August 16, 2022

Team,

With great excitement, I welcome you to the 2022-2023 school year in the Garfield Heights City School District. I trust that you are having a wonderful and relaxing summer. Believe it or not, workdays are just around the corner and students are not far behind. Thank you to each and every one of you, who have been actively engaged this summer to schedule, teach summer school, or take care of other important school business. Many of us have kept busy in preparation for the coming school year, and because of this, we firmly believe that we have a great year ahead of us.

Because we begin this journey together, I thought that you should know a little bit about my background. I have served as an educator for over 20 years. I started my educational journey as an 8th-grade math teacher in a high-needs school, one which I believe has been my best job ever. I served as an assistant principal and then principal of a rural middle school, principal of a STEM high school, principal of two high needs high schools, and as a central office administrator. Through all of my experiences, I’ve learned that taking care of children, building relationships, having great problem-solving skills, and developing your team will ultimately lead to success. These are tools that I bring with me and look forward to sharing all of them with you over the next few years. 

Our focus for the coming year will be Every Child | Every Day | Together.  You will consistently hear this from me and I ask that you join me in believing that “this is the way” to success. More than something we just merely say, Every Child | Every Day | Together speaks directly to our direction as a district in that we are committed to authentic student learning experiences that are consistent throughout our scholars’ educational paths. The only way we can be successful within this endeavor is if we take this journey together

I also plan to explore how best to utilize our resources and partnerships to benefit our teachers, parents, and our learning family. This will include providing the necessary and quality supports for teachers, developing wraparound services for students and families, and not only being committed to our school community, but I encourage you, the staff, to also commit to the Garfield Heights community as a whole. 

With this, I would like to begin the school year with an Opening Convocation on August 22nd, which will acknowledge our challenges and goals but will also celebrate each and every one of you and your efforts to serve our students and community. More detailed information will be forthcoming from our Communications Department.

Until then, continue to spend this time with your families and enjoy the rest of your summer. I am excited to begin this journey with you! 

Richard D. Reynolds, Ph.D.
Superintendent
Garfield Heights City Schools
5640 Briarcliff Drive
Garfield Heights, Ohio 44125
Phone: 216-475-8100
Every Child | Every Day | Together