Our History

In 2010, Reaching Heights celebrates 21 years of supporting excellent public education in Cleveland Heights and University Heights. Our founding bylaws are here. Our original Articles of Incorporation with the State of Ohio are here.

Here’s a look back on some highlights from our first two decades.

1985
• Schools Consensus Project Task Force begins, addressing negative perceptions of our public schools that developed in the wake of racial changes in our community. Idea of a public school foundation discussed.

1988
• A group of dreamers - Dave Sweet, Phyllis Evans, Steve Bullock, Marge Montlack, Dick Obermans, Louisa Oliver, and Tom Gerson - meet on Susie Kaeser’s porch to propose a foundation. Tom Anderson, Joe Shafran and Susie Kaeser negotiate articles of Incorporation with school board president Bernard Greene.

1989
With filing of articles of incorporation, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Schools Foundation is created.

1990
• School Team Grant program created to promote collaboration, innovation, and excellence in instruction (program ongoing in 2010).
• First public forum - Ron Wolk

1991
• We award first four School Team Grants, totaling $4,400 Program - 4 grants and $4,400. During the 2009-10 school year, we awarded 14 grants worth $14,525. Since 1990, we have provided 275 projects worth $272,694

• Wyse Landau Advertising develops Reaching Heights name and logo:

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1992
• 1st Reaching Heights Adult Spelling Bee, a fundraiser for our School Team Grants program. The 19th annual Bee will take place Wednesday, April 21, 2010, at Cleveland Heights High School.

1993
• Reception and release of An Introduction to the Heights Schools
• Form Study Group of School Reform
• Workshop for principals on School Based Public Relations
• Public forum on The Achieving Middle School, Hayes Mizell

1994
• Publish first issue of Reaching Heights newsletter - Powerful Learning (ongoing in 2010)
• Launch Community Connection Grant program (ongoing in 2010)

1995
• Reaching Heights becomes a membership organization
• First Music Benefit - Reaching Notable Heights
• Launch PS 21 project - Public Schools for the 21st Century
• Launch Podis-Weiskopf Music Fund

1996
• Involve 150 people in Study Circle conversations
• Hold 3 PS21 public forums

1997
• Launch Thank-A-Teacher program (ongoing in 2010)
• Launch Neighborhood Newsletter program (ongoing in 2010)
• Sponsor Harp Fund
• Hold two PS21 public forums

1998
• HeightSwings Jazz Concert at Cain Park
• Create James Bane Jazz Scholarship (ongoing in 2010)
• Initiate Teaching Fellowship Program

1999
• Support 2000 by 2000 community reading program
• Reaching Heights celebrates 10th anniversary

2000
• Launch 4th Grade Proficiency Network with grant from Cleveland Foundation
• Survey 100 recipients of School Team Grants to assess their impact
• Matchmaker project increases large donor gifts
• Support Concert Club for Monticello students to hear professional musicians

2001
• Advocate and support second year of 4th Grade Proficiency Network

2002
• Publish Parent and Student Guide to the Heights Music Program
• Grant from Henry Doll to investigate service learning
• Provide staff support to 4th grade proficiency network
• Inaugural Friend of Public Education Award honoree: Jim Vail (ongoing in 2010)

2003
• Reaching Musical Heights at Severance Hall ignites community
• Made grant to support CH Teachers Union professional development program
• Public forum on School Governance
• Friend of Public Education Award honoree: Vicki Copeland

2004
• Launch Middle School Honor Band and Orchestra Festival (ongoing in 2010)
• Public Forums on School Funding and on What Works in Schools
• Friend of Public Education Award honoree: Maryann Barnes

2005
• Launch Heights Summer Music Camp (ongoing in 2010)
• Friend of Public Education Award honoree: Calvin Singleton
• Launch Many Village academic tutoring program (ongoing in 2010)

2006
• Friend of Public Education Award honoree: Amy Jenkins

2007
• Patti Family Fund Music Lesson Scholarship program begins with 33 scholarships (ongoing in 2010)
• Reaching Musical Heights-Encore! brings children and families from across the district back to Severance Hall
• Patrick Mullen hired as Executive Director upon retirement of Susie Kaeser
• Friend of Public Education Award honorees: Don & Donalene Poduska

2008
• Fourth Heights Summer Music Camp energizes 85 campers, who share their abundant talent at Finale Concert,
• Friend of Public Education Award honoree: Andrea Freeman
• Reaching Heights adopts new logo, along with tagline: Our Passion: Excellent Public Education

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2009
• Reaching Heights celebrates 20th anniversary
• New reachingheighs.org website is launched, incorporating video clips from our
   YouTube channel, ReachingHeightsOH
• Friend of Public Education Award honoree: John Carroll University.
• 18th Annual Adult Community Spelling Bee Champions: The Know Knothings, representing Cleveland Heights High School Parent Connection Council. Team members: Anne Kugler, Fran Lissemore, Jim Wright.
• 5th Annual Heights Summer Music Camp gives 85 young musicians a chance to shine during a fun and intense week of learning, culminating in a magnificent Finale Concert.

2010
•  Watch highlights from the 19th Annual Reaching Heights Spelling Bee, held April 21 at Heights High, on our YouTube Channel, reachable from our home page. Co-champions this year: Barratrous Orthographers, Sponsored by the S,S&D Foundation, featuring attorneys Geoff Barnes, Becky Bynum, and John Lazzaritti from the law firm of Squire, Sanders, & Dempsey L.L.P.; and OOPSALA (Orchestral Orthographers Publicly Support Annoyingly Lengthy Acronyms), featuring Cleveland Orchestra members Lisa Boyko, Carolyn Warner, and Beth Woodside.

•  Friend of Public Education Award honoree: Lita Gonzalez.

• Hot Jazz on a Cold Night: Reaching Heights Night at Clyde’s Bistro and Barroom brings lovers of great music together at Cleveland Heights’s hot new dining spot to share a meal, listen to a high school jazz quartet, and raise some money to support excellent public education.

•  2nd Annual Forest Hill 5K ThunderRun Walk/Run chooses Reaching Heights as beneficiary of a 5k race through Forest Hill Park, formerly the Forest Hill estate owned by John D. Rockefeller

2011
Oh, To Bee 20!
The 20th Annual Reaching Heights Adult Community Spelling Bee will take place Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011, 7-9pm at Cleveland Heights High School.

Reaching Musical Heights takes the stage Monday, April 11, 2011 at Severance Hall. Featuring performance by elementary, middle school, and high school instrumental and vocal musicians, this community celebration of musical excellence showcase our students’ rich talents, helps cultivate a love of great music among the next generation of patrons of the performing arts, and is one heck of a good time.