Nexus Academy of Cleveland Teacher Receives Head of the Class award from Cleveland Cavaliers

Since Nexus Academy of Cleveland opened in 2012, Mike Fraley has been teaching 10th and 12th grade English and challenging students to be their best. Mr. Fraley has become well-known for his willingness to work after hours to tutor students and to keep them motivated as they apply to college and for academic scholarships. His students also score high on state exams.

Mr. Fraley says he appreciates nothing more than the opportunity to witness firsthand the students’ growth in the classroom and how they leave the blended high school prepared to be successful no matter if they move on to college or enter the workforce.

Because of his commitment to his students’ success, representatives of the Cleveland Cavaliers recently paid Nexus Academy and the students a visit to present Mr. Fraley with the “Head of the Class Award” for December.

Each month, the Cavs will recognize exemplary teachers in Northeast Ohio who are making a difference in and outside of the classroom.

The Cavs in-arena host Ahmaad, the team’s mascot, Moondog, and members of the Scream Team, came to Nexus Academy and presented Mr. Fraley with a $500.00 donation to use for his classroom. Mr. Fraley also received tickets to the December 8th game against Portland, where he was honored on-court.

“It was exciting and a pleasure to shake hands with Matthew Dellavedova. It was pretty amazing to stand on the court with the great Cleveland Cavaliers as my wife was watching from the stands,” said Mr. Fraley. “I felt very honored to represent our school and the students that I work with daily. The best part of the award was the response that I received from our students who congratulated me and told me that I deserved the recognition.”

Amber Graham, Nexus Academy faculty member, said she nominated Mr. Fraley for the Head of the Class reward because he is like a father figure to numerous students.

“He is genuine in his teachings, as if each student is his own child. Even on a personal level he has taken time to guide me in my educational endeavors,” Ms. Graham said. “Mr. Fraley goes the extra mile for students, aiding them in their success. There were days that he would stay late to assist students, even when he had course work to complete himself.”

Nexus Academy of Cleveland is a public, tuition-free, blended high school where students attend classes at a state-of-the-art physical campus and follow an online curriculum. Nexus Academy offers students a comprehensive high school experience including Career Technical Education (CTE) courses, foreign languages, core academics and more.

Students are provided with a mobile computer and other technology tools; allowing them to work anywhere within the Nexus Academy school and beyond, 24/7. Nexus Academy is part of the Connections Education (www.ConnectionsEducation.com) family, a leading fully-accredited provider of high-quality, highly accountable online and blended learning.