All Access

All-Access Weekly Digest

Standard

Cleveland

Cleveland Alerts

Alert

blue

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Cleveland.

Axios Cleveland

Axios Cleveland Thought Bubble

Thought Bubble

Cleveland Members

Membership

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) earned 2.5 stars in the state of Ohio's 2022-23 school report cards, released yesterday.

Driving the news: New this year, the Ohio Department of Education has moved from a letter grading system (A-F) to stars (1-5).

Why it matters: 90% of districts statewide earned 3 stars or higher, meaning they met or exceeded the state's performance expectations in five categories: achievement, progress, gap closing, early literacy and graduation.

Districts that consistently perform poorly may eventually be subjected to a state takeover of leadership.

By the numbers: Of the 31 school districts in Cuyahoga County, Cleveland was one of only four not to reach the 3-star threshold overall.

Euclid and Garfield Heights both earned 2.5 stars, and East Cleveland earned 2 stars.

Zoom in: In the category ratings, Cleveland scored highest (4 stars) on progress, which measures the year-over-year academic growth of students. It earned 3 stars in gap closing, which is based on the performance of students in certain subgroups (racial minorities, non-native English speakers, gifted students, students with disabilities, etc.).

Yes, but: CMSD managed only 2 stars in achievement and 1 star in both graduation and early literacy, meaning that "significant support" is required to meet state standards in those areas.

Zoom out: Thirteen suburban districts earned 5-star overall rankings: Bay Village, Beachwood, Brecksville-Broadview Heights, Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga Heights, Fairview Park, Mayfield, North Royalton, Orange, Rocky River, Solon, Strongsville and Westlake.

Go deeper: Search for your child's district or school building

CMSD gets 2.5 stars (out of 5) in new state report card

90% of districts in the state earned 3 stars of more.

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) earned 2.5 stars in the state of Ohio&#x27;s 2022-23 school report cards, released yesterday.Driving the news: New this year, the Ohio Department of Education has moved from a letter grading system (A-F) to stars (1-5).

News

Education

Monday night's game between the Browns and Steelers is a tale of two teams with very different starts to this season.

Driving the news: Cleveland heads to Pittsburgh tonight for Monday Night Football.

Why it matters: After a big win against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, the Browns have a chance to go 2-0 in the AFC North.

By the numbers: The Browns went from +3500 longshots to win this year's Super Bowl (meaning you could win $3,500 with a $100 bet) before the season to +1800, the 10th-best odds of any team, per FanDuel Sportsbook.

Meanwhile, the Steelers are +5000 to win the Super Bowl after being dismantled by the San Francisco 49ers, 30-7, in Week 1.

The intrigue: The Browns and Steelers split their two games last season, and both missed the playoffs.

Cleveland is a 2.5-point favorite tonight.

💭 Thought bubble: The Browns have a big positional advantage with Deshaun Watson performing well and Steelers second-year quarterback Kenny Pickett struggling with two interceptions last week.

Yes, but: Cleveland should be careful of a letdown coming off the high of beating Cincinnati.

The bottom line: Tonight's game will go a long way in proving whether the Browns are for real.

If you go: Tickets for the game at Acrisure Stadium are still available for as low as $85.

Browns up, Steelers down heading into Monday Night Football

Monday's game will go a long way in proving whether the Browns are for real.

Can the Steelers keep up with the Browns? Photo: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Football

Monday night&#x27;s game between the Browns and Steelers is a tale of two teams with very different starts to this season.Driving the news: Cleveland heads to Pittsburgh tonight for Monday Night Football.

Sports

Columbus

Axios Columbus

Data: SmokyMountains.com; Map: Simran Parwani/Axios

It's officially fall next week, and leaves are expected to start changing colors shortly thereafter.

State of play: Patchy color will begin to pop up between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, according to SmokyMountains.com's annual U.S. fall foliage prediction map.

But don't expect those bright reds, oranges and yellows to arrive here until late October.

Pro tip: The week of Oct. 16 is expected to offer "near peak" color in Northeast Ohio, and trees should be at peak vibrancy the week of Oct. 23.

How it works: The green color in leaves comes from chlorophyll, the pigment that helps plants turn sunlight into energy via photosynthesis, Axios Columbus reports.

As nights lengthen during fall and there's less sunlight, leaves stop making chlorophyll.

The green color fades and allows leaves to show their true colors.

Between the leaves: Our window to view the bright hues is becoming trickier to predict, as climate change affects when leaves change — and how colorful they get.

Ohio learned that in 2021, when an unseasonably warm October led to a late, lackluster display of fall color.

But 2022 was one of the "best years ever," due to ample summer rain and cool fall nights, David Parrott, fall color forester for the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, tells Axios.

What we're watching: ODNR publishes a fall color progress map to help with planning leaf-peeping trips, so keep an eye on this page for updates starting in mid-September.

When to expect colorful fall foliage in Cleveland

The week of Oct. 16 is expected to offer "near peak" color in Northeast Ohio.

It&#x27;s officially fall next week, and leaves are expected to start changing colors shortly thereafter.State of play: Patchy color will begin to pop up between Sept. 25 and Oct. 2, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="SmokyMountains.com" data-vars-click-url="https://link.axios.com/click/32643361.35436/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2JyaWRnZT91cmw9aHR0cHM6Ly9zbW9reW1vdW50YWlucy5jb20vZmFsbC1mb2xpYWdlLW1hcC8mcz0xMjQ1MDEmbj0yNjBmN2I4MyZ0PTQ5ZTgxM2VjNTk5MDlmNDE2NWM0YWVjOTBiZDlhOThiNjFjMThmOWUmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3Nsb2NhbF9jb2x1bWJ1cyZzdHJlYW09dG9w/6374f9e42422d82b9905e155C9e77a717" data-vars-content-id="542b7060-5ec0-48ee-884b-18ae0523e1ee" data-vars-headline="When to expect colorful fall foliage in Cleveland" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://link.axios.com/click/32643361.35436/aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuYXhpb3MuY29tL2JyaWRnZT91cmw9aHR0cHM6Ly9zbW9reW1vdW50YWlucy5jb20vZmFsbC1mb2xpYWdlLW1hcC8mcz0xMjQ1MDEmbj0yNjBmN2I4MyZ0PTQ5ZTgxM2VjNTk5MDlmNDE2NWM0YWVjOTBiZDlhOThiNjFjMThmOWUmdXRtX3NvdXJjZT1uZXdzbGV0dGVyJnV0bV9tZWRpdW09ZW1haWwmdXRtX2NhbXBhaWduPW5ld3NsZXR0ZXJfYXhpb3Nsb2NhbF9jb2x1bWJ1cyZzdHJlYW09dG9w/6374f9e42422d82b9905e155C9e77a717" target="_blank">SmokyMountains.com</a>&#x27;s annual U.S. fall foliage prediction map.

Things to Do

Workers at a Toledo Jeep plant were among the United Auto Workers union employees who walked off the job at midnight Friday. Thousands more across Ohio could join them in the coming days.

Driving the news: The strike by about 13,000 auto workers is an unprecedented move targeting Detroit's Big Three automakers — GM, Ford and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) — that could disrupt the economy for weeks or longer.

So far, the work stoppage has been confined to three facilities: a General Motors assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri; a Ford factory in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit; and the Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo.

Why it matters: The standoff comes amid a global transition toward electric vehicles, with U.S. automakers looking for competitive advantages against non-unionized EV companies like Tesla, Axios Detroit's Joe Guillen reports.

The autoworkers, meanwhile, are demanding higher wages and other benefits to reflect contributions to their employers' multibillion-dollar profits.

The other side: "We are extremely disappointed by the UAW leadership's refusal to engage in a responsible manner to reach a fair agreement in the best interest of our employees, their families and our customers," Stellantis said in a statement after the strike deadline.

Threat level: A broader work stoppage at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis could result in an economic loss of more than $5 billion after 10 days, according to Anderson Economic Group.

The 2019 strike against GM alone cost the company $4 billion.

State of play: Contracts with about 150,000 workers at the three companies expired at 11:59pm Thursday.

The union is making progress in negotiations, but the sides remain far apart on key priorities, UAW President Shawn Fain said.

By the numbers: More than 18,000 Ohioans could be affected.

Ford employs 7,000 across its four plants in Ohio, with more than 1,700 workers each at its Cleveland Engine Plant in Brook Park and the Ohio Assembly Plant in Avon Lake.

GM has just under 4,500 workers, with about 900 at the Parma Metal Center.

Stellantis has roughly 6,600 Ohio workers, almost all of them working at the Toledo Jeep plant.

What they're saying: Parma Mayor Tim DeGeeter told News Channel 5 that he was worried about a potential strike's impact on the city's finances.

"Cities survive on income tax, and they're one of our biggest employers," DeGeeter said of GM's Parma Metal Center. "So the longer they're out, that also affects us as a city on what we do as far as services go."

Toledo Jeep plant is among first wave of UAW strike

Nearly 18,000 auto workers in Ohio could join in the coming days.

Ohio

Workers at a Toledo Jeep plant were among the United Auto Workers union employees who <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="walked off the job" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/15/uaw-strike-united-auto-workers-union-detroit-three" data-vars-content-id="8d077b54-0b37-493c-8aa8-6cbf5c57cbbd" data-vars-headline="Toledo Jeep plant is among first wave of UAW strike" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/15/uaw-strike-united-auto-workers-union-detroit-three" target="_self">walked off the job</a> at midnight Friday. Thousands more across Ohio could join them in the coming days.Driving the news: The strike by about 13,000 auto workers is an unprecedented move targeting Detroit&#x27;s Big Three automakers — GM, Ford and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) — that could disrupt the economy for weeks or longer.

Business

Jerry Cirino, a Republican state senator from Kirtland, plans this week to introduce legislation at the Ohio Statehouse to preempt Cleveland's participatory budgeting charter amendment.

Why it matters: The legislation, which is not yet publicly available, could invalidate Issue 38, the proposed charter amendment on November ballots that would allocate 2% of Cleveland's budget to projects voted on by residents.

It's the latest in a steady stream of preemptive laws that have stymied policies in Ohio's cities and the second time in the past decade that preemption has been used to suppress a citizen-led initiative in Cleveland.

Details: Cirino did not respond to Axios' requests for comment by phone and email, but he told Cleveland.com the legislation would say only city councils have the authority to decide how a city's budget is spent.

He said he is pursuing the bill after hearing concerns from local labor unions and that he did not correspond with members of the Justin Bibb administration or Cleveland City Council, who also oppose Issue 38.

Between the lines: Cirino is not known for supporting unions. His hotly contested Senate Bill 83 earlier this year sought to ban striking for all university employees in Ohio.

The intrigue: Cirino does not represent the citizens of Cleveland, and his local Democratic colleagues are weary of the state's interference in municipal matters.

The other side: "This is not a state legislative fight," Democratic state Sen. Nickie Antonio told Axios.

"Once again, this is a Republican legislator who refuses to acknowledge, accept and honor local control. It's none of his business."

"We just got through Issue 1," Antonio said. "Part of what that meant was stopping the state legislature from overstepping on any issue that the public wants to address and memorialize."

What's next: Cirino told Cleveland.com he hopes to pass the state law before November and said he is confident in its political support.

The upcoming forums and debates on Issue 38 in Cleveland may have a nihilistic bent.

Griffin and Bibb in suits outside courthouse

Griffin and Bibb outside the county courthouse in 2022. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios 

Shortly before Cirino's intentions at the Ohio Statehouse became public, Cleveland City Council withdrew legislation that would have allowed them to use public money to oppose Issue 38.

Driving the news: The local legislation, sponsored by council president Blaine Griffin, generated immediate backlash among some councilors, city officials and members of the public, indicating a lack of strategy and communication among participatory budgeting opponents.

What they're saying: "A pro tip for having a moral true north is to never let a bunch of lawyers bully you into supporting a bad idea by saying it's justified under law," councilwoman Rebecca Maurer wrote in an Instagram story.

"What we are talking about here is spending taxpayer dollars to run a campaign to tell people how to vote."

Threat level: Heated discussion was anticipated at the City Council finance committee meeting Monday afternoon, but council spokesperson Darryle Torbert sent a statement to the media during the meeting saying the legislation had been removed from the agenda.

"Council's leadership team discussed the ordinance and determined it was unnecessary, as the city already has the legal authority to advocate for or or against a local issue," Torbert told Axios in follow-up comments.

Meanwhile: Mayor Justin Bibb issued a statement saying that Monday was the first time he'd heard of the legislation.

"Legal or not, I do not support the use of taxpayer dollars to campaign for or against ballot issue campaigns," he said.

Be smart: The ordinance would have been retroactive, which means council president Blaine Griffin would have had additional legal cover for his summer newsletter, in which he urged constituents to vote against Issue 38.

💭 My thought bubble: Both council leadership and the administration seemed to recognize the legislation's terrible optics and quickly moved to distance themselves from it.

Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation

It's the latest in a stream of legislation that stymies local policies.

Organizer Jonathan Welle and the People's Budget Cleveland supporters outside City Hall in January

People's Budget Cleveland supporters rally outside City Hall in January. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios

Jerry Cirino, a Republican state senator from Kirtland, plans this week to introduce legislation at the Ohio Statehouse to preempt Cleveland&#x27;s participatory budgeting charter amendment.Why it matters: The legislation, which is not yet publicly available, could invalidate Issue 38, the proposed charter amendment on November ballots that would allocate 2% of Cleveland&#x27;s budget to projects voted on by residents.<ul><li>It&#x27;s the latest in a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="steady stream of preemptive laws" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/05/how-a-red-state-government-is-squashing-ohio-blue-cities-policies.html" data-vars-content-id="cb5bdfc5-70c4-4f19-9899-00317c399fb3" data-vars-headline="Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/05/how-a-red-state-government-is-squashing-ohio-blue-cities-policies.html" target="_blank">steady stream of preemptive laws</a> that have stymied policies in Ohio&#x27;s cities and the second time in the past decade that preemption has been used to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="suppress a citizen-led initiative in Cleveland" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cleveland.com/open/2016/12/gov_john_kasich_signs_bill_blo.html" data-vars-content-id="cb5bdfc5-70c4-4f19-9899-00317c399fb3" data-vars-headline="Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cleveland.com/open/2016/12/gov_john_kasich_signs_bill_blo.html" target="_blank">suppress a citizen-led initiative in Cleveland</a>.</li></ul>Details: Cirino did not respond to Axios&#x27; requests for comment by phone and email, but he <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="told Cleveland.com" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/09/republican-state-senator-plans-bill-pre-empting-november-vote-on-cleveland-budgeting-amendment.html" data-vars-content-id="cb5bdfc5-70c4-4f19-9899-00317c399fb3" data-vars-headline="Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cleveland.com/news/2023/09/republican-state-senator-plans-bill-pre-empting-november-vote-on-cleveland-budgeting-amendment.html" target="_blank">told Cleveland.com</a> the legislation would say only city councils have the authority to decide how a city&#x27;s budget is spent.<ul><li>He said he is pursuing the bill after hearing concerns from local labor unions and that he did not correspond with members of the Justin Bibb administration or Cleveland City Council, who also oppose Issue 38.</li></ul>Between the lines: Cirino is not known for supporting unions. His <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="hotly contested Senate Bill 83" data-vars-click-url="https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2023/06/09/ohio-sb-83-is-a-union-busting-effort-that-will-hurt-higher-ed-opinion/70299438007/" data-vars-content-id="cb5bdfc5-70c4-4f19-9899-00317c399fb3" data-vars-headline="Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/columns/guest/2023/06/09/ohio-sb-83-is-a-union-busting-effort-that-will-hurt-higher-ed-opinion/70299438007/" target="_blank">hotly contested Senate Bill 83</a> earlier this year sought to ban striking for all university employees in Ohio.The intrigue: Cirino does not represent the citizens of Cleveland, and his local Democratic colleagues are weary of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="state&#x27;s interference in municipal matters" data-vars-click-url="https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/05/how-a-red-state-government-is-squashing-ohio-blue-cities-policies.html" data-vars-content-id="cb5bdfc5-70c4-4f19-9899-00317c399fb3" data-vars-headline="Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.cleveland.com/open/2023/05/how-a-red-state-government-is-squashing-ohio-blue-cities-policies.html" target="_blank">state&#x27;s interference in municipal matters</a>.The other side: &quot;This is not a state legislative fight,&quot; Democratic state Sen. Nickie Antonio told Axios.<ul><li>&quot;Once again, this is a Republican legislator who refuses to acknowledge, accept and honor local control. It&#x27;s none of his business.&quot;</li><li>&quot;We just got through Issue 1,&quot; Antonio said. &quot;Part of what that meant was stopping the state legislature from overstepping on any issue that the public wants to address and memorialize.&quot;</li></ul>What&#x27;s next: Cirino told Cleveland.com he hopes to pass the state law before November and said he is confident in its political support.<ul><li>The upcoming forums and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="debates on Issue 38" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/08/11/councilman-peoples-budget-cleveland-debate" data-vars-content-id="cb5bdfc5-70c4-4f19-9899-00317c399fb3" data-vars-headline="Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/cleveland/2023/08/11/councilman-peoples-budget-cleveland-debate" target="_self">debates on Issue 38</a> in Cleveland may have a nihilistic bent.</li></ul><figure><img alt="Griffin and Bibb in suits outside courthouse" height="3632" id="8f17c4bc-e07e-4b8d-af10-67a38e1c42b1" src="https://images.axios.com/40jhntDSIh-EQIVXtxi8wz_nAEg=/2023/09/19/1695148655075.jpg" width="5456"/><figcaption>Griffin and Bibb outside the county courthouse in 2022. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios </figcaption></figure>Shortly before Cirino&#x27;s intentions at the Ohio Statehouse became public, Cleveland City Council withdrew legislation that would have allowed them to use public money to oppose Issue 38.Driving the news: The local legislation, sponsored by council president Blaine Griffin, generated immediate backlash among some councilors, city officials and members of the public, indicating a lack of strategy and communication among participatory budgeting opponents.What they&#x27;re saying: &quot;A pro tip for having a moral true north is to never let a bunch of lawyers bully you into supporting a bad idea by saying it&#x27;s justified under law,&quot; councilwoman Rebecca Maurer wrote in an Instagram story.<ul><li>&quot;What we are talking about here is spending taxpayer dollars to run a campaign to tell people how to vote.&quot;</li></ul>Threat level: Heated discussion was anticipated at the City Council finance committee meeting Monday afternoon, but council spokesperson Darryle Torbert sent a statement to the media during the meeting saying the legislation had been removed from the agenda.<ul><li>&quot;Council&#x27;s leadership team discussed the ordinance and determined it was unnecessary, as the city already has the legal authority to advocate for or or against a local issue,&quot; Torbert told Axios in follow-up comments.</li></ul>Meanwhile: Mayor Justin Bibb issued a statement saying that Monday was the first time he&#x27;d heard of the legislation.<ul><li>&quot;Legal or not, I do not support the use of taxpayer dollars to campaign for or against ballot issue campaigns,&quot; he said.</li></ul>Be smart: The ordinance <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="would have been retroactive" data-vars-click-url="https://twitter.com/themattrichmond/status/1703763485492978148/photo/1" data-vars-content-id="cb5bdfc5-70c4-4f19-9899-00317c399fb3" data-vars-headline="Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://twitter.com/themattrichmond/status/1703763485492978148/photo/1" target="_blank">would have been retroactive</a>, which means council president Blaine Griffin would have had additional legal cover for his <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="summer newsletter" data-vars-click-url="https://www.clevelandcitycouncil.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/Griffin%20Newsletter%20Summer%202023%20%286%29.pdf" data-vars-content-id="cb5bdfc5-70c4-4f19-9899-00317c399fb3" data-vars-headline="Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.clevelandcitycouncil.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/Griffin%20Newsletter%20Summer%202023%20%286%29.pdf" target="_blank">summer newsletter</a>, in which he urged constituents to vote against Issue 38.💭 My thought bubble: Both council leadership and the administration seemed to recognize the legislation&#x27;s terrible optics and quickly moved to distance themselves from it.

Sam Allard

Featured stories

Kirtland Republican aims to block participatory budgeting with preemptive legislation

Browns up, Steelers down heading into Monday Night Football

Toledo Jeep plant is among first wave of UAW strike

CMSD gets 2.5 stars (out of 5) in new state report card

When to expect colorful fall foliage in Cleveland