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Dear Families,

Welcome to Cleveland Arts & Social Sciences Academy (CASSA). Cleveland Arts and Social Sciences Academy was founded in 2015 on the simple convictions that a first-rate education is the birthright of every individual, and that every child should be challenged to reach his or her full potential. Our mission is to surpass the global standards of academic excellence by investing in partnerships with our students, community and home environments, in order to encourage the development of creativity and self-direction. We ensure that all students receive the focus and attention required to achieve academic excellence by engaging each student through their unique talents.

Our teachers and staff meet students where they are and move them to higher levels of performance. By focusing on the entire child and using a holistic approach, each student’s passion for learning is ignited. CASSA has truly embraced the motto “Failure is not an option.”

We encourage all parents/guardians to maintain regular communication with their child’s teachers and be actively involved in the school community. Checking the school calendar, website, and our Facebook page for events and activities will help keep you informed.

If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact the office by calling 216-229-3000. We are looking forward to meeting your child and helping foster a love of learning.

Sincerely,
Jesse Williams
Head of School

Jesse Williams, Principal

Jesse V. Williams, Jr. joined the ACCEL team in 2020. Prior to coming on board as Principal at CASSA, Mr. Williams was an Assistant Principal for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District for six years as well as taught Middle School and High School Science in the greater Cleveland area for twelve years. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Biology and a Master of Science Education Degree in Secondary Education/Curriculum and Instruction from Akron University. He also holds a degree in Educational Leadership from Cleveland State University.

Sherree Dillions, Regional Vice President

Mrs. Dillions joined ACCEL Schools in 2018 with over 25 years of experience as a K-12 educator and principal. As Regional Vice President, she oversees leadership development, instructional programming, operations, and strategic planning. Prior to joining ACCEL Schools, Mrs. Dillions worked for Cleveland Municipal School District where she served as Head Principal for over 10 years and systematically turned-around low-performing schools into schools of academic success and achievement. Mrs. Dillions holds a Bachelor’s degree in Special Education, Master’s degree in Education – Adult Learning & Development, and completed the post graduate Educational Administration Program, all from Cleveland State University. She has also completed the post graduate Urban Superintendents Program at Harvard University. In February 2020, Mrs. Dillions was awarded by Radio One as a Future History Maker of the City of Cleveland.

Staff Directory

Community School

Cleveland Arts & Social Sciences Academy is a public, community school. We are our own school district sponsored by the Ohio Council of Community Schools (OCCS) which provides oversight and enforces academic, fiscal, and legal accountability. We are managed by ACCEL Schools, a high performing network of over 50 charter schools located throughout the United States.

 

Community Schools (Charter Schools) offer families an alternative to the local public school. Community schools are tuition-free, open to all students in the county, and focused on meeting student needs for success. Community schools are among the top-performing schools in the nation. Read more about charter schools.

Founded in 2014, ACCEL Schools is a K-12 public charter school management organization (CMO) serving students across the United States in brick-and-mortar, virtual, and hybrid school settings. We focus on improving academic outcomes of students regardless of geographic location or socioeconomic factors. The leadership team at ACCEL Schools has a combined 1000+ years of experience as global school management operators with expertise in curriculum research and design, assessment, student support services, and education consulting. Our entire team fundamentally believes that all children deserve a great education and students should be supported as they pursue a wide variety of post-secondary options. Our robust technology increases engagement, access to resources, efficiencies, and academic results helping our students become productive global citizens.