Meet Your 2026 Future History Maker: Dr. Henry Pettiegrew II
Radio-One Cleveland proudly honors today’s Future History Maker, Dr. Henry Pettiegrew II. The superintendent and CEO of East Cleveland City Schools, and a nationally recognized leader in urban district turnaround.
The state’s Academic Distress Commission appointed Dr. Pettiegrew in 2018 to guide the district through a critical period of change. The local board later affirmed his leadership as he launched a comprehensive Academic Recovery and Revitalization strategy.
Dr. Pettiegrew’s approach pairs instructional redesign with organizational systems, technology integration, and strong community alignment. His work focuses on building structures that support sustainable improvement rather than short-term fixes.
A systems thinker by practice, Dr. Pettiegrew designed the Flight Path model, a district operating system that organizes leadership and accountability. The model centers on Empowerment Zones, a defined Learning Core, and measurable school supports that drive consistent progress.
Dr. Pettiegrew also authored Turnaround Blueprint, a practical guide for education leaders working in high-need districts. The manual reflects his belief that improvement must become inevitable through disciplined execution and clear systems.
Beyond East Cleveland, Dr. Pettiegrew consults and speaks nationally on rightsizing operations, blended learning at scale, and building durable leadership capacity in underperforming school systems.
He is also a husband and father of five, bringing a disciplined, humane, and relentlessly practical approach to system change. Dr. Henry Pettiegrew II exemplifies the qualities of a Future History Maker.
Future History Makers is proudly presented by Radio-One Cleveland.
