IPS offers a chance to have a say in how the district changes

Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Lewis Ferebee wants the community’s help in guiding the future of the district.

IPS tonight hosted the first in a series of six public community meetings aimed to get Indianapolis residents’ and businesses’ feedback for how it should construct the district’s new strategic plan. The plan will guide IPS’s improvement strategies over the next several years.

“We’ve got some tremendous schools, but we have some schools that aren’t there,” board president Diane Arnold said. “We have some communities that are struggling and suffering because schools aren’t what they should be.”

District officials aim to finish the plan by August. About 30 people so far have signed up to attend weekly committee meetings to discuss family and community engagement, efficiency and operations or teaching and learning.

“Often we define success based on accountability measures,” Ferebee said. “It’s important for us to take advantage of this opportunity to define what success will be like for IPS.”

The rest of the meetings will take place throughout February. Each meeting runs from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.:

  • Family and Community, Concord Community Center, 1310 S. Meridian St., on Feb. 12.
  • Efficient Operations, Central Library, 40 St. Clair St., on Feb. 16.
  • Teaching and Learning, Central Library, 40 St. Clair St., on Feb. 18.
  • Teaching and Learning, Community Alliance Far Eastside, 8902 E. 38th St., on Feb. 19.
  • Efficient Operations, Indianapolis Public Library’s College Avenue Branch, 4180 N. College Ave., on Feb. 25.