The City Club of Cleveland Podcast

Stories have the power to transform cultures, organizations, and even entire nations. Ever since the advent of language, stories have inspired both emerging and established leaders--connecting us all to our humanity. Today, our world is facing increasing political polarization and an overreliance on digital technology. Add the arrival of artificial intelligence, many have questioned the future of the humanities and its role in shaping our communities and civic realm.\r\n\r\nThe Mandel Foundation endowed the Honors College at Cleveland State in 2014, with an emphasis on the humanities and a mission to develop future leaders "with the value, ability, and passion to change the world.\" As we mark its 10th Anniversary, join the City Club as we hear from leaders that represent three humanities sectors--film, theater, and literature--on how their work harnesses the power of stories to transform the world.

Kate Anderson Foley is a transformational leader with significant experience leading public school districts and states toward equitable and integrated services for all learners. Her work is grounded in social justice and breaking down the barriers for children who have historically been marginalized. Her latest book Radically Excellent School Improvement: Keeping the Students at the Center of it All, presents a model for ambitious improvement and tireless focus that ensures every student grows, thrives, and achieves to their fullest potential.\r\n\r\nKate is the founder and CEO of The Education Policy & Practice Group and teaches a graduate-level Special Education Law course to aspiring principals and superintendents through the lens of equity and the higher standard.

Every year, roughly a thousand young people in the foster-care system in Ohio "age out" and are thrust into a reality where they are more likely to face homelessness, unemployment, and food scarcity. Child welfare agencies are working to fill the gaps, but opportunities remain.\r\n\r\nJoin the City Club as we hear from local leadership on how we can all strategically partner with agencies and institutions to improve outcomes for youth and families.

According to a recent report by Harvard University, the first two decades of the 21st century were laser focused on \"increasing voter turnout among the \'low propensity\' voters in their communities, especially people of color and young people.\" These were groups largely "invisible" to the mainstream election industry. So, at the time, grassroots organizations welcomed the approach. But was it the right move? Today, Ohio is experiencing a higher level of disengagement and cynicism than in comparable states. Add to this, Ohio\'s notoriety as a \"swing state\" has lost steam--and national Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts have set their eyes on neighboring states like Wisconsin and Michigan. What can be done to repair the trust and relationship-building at the foundation of community organizing? And how can we better enfranchise those in our own communities? Join the City Club as Signal Cleveland\'s Frank Lewis takes on the \"forgotten voter\" and Ohio\'s GOTV efforts.

The City Club presents the annual State of the Schools address featuring CEO Dr. Warren G. Morgan, where he will speak about his priorities and progress after his first year leading the schools.\r\n\r\nDr. Morgan became CEO of Cleveland Metropolitan School District, Ohio's third-largest school district, in July 2023. As CEO, he is responsible for implementing the strategic vision for the district, which serves more than 36,000 students. He also oversees more than 6,500 employees and collaborates with educators, students and families, and the community to create a school district that provides high-quality, equitable education to all students.

The most enduring feature of U.S. history is the presence of Native Americans, yet most histories focus on Europeans and their descendants. A 2018 study by Reclaiming Native Truth found that nearly half of Americans believed what they were taught in schools about Native Americans was inaccurate; and 72 percent thought it was necessary to make significant changes to curriculum on Native American history.\r\n\r\nNow, this long practice of ignoring Indigenous history is changing. Awarded the 2023 National Book Award in Nonfiction, Blackhawk\'s The Rediscovery of America expertly interweaves five centuries of Native and non-Native histories, and is part of the next generation of scholarship that we have all been waiting for.\r\n\r\nBlackhawk is an enrolled member of the Te-Moak tribe of the Western Shoshone and the Howard R. Lamar Professor of History and American Studies at Yale University. Prior to this, he spent 10 years at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. A graduate of McGill University, he holds graduate degrees in History from UCLA and the University of Washington and is the author of Violence over the Land: Indians and Empires in the Early American West (Harvard, 2006).

As we head into the November election, tax policy is undoubtedly a top issue for many voters. K-12 schools, higher education, local governments, libraries, and more all rely on taxation to raise adequate revenue to provide public services. Tax policy has also been used as a tool to attract jobs, spur economic growth, and promote entrepreneurship. But what are we actually seeing in Ohio and across the nation?\r\n\r\nIn 2017, the Trump Administration signed into law what many cite as the biggest tax overhaul since the Tax Reform Act of 1986. And just this year, Republican lawmakers introduced legislation in Ohio that would eliminate Ohio\'s income tax and repeal the Commercial Activities Tax by 2030. While such legislation is unlikely to pass in Ohio, it opens up the debate for what constitutes effective and equitable taxation.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is Ohio\'s third-largest public school system, serving more than 36,000 students. It\'s home to state champion athletic and robotic programs; the nation\'s fourth Say Yes to Education district; and several innovative community partnerships in both the public and private sectors. At the same time, it is also staring down a $110 million budget shortfall by 2027--in part due to the loss of COVID-era funds and increasing expenses.\r\n\r\nThis November, Cleveland voters will decide on a proposed school levy that would raise $52 million for CMSD schools annually. The money raised by the new tax would be dedicated to operating costs, like paying teachers, buying new books, and more. In addition, CSMD is asking for a 35-year extension on an existing bond issue. For CMSD leadership, the stakes are high in an era where family budgets are tight and rising property values complicate the issue.

If there ever were a time for James Zogby to revisit the City Club, it would be now. The last time we heard from him was in 2011 when he spoke about his latest book Arab Voices: What They Are Saying to Us and Why it Matters, which outlined America\'s problematic relationship with the Arab world, and why that relationship has remained persistently difficult. Now, James Zogby joins us once again to reflect on where we are today.\r\n\r\nJames Zogby co-founded the Arab American Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based organization which serves as the political and policy research arm of the Arab American community, in 1985 and continues to serve as its president. He is Director of Zogby Research Services, a firm that has conducted groundbreaking surveys across the Middle East. For the past 3 decades, he has served in leadership roles in the Democratic National Committee. He currently serves as Chair of the DNC Ethnic Council, and from 2000 to 2017, he served on the DNC\'s Executive Committee.

County Executive Chris Ronayne delivers his second State of the County address at the newly renovated Atrium Ballroom at the Huntington Convention Center in downtown Cleveland. Executive Ronayne reflects on the County\'s achievements, address our challenges, and outline a vision for the future.