Build Shaker Better is an independent, citizen-led website providing information to interested residents about the Shaker Schools' Long-term Master Facilities Plan.
This facilities plan will result in the largest public facilities investment we will see in Shaker Heights in our lifetimes, and affects neighborhoods throughout our community.
It's important that we get it right.
This site was created out of concern regarding the District's project oversight capacity, the design and construction quality, as well as the level of community engagement.
Our purpose:
Presenting factual information regarding the Long-Term Master Facilities Plan school sites and construction projects in an easily accessible and central location.
Our goals:
By providing this information, we hope to encourage good stewardship of community resources, and better quality results consistent with the values of the community, by:
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Increasing transparency about decisions, processes, and results
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Facilitating community input
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Encouraging more equitable communications, engagement, and project outcomes
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Raising expectations for design and construction quality
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Demanding professional project management
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Focusing attention on elevated sustainability targets
Build Shaker Better is a volunteer project assembled by several members of the former Facilities Advisory Committee following the School District's decision to discontinue the work of that body. This site is has no affiliation with the Shaker Heights City Schools, the City of Shaker Heights, or any other organization.
This site represents an attempt to compile information from a broad variety of sources: the Shaker Schools' website, Board of Education proceedings, other public school records, submissions to City of Shaker Heights review bodies, news articles, and similar sources.
We have made a good-faith attempt to maintain accuracy in the materials we present. Where limitations to the transparency of information available from the district lead us to make estimations, we intend to be clear in identifying where that has occurred. We commit to a fact-based approach. We will correct errors as we become aware of them, and add supplemental information as it becomes available to us. We welcome input and submissions from all who are part of our Shaker Schools community.
