the event at the Severance
box office. Please visit shaker.org for additional details.
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