Micheller leaves school district after 17 years; replacement named

Dr. Joseph Micheller

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Joseph Micheller, the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District’s director of curriculum and instruction, will leave the district at the end of July, to become executive director of new school development for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Sandy Womack will replace Micheller. 

Micheller has been with the district for 17 years. Prior to taking on the responsibilities of curriculum and instruction, Micheller held the positions of director of educational services, interim assistant superintendent, and director of special programming and compliance.    

“Dr. Micheller managed to be both the district historian and futurist. His contributions to this district have been enormous and the initiatives he put into place will continue to have a terrific impact on our students for decades to come. We will miss him very much,” said recently retired former superintendent Nylajean R. McDaniel.

Micheller spearheaded several district initiatives, including the Ohio High School Transformation Initiative, One-to-One Teaching and Learning with Technology, and implementing CH-UH’s Race to the Top Scope of Work. Most recently, Micheller coordinated the International Baccalaureate partnership at seven CH-UH schools, implemented a science/technology/engineering and mathematics (STEM) focus at Boulevard and Gearity elementary schools, and implemented the project-based and inquiry-focused instructional models at the high school.  

Micheller stated he was most proud of the district’s partnership with John Carroll University: "Who would have thought we would create a professional development school, a cutting edge teacher leader program that was approved by the Ohio Board of Regents and accepted by the Ohio Department of Education, and now an Early College Program where 18 of our 10th-grade students are on campus this summer taking their first college course? Our partnership with JCU is a great example of the power of institutional collaboration and commitment.”  

Before coming to CH-UH, Micheller served as superintendent of the Cuyahoga Falls City School District, assistant superintendent for the Brunswick City Schools, and as a middle school social studies teacher with the East Cleveland City Schools. Micheller was awarded Cleveland State University’s Alumni Special Achievement Award in 2009, and John Carroll University’s Distinguished Educator Award in 2012.

Sandy Womack, the district’s new director of curriculum and instruction, most recently served as the principal at the Altitude Academy at Crenshaw in the Canton City Schools. He held several positions with Canton City Schools, including principal of Hartford Middle School from 2008–13. While there, he improved the state’s academic ranking of the school from Academic Emergency to Effective, by 2011. He has also served as a teacher in Canton, Akron, Alliance and Columbus, and in Cleveland’s public schools.

“Mr. Womack is bringing his passion, skills and 15 years of administrative, directorial and educational leadership experience to the Heights. Our children, staff and community will benefit and I can’t wait for him to get started,” said Talisa L. Dixon, incoming superintendent.

Womack earned his bachelor’s degree in elementary education at Mount Union College and his master’s degree from The University of Akron. He is completing his doctorate in educational leadership at Ashland University.