(Plain Press September 2026) For those concerned about the quality of Cleveland schools, reading Polly Karr’s Substack is highly recommended.

   Karr, a parent with children who are enrolled in Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD), adeptly uses public records and her familiarity with CMSD staff and administrators to shed light on some of the behind-the-scenes antics that are undermining the educational quality in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

   In her August 22, 2026, blog titled “Poached”, Karr begins with a photo sent to her of new hires in the Shaker Heights School District. She recognizes some of them as beloved teachers laid off by CMSD at the end of last school year. She also notes that three finalists for a principal position in the Shaker system were all former CMSD administrators. What is intriguing to Karr is that a Shaker Heights School Board member, Lora Cover, who was involved the hiring of the principal was also a paid consultant to Cleveland Metropolitan School District Chief Executive Officer Warren Morgan in deciding which CMSD administrators to lay off.

   Karr goes on to point out that a new group that is involved in setting up a charter school network called Future Ready has connections to those previously involved with CMSD. Lora Cover is president of the Board of Future Ready. Mayor Justin Bibb’s former Chief Education Officer serves as the Chief Executive Officer for Future Ready. Former CMSD Board Member Leah Hudnall is now on the Board of Future Ready.

   Karr points out that Future Ready has hired some of CMSD’s most innovative principals who were laid off when their schools were merged with other schools last year – Staci Starr of Cleveland Early College and Tim Jones, the founding principal of Davis Aerospace and Maritime High School.

   Karr’s blog raises concern that the talented staff and innovative programs from Cleveland Metropolitan School District are being poached by suburban school districts and Future Ready. Try googling Polly Karr’s blog on Substack for more details.