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CLEVELAND (WJW) – Changes are ahead for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District.

CMSD Chief Executive Officer Eric Gordon announced Monday that he plans to step down at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.

“I will forever be proud of the work we have done over the past 11 years at CMSD and am grateful for the role each of you has played in the District’s progress that I have every reason to believe will continue in the year ahead,” Gordon said in a statement.

“While the decision to leave CMSD at the end of this school year was not an easy one for me, the time and conditions are right for the Mayor and Board of Education to identify the next CEO to lead the District’s long-term recovery from the pandemic and to build on the gains we achieved during a remarkable and historic period in K-12 education,” he continued.

“I am sharing this news today to provide the Board of Education and Mayor Bibb with sufficient time to conduct a thorough, high-quality search for the next CEO.  I have faith that the foundation we have built at CMSD is strong and will be instrumental in attracting the nation’s top candidates to lead our District forward,” he closed.

The subject of his replacement is expected to be discussed soon by the Cleveland council.

The Cleveland Board of Education Chair Anne Bingham released a statement following Gordon’s announcement.

“His legendary leadership of The Cleveland Plan over the last decade has restored trust in CMSD and earned national recognition for turning our once-failing school system into a continuously-improving one,” Bingham wrote.

“The Board will work closely with Eric throughout this year to ensure a smooth leadership transition this spring, as we also work with Mayor Bibb to find the right leader to lead CMSD into the future.  Eric’s game-changing innovations and the District’s steady growth and progress under his leadership put CMSD in an enviable position to attract the nation’s top school leaders to build on his success and continue our progress.”

CMSD is one of the largest districts in the state, with more than 38,000 students.