Michele is a devoted, life-long educator currently serving the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (“CMSD”) as its Education Policy and Labor Liaison.Prior to Michele’s current position with CMSD, she dedicated 22 years teaching first grade students within CMSD’s learning environment. During Michele’s teaching years, she gradually became involved with CMSD’s Teachers Union. That involvement led her to create a group that organized support for various local, state and national political candidates which could help benefit CMSD and its educational goals for its students. In 2011, Michele was instrumental in organizing the CMSD workforce, and others, to participate in fundraising and election activities that resulted in blocking Ohio’s proposed controversial Senate Bill 5 Collective Bargaining law. Michele and her volunteers collected the required signatures to force the issue to be put on the ballot for the voters to decide. Michele served 4 years as the Director of Political Action for Cleveland Teachers’ Union. She then moved on to serve as the Deputy Director, Office of the President, American Federation of Teachers (“AFT”) in Washington D.C.While serving in the position of Deputy Director for the AFT, Michele traveled around the country taking her vast knowledge to other school districts where she briefed educators and advanced the goals of the President of the AFT and the organization. Michele forged many relationships throughout the country for the furtherance of educational reform.In 2013 Michele returned to Cleveland for her current position as CMSD’s Education Policy and Labor Liaison. The position directly supports CMSD’s CEO and the legislative goals of CMSD with regard to obtaining quality education for its students. Michele is responsible for the organization and implementation of the Cleveland Plan legislation which works closely with all levels of elected officials within the City of Cleveland and the State of Ohio to assist in the education and support for legislation to provide quality education and other policies for the improvement of the lives of the children and families within not only CMSD schools but all of those in Northeast Ohio.