(Cleveland) -- Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson took time out of his busy day on September 21 to salute students who participated in the R.O.C.K. (Redirecting Our Curfew Kids) Program.   The purpose of the meet and greet which took place at Public Hall was to reiterate the importance of making regular school attendance a priority and hear from students sharing personal barriers affecting their school attendance or poor academic performance.   

Over 70 students attended and several spoke at the gathering, which was attended by CMSD CEO Eric Gordon and six Cleveland Municipal Court judges.

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The ROCK Program was created in 2012 by Judge Emanuella Groves in response to the large number of citations issued to parents when their children violate curfew hours.  Prior to the creation of ROCK, parents were required to pay a fine and the child was not held accountable. Now, both the child and parent are held accountable.

Click here to view a video of the Honorable Emanualla Groves' presentation followed by a brief interview.

How it works:   The parent and child must attend a meeting to discuss family goals and responsibilities. The parent must attend a parent teacher conference at the child’s school and secure the child’s report card. The child is required to complete community service at one of the Cleveland recreation centers. When warranted, the child is also required to attend tutoring. The Cleveland Recreation Department has partnered with the Cleveland Municipal School District to provide credit recovery for students who have fallen behind in school. Many students have benefited from this initiative. Successful participation means parents are involved in the school, the child is held accountable for his or her actions and the case will be dismissed.