The Cleveland Board of Education has narrowed its search for CMSD’s next CEO to two finalists, each of whom has experience working in the Cleveland school district.
Dr. Ricardo "Rocky" Torres
Dr. Ricardo “Rocky” Torres was a Cleveland school administrator from August 2014 through June 2019 before his appointment as Assistant Superintendent of Student Services for Seattle Public Schools. Torres is bilingual in English and Spanish, and proficient in French. He began his career as a bilingual special education teacher in the New York City Department of Education. He earned a PhD in Urban Education from Cleveland State University and has mentored educators throughout his career, frequently sharing best practices at regional and national conferences on curriculum, equity, restorative practices, instruction, and community voice.
Dr. Warren Morgan
Dr. Warren Morgan, who grew up on Chicago’s South Side, was a Network Leader for the Cleveland School District’s Phase 2 Investment schools from July 2014 through August 2016. In his current role as the Chief Academic Officer for Indianapolis Public Schools, Morgan oversees the academic vision, strategy, and policies of the district. Previously Executive Director of an education nonprofit in St. Louis, Morgan was a White House Fellow under U.S. Presidents Obama and Trump. He earned an Ed.D. in Urban Educational Leadership from the University of Illinois-Chicago.
In a first time procedure approved by the Board, eight community panels will interview the finalists on April 24th and 25th, in addition to the Board and Mayor Justin M. Bibb. The interview panels include teachers, licensed staff, principals, parents, students, classified central office staff, community partners, union leaders, and senior leaders in the district.
After members of the Cleveland community were invited to nominate themselves and others to participate in panels, 322 community members were nominated and 89 were invited to participate. The Board assembled the panels intentionally to ensure diverse representation across the city.
“From the start, the Board built the CEO job profile to reflect the values and skills that the Cleveland community desired in our next CEO,” said Anne Bingham, Chair of the Cleveland Board of Education. “Our two finalists have exceeded our expectations, and we’re excited for the community to meet with them next week.”
On Monday, April 24, two of the interviews — one with students and one with parents/caregivers — will be live streamed and recorded to enable the school community to provide feedback on the candidates. After all the finalist interviews, the Board will review interview notes, public comments, and community feedback.
After this review, the Board, with Mayor Bibb’s concurrence, will select the candidate it intends to appoint as the next CEO. The interview schedule and a link to provide feedback on the live-streamed interviews are posted on the CMSD website, along with the details and timeline of the CEO search process.
• • •• • •
