As a school district, we remain committed to fostering a culture of kindness, respect, and service. Our focus is on lifting up students and supporting families, and we believe that the best way to strengthen our community is by choosing positivity.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deep­er dark­ness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” This sentiment resonates deeply with our approach at Cleveland Schools. Instead of reacting with frustration, we desire to be a source of encouragement and support for our students, staff, and families.

With this in mind, we’re excited to launch our “Bruh. BE NICE.” campaign for the 2025-2026 school year. This initiative will focus on promoting kindness and constructive conflict resolution. As part of this effort, we are bringing in a speaker in September to work with students, parents, and staff on implementing the “Peace Sign” approach—a simple, research-based method that empowers students to navigate social challenges and respond to bullying or social aggression with resilience and positivity.

Sprinkled in this school year and for next school year this “Bruh. Be Nice” campaign will be supported by monthly lessons and curriculum focused on this “Peace Sign” approach in 3 out of 4 of our buildings. You can also be on the lookout for some T-Shirts that will be available community wide starting this Fall. If you take one, just remember you’re committed – Bruh. Be Nice.

At Cleveland Schools, we choose to be thermostats—setting a positive temperature for our community rather than simply reacting to the environment around us. If we want our community to be one that champions kindness, let’s start by leading that movement ourselves.

Together, we can make positivity go viral in Cleveland.