Chalkbeat

Indianapolis Public Schools reverses no-zero grading policy

2026-08-27T23:22:12+00:00

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Indianapolis Public School students can receive a zero on assignments again, but only if they make zero effort to complete them.

The IPS school board updated the district’s grading policy to remove the district’s no-zero grading policy for students in first through 12th grade in a unanimous vote on Thursday.

The change comes about six years after the no-zero policy was implemented and is largely due to teacher feedback, said Lela Simmons, IPS chief learning officer, during the school board’s agenda review session on Tuesday.

Now, students can receive a zero on an assignment if they make no attempt to complete it after getting multiple opportunities and support from the teacher. How that works is up to the teachers and will depend on the student and their grade level, Simmons said.

If students make a good faith effort, they will earn at least 50%, Simmons said. Anything 59% or lower is an F, while other letter grades are about 10 points each. For example, anything 90% or higher is an A and grades between 80% and 89% are a B. Earning at least 50% on an assignment makes it more likely students will pass the class.

She said the aim is to continue to give students opportunities to do better and try again.

The no-zero policy was approved in July 2020 and meant that the lowest score students could receive was 50%.

“The intention of that shift was because it is incredibly hard for students to come back from zeros in their grades,” Simmons said.

She said the change was also in response to the COVID-19 pandemic which led to students learning virtually and missing assignments for related reasons such as quarantine.

The policy had multiple critics, including some IPS staff and parents who said it was difficult to implement and to identify students who needed support. Simmons told the board that teachers said the change didn’t prepare students for college.

Based on that feedback, Simmons said the new policy is a “happy medium.”

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

The Marion County Election Board took her off the ballot. Now, she’s challenging that decision in court.

2026-08-21T20:08:39+00:00

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Lindsey Cornett is asking the Marion Superior Court to put her back on the ballot for the Indianapolis Public Schools board of commissioners after she was removed for not meeting criteria to list her party affiliation. She’s also filed as a write-in candidate.

The Marion County Election Board voted to uphold a candidacy challenge against Cornett and remove her from the ballot on Aug. 10 because she wrote on her candidate forms that she’d voted in two Indiana Democratic primary elections when her voter records showed that wasn’t the case. Voting in primaries is one of two ways school board candidates can include a party affiliation on the ballot, something that’s new, but not required, this election.

The election board decided to remove Cornett from the ballot instead of only removing her party affiliation based on guidance from the Indiana Election Division and the bill author’s interpretation of state law. However, Cornett argues the law is being applied incorrectly.

Cornett was one of two candidates for IPS school board District 4, representing the southwestern part of the school district. Typically, the District 4 race wouldn’t be on the ballot until 2028, but former school board member Allissa Impink resigned earlier this year after winning the Democratic primary for State Senate District 46, prompting her IPS school board seat to be on the 2026 ballot. The winner will serve the remainder of Impink’s term.

Chris Bultman, who is currently the only District 4 candidate on the ballot, was appointed by the IPS school board to fill Impink’s seat between her resignation and the election. His party affiliation was also challenged, but the election board rejected it and kept him on the ballot as a Democrat.

Cornett’s petition for judicial review asks the court to examine the election board’s decision to both challenges. She argues that neither candidate should have been removed from the ballot, yet both didn’t meet the standards for including their party affiliations. The review asks for the court to agree, putting Cornett back on the ballot.

“I’m very hopeful about the judicial review process,” Cornett said, adding she’s determined to stay in the race to give voters choices.

Bultman said he trusts the election board’s decision, and his “focus now is representing Dist. 4 to my best ability.”

A ruling is expected no later than Sept. 11, according to court documents. And timing is tight: the first ballots are printed in mid-September. Cornett also filed as a write-in candidate and said she did so to “cover her bases.”

Write-in candidates are not listed on the ballot, and only those who filed will have their votes counted and certified, per the election board.

No other Marion County school boards have candidate challenges or write-in candidates. The deadline for both was noon today.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Education Corporation to pay executive director $285,000 salary

2026-08-12T22:13:57+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation will pay its executive director a salary of $285,000.

In a unanimous vote, IPEC members approved the salary for Karega Rausch, who was hired in July. His start date is Sept 17.

IPEC and Mayor Joe Hogsett announced last week that Andrew Strope would join as executive vice president. IPEC chair David Harris said Wednesday that the board was “extraordinarily fortunate” to have both staffers on board. It’s unclear if IPEC will hire more employees in the future.

Rausch comes to IPEC with a background in charter schools, similar to a majority of the IPEC board members, while Strope spent the last four years as deputy superintendent for Indianapolis Public Schools.

Strope helped to lead the district’s high school redesign, the reopening of schools after COVID-19, and the Rebuilding Stronger initiative. He was a finalist for the IPEC executive director role.

The duo will work with the IPEC board as it creates plans for an accountability system, transportation, and buildings for IPS and city charter schools, as required by state law adopted this year. IPEC is responsible for putting a property tax referendum on the November ballot to provide revenue to both IPS and charters and for creating its own budget.

Rausch’s compensation package includes a cellphone allowance, city benefits, and paid time off in line with city executives, acting executive director Michael O’Connor told IPEC members. However, other details such as vehicle use, specific holidays, and incentive bonuses are all things for the board to consider in the future, he said.

O’Connor told the board Wednesday that Strope’s compensation is not final, but his salary will likely be in the $250,000 range, and he is expected to start between Aug. 26 and Sept. 1.

Per state law, IPEC’s funding for an executive director, staff, and consultants comes from property tax revenues used for operating expenses for IPS and participating charter schools.

O’Connor’s contract with the city is through the end of the month. He originally started to lead the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, a precursor to IPEC, through brainstorming sessions in 2025 at a rate of $40,000 a month. His contract was renewed twice since then at the same rate, he said.

IPEC is not expected to meet in September and will meet twice in October, O’Connor said. Those meeting dates are not set.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Marion County Election Board removes Lindsey Cornett from IPS school board ballot after challenge

2026-08-11T01:25:03+00:00

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The Marion County Election Board removed Lindsey Cornett from the Indianapolis Public Schools school board ballot on Monday because of her voting record but allowed her opponent Chris Bultman to remain in the race, saying his record met the requirements.

Cornett and Bultman, who recently was appointed to the IPS board, were the two candidates running for District 4, representing the southwestern part of the school district. The District 4 seat is on the ballot this year because of the resignation of board member Allissa Impink.

Both Cornett and Bultman filed to run as Democrats and faced challenges saying they didn’t meet the criteria to have the party affiliation listed next to their names on the ballot.

For the first time, thanks to a 2025 law, school board candidates are now allowed to list party affiliation on the ballot, but only if they have voted in two primaries held by that party or have gotten permission from the county party leader. Registered voters can challenge those party affiliations.

The outcome of those challenges is determined by the county election board. The Marion County Election Board’s decision could be one of the earliest decisions by an Indiana elections board regarding partisan school board candidates, setting a precedent for future challenges. Board members cited guidance from the Indiana Election Division as well as the interpretation from the bill author in making their unanimous decisions to remove Cornett but keep Bultman on the ballot.

The challenge against Cornett, filed July 1 by registered voter Bryan Regules, says that it’s questionable that she “voted a democratic primary ballot two primaries.” A Chalkbeat review of her voting history shows that she voted in one democratic primary election since moving to Indiana in 2019.

Cornett conceded that she voted in only one primary, but said she didn’t realize it until after filing her candidacy paperwork. She and her attorney, Nabeela Virjee, argued that while that was grounds to remove her party affiliation from the ballot, she should remain on the ballot because of how Cornett and Virjee interpret state law and that listing her as a Democrat would fulfill the law’s goal of giving voters more information.

Attorney Brad Boswell, who was advising the election board, said the law around school board candidates says what to do in the case of an unsuccessful challenge to party affiliation, but doesn’t list the appropriate step after a successful challenge. And in that case, the state election division said it would defer to the part of state law that’s about candidates in general, which says to remove the candidate from the ballot.

Kate Sweeney Bell, the county clerk and a member of the election board, said the additions about party affiliation for school board are “as clear as mud” yet impact “real issues with real people.”

Cornett also faced challenges around the timing of her filing and the number of signatures she received. However, since the board voted on the party affiliation first, it did not make a determination on the other challenges.

Cornett said after the meeting that she was disappointed and frustrated and felt the law had been applied unfairly. She said she’s still committed to running in November.

Anyone who disagrees with the board’s decision has 30 days to seek judicial review of the outcome. But the timeline is tight, as the first ballots are printed in mid-September.

Cornett plans to file a judicial review and is also looking into being a write-in candidate. The deadline for write-in candidates is Aug. 21.

Which primary elections meet the candidate qualifications

The challenge to Bultman’s candidacy, filed July 24 by registered voter Isaiah Tworek, argues that the interpretation of the law is that the candidate should have voted in the last two primaries held by the party as stated in the school board portion of the law, not voted in any two of that party’s primaries, like the broader law and election division says.

According to Indiana Code regarding nomination for school board office, as well as Senate Enrolled Act 287 from 2025, the law that allows partisan school board elections, the candidate must have voted in the two most recent primary elections held by that party.

A section in Indiana Code regarding local and state candidates overall says the candidate must have voted in two primaries held by their party without voting in another party’s primary in between. That same language is on the Indiana Election Division’s CAN-34 form, aka the Petition of Nomination and Consent for School Board Office, and is the interpretation by the state election division.

In Bultman’s case, voting records show he voted in Democratic primaries in 2026 and 2020, fulfilling the latter interpretation, which the county election board agreed with.

Bultman said he was excited to move forward with his candidacy and noted his respect for Cornett. He added that the challenges show there’s a need for clarity around the new law.

The winner of the district 4 race in November would serve the remainder of Impink’s term until 2028.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

‘Have a great day’: School 51 welcomes students to the new year with cheers and high fives

2026-08-10T21:10:31+00:00

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From the moment students stepped off the bus at James Russell Lowell Montessori School 51, they were met with cheers from waiting adults.

School and district staff, along with others from the nearby Edna Martin Christian Center, lined the sidewalk to the doors, waiting for the students’ arrival.

“Come on down, get excited!”

“Hi sweetheart, have a great day!”

The cheers and well wishes were punctuated by barks from MJ, the school’s therapy dog, as students gave high fives and hugs on their way in the doors.

“The first day is always exciting, it’s great to be here,” said School 51 Principal Christine Rembert, adding that staff at the Martindale-Brightwood school had prepared all summer for the students’ return. Roughly 350 students are attending the prekindergarten to fifth grade Montessori school this year.

Students from James Russell Lowell Montessori School 51 are greeted by teachers and staff with high fives on the first day of school in Indianapolis.

Students across central Indiana are returning to class this month, and Monday marked the first day of school for Indianapolis Public Schools. The new year marks one that will likely bring significant changes for schools within IPS boundaries as the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, a mayor-appointed board, begins overseeing buildings, facilities, and some finances. The board is also putting a tax increase to fund schools on the November ballot, while IPS faces budget cuts regardless of the outcome.

Rembert acknowledged that there is a lot happening in the city overall, as well in the personal lives of staff and students. Students pick up on adults’ emotions, she said. “When grown-ups feel unrest, kids feel it too.”

That’s why inside the school walls, she said, the focus is on creating a place of belonging.

Parents want to know that the school is filled with adults who care for their students and will help them develop the confidence and agency to choose who they want to be later in life, Rembert said.

School 51 focuses on literacy from first day

The first day of school also lands the day before state test scores for last year’s ILEARN and IREAD are expected to be released. At School 51, Rembert said she’s excited for the scores to be unveiled, and the school will use a $25,000 literacy grant from the United Way to maintain and expand its literacy focus, especially for the school’s youngest and oldest students.

The school’s literacy focus has been on students in first through third grade, but the grant will help expand that work to pre-K, kindergarten, and older grades, she said.

In the early learning classrooms, building community and literacy skills are at the top of the agenda for the first day.

Students ages 4-5 work on spelling their names during the first day of school at James Russell Lowell Montessori School 51 on Monday, Aug. 10, 2026, in Indianapolis.

Pre-K and kindergarten students in Melisa Alkire’s classroom started the day by spelling their names. Students matched letters written on clothespins to the letters in their names written on a card.

The activity helps students learn to spell their names while also strengthening the fingers they use to hold the pencil, Rembert said.

Next door, early childhood teacher Mary Haste said her students will practice writing their names to build literacy skills. She also wants to build a love of reading early with books in her classroom that students can see themselves represented in.

Haste said the first week of school is her favorite. It builds relationships with students that last all school year, she said, adding that hopefully means fewer tears too.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Voting records show IPS board candidate Lindsey Cornett did not meet requirement to run as a Democrat

2026-08-07T20:47:22+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools board candidate Lindsey Cornett has listed herself as a Democrat on the ballot, but has not met the state voting requirements to do so, Marion County voting records show.

The voting record for Cornett, who is running as one of two candidates in IPS District 4, shows she has voted once in a Democratic primary in Indiana, in the May 2026 primary. Under changes to state law that go into effect this year, candidates for school board elections can list a party affiliation. But in order to do so, they must have voted in two of that party’s primaries in the state, or get permission from the county party leader to identify with a party on the ballot.

Cornett’s voting record, which Chalkbeat obtained from the Marion County Board of Voters Registration, indicates she has voted only once in an Indiana Democratic primary in Indiana, in May of this year. She also voted in general elections.

In a statement Friday, Cornett said that at the time she filed to run, she believed that she had voted in the last two primary elections in Indiana, but added that, “I have since learned that while I had voted in the Democratic party primary in 2026, I had not voted in the 2024 primary. Because I believed I qualified as a Democrat, I did not seek certification from the county chair.”

Cornett added that she was a proud Democrat, but would run as an unaffiliated candidate if necessary.

Both Cornett and the other District 4 candidate, Chris Bultman, have had their listings as Democrats on the ballot challenged this summer.

Bultman, who currently represents District 4 on the IPS board as an appointed member, has voted in multiple Democratic primaries as well as general elections, according to county records. But the challenge to his candidacy hinges on an interpretation that his voting history still does not entitle him to list himself as a Democrat.

What happens next is likely up to the Marion County Elections Board. At the end of last month, the board opted to postpone hearing the challenge to Cornett’s candidacy after subsequently receiving a challenge to Bultman’s candidacy.

The outcome could be one of the earliest decisions by an Indiana elections board regarding partisan school board candidates. This is the first election cycle in which the law about partisan school board races will be in effect.

Bultman’s voting record shows that the two most recent Democratic primaries he voted in were in 2026 and 2020. The challenge to his candidacy from Isaiah Tworek hinges on whether that is sufficient.

According to the new law that allows partisan school board elections, the candidate must have voted in the two most recent primary elections held by that party, in order to affiliate with that party on the ballot. Tworek’s challenge to Bultman’s affiliation is based on this language.

But the Indiana Election Division interprets the new law to mean that candidates must have voted for the party with which they seek affiliation in the most recent primary elections they voted in — not the most recent overall. That same language is on a form that candidates must fill out to run for school board.

If the elections board strips a candidate of their party affiliation, it’s not yet clear if they could stay on the ballot without a party affiliation. Candidates without that affiliation are placed at the bottom of the list of candidates for their race on the ballot.

In a previous statement to Chalkbeat, Bultman said his record “meets the standard detailed by state election leaders who are charged with implementing the law and creating the form we all used to file for office.”

IPS District 4 includes the southwestern part of the school district. Bultman and Cornett listed themselves as Democrats and indicated they met the voting requirements to do so on their filing paperwork.

The challenge to Cornett, filed by Bryan Regules, also disputed the number of signatures she received and the timing of her filing.

Once the county election board makes a decision, anyone who disagrees has 30 days to seek judicial review of the outcome, attorney Brad Boswell — who’s advising the elections board — told the board last month. However, the timeline is tight: The county’s first ballots are printed in mid-September.

Cornett and Bultman were both finalists to fill the District 4 vacancy on the IPS school board following the resignation of board member Allissa Impink. The school board voted in June to appoint Bultman, who will serve until the newly elected school board member is sworn in.

The winner of the District 4 race in November will serve the remainder of Impink’s term until 2028.

Corrections and clarifications: A previous version of this article misspelled Cornett’s name in one reference.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her ataappleton@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

15 candidates for 5 seats: See who’s running for school board at IPS and other Indianapolis area districts

2026-07-15T20:32:18+00:00

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Update, July 15: Tiffani Flick, Jayia McCray and Christopher Williams have withdrawn from their respective school board races since this article was published.

Update, June 26: This story was updated to reflect that Lindsey Cornett was added to the ballot as a District 4 candidate for IPS school board.

Fifteen candidates are running for five seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools board this November, including an influential charter school advocate and an Indiana Democratic Party leader.

Candidates had until noon June 18 to be on the November ballot, and the list is a first look at who could lead IPS during a time of change for the city’s schools. This was the first time candidates could include their political affiliations.

Of the 59 candidates competing for 31 seats on 10 school boards across Marion County, more than half decided to list a party affiliation, with 23 Democrats and 9 Republicans. Seven candidates are Independents and 20 chose to be nonpartisan. For IPS, 13 listed Democrat and two are Independents.

This election is pivotal for the IPS school board. After two resignations this year, five of the board’s seven seats are on the ballot. It’s also the first election since state lawmakers created the mayor-appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.

IPEC holds key powers for IPS and charter schools in the city including including the ability to ask voters for a tax increase to provide additional funds to schools. The elected IPS board previously had that power, and this year’s possible referendum comes as the district faces critical financial challenges. Per state law, three of the nine members of IPEC are also IPS board members.

Of the five races for IPS school board, the most crowded are for District 3 and the at-large seat with four candidates for each. The District 3 race is especially notable with Hope Duke Star, the current IPS board president and a member of IPEC, and Derek Redelman, who is considered an architect of the state’s 2001 charter school law, both on the ballot.

Alexander S. Nyirendah, the vice chair of the Indiana Democratic Party, is running for an at-large seat and Chris Bultman is running in District 4. Bultman works at Concept Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization and was recently appointed to join the IPS board.

The IPS board members who have terms ending in 2026 are all running for re-election.

School board candidates statewide were previously nonpartisan, but they now have the ability to list a political party affiliation, identify as an independent, or be nonpartisan. Because there are no primary elections, multiple candidates can have the same party affiliation.

Here’s a look at who’s on the ballot. Incumbent candidates are noted with an asterisk.

Candidates for IPS school board:

See the map of school board districts here.

District 2

Bryan Duarte, Democrat
Hasaan Rashid, Democrat*

District 3

Loren Eugene Heger, Democrat
Hope Duke Star, Democrat*
Derek Redelman, Independent
Daqavise D. Winston, Democrat

You’re invited: Hear about the changes for schools this election and what they mean

District 4

Chris Bultman, Democrat*
Lindsey Cornett, Democrat

District 5

Nicole Carey, Democrat*
Yuri Smith Sr., Democrat
Pearl Taylor, Democrat

At-large

Heather Houston, Independent
Angelia Lois Moore, Democrat*
Alexander S. Nyirendah, Democrat
Sacha Nicole Sharp, Democrat

Candidates for school boards across the Indianapolis area:

Beech Grove City Schools

Three at-large seats are on the ballot.

Brian Downard, nonpartisan*
Tiffani Flick, Democrat
Jannis King, Independent*
Madison West, nonpartisan

MSD of Decatur Township

Three at-large seats are on the ballot.

Randi Berryman, nonpartisan
Teresa A. Burns, nonpartisan
Judith Collins, Republican*
Dale Henson, Republican*
Steve Jacobi, nonpartisan
Patrice Johnson, nonpartisan
Chase Lyday, Republican*
Kristyn D. Stoddard, Independent

Franklin Township Community Schools

At-large

Komal (Komal Kaur) Chohan, Independent
Dawn Downer, nonpartisan*
Antonio DeWayne Key, Sr, Democrat
Tim McVey, Republican
Christopher Williams, Republican

Northeast District

Zachary Smith Howard, Republican*

Southeast District

Matt Morgan, Republican
Larry J. Walker, Republican*

MSD of Lawrence Township

At-large

Maria Bertram Cartagena, nonpartisan
Jessica Dunn, nonpartisan*

District 2

Larry Brown, nonpartisan
Craig J Willey, nonpartisan

Perry Township Schools

Three at-large seats are on the ballot.

Chris Lewis, Republican*
Brianna Bible, Democrat
Lee Shively, Independent*

MSD of Pike Township

Three at-large seats are on the ballot.

Alonzo Anderson, Democrat*
Wayne Moore, Democrat*
Sherie Latoya Scott, Democrat
Terry A. Webster, Sr., Democrat*

MSD of Warren Township

Three at-large seats are on the ballot.

Terri Amos, nonpartisan*
Rachel M Burke, nonpartisan*
Jerry Crites, nonpartisan
Samantha Douglas, nonpartisan
Kevin S. Humphrey, Sr, nonpartisan*
Steve (Coach) Tutsie, Independent

MSD of Washington Township

At-large

Leslie Bowles, nonpartisan
Jayia McCray, nonpartisan

District 2

Jocelyn Sisson, nonpartisan

MSD of Wayne Township

Four at-large seats are on the ballot.

Brandon Bowman, Democrat*
Mikeal Gordon, Democrat*
Raimeka Graham, Democrat*
Benjamin Wakefield, nonpartisan*

Speedway Schools is not included in this list because the school board is appointed by the town board, not elected.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

This Decatur Central teacher’s marketing class helped launch rebranded district logos

2026-07-02T16:53:51+00:00

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When the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township unveiled its rebranded logos last school year, it turned to an in-house marketing firm: Jessica Sandvold’s Strategic Marketing and Digital Marketing classes at Decatur Central High School.

Sandvold designed a curriculum in which students treated the district as a marketing client. She said the project pushed students to think about “what would resonate with a broader audience, which is a critical mindset in marketing.”

While students learned marketing strategy and practiced collaboration, Sandvold said the project also gave her a new perspective on structuring assignments and teaching concepts to students new to marketing.

Sandvold became a teacher four years ago after encouragement from a mentor. Now, she hopes to inspire her own students by helping them discover potential career paths.

“I get to help them explore who they are, what they’re interested in, and how that can translate into a career,” she said. “That sense of purpose, helping students see a path forward, is what drives me every day.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I didn’t originally set out to become a teacher. I started at Decatur Central as an administrative assistant to Christine Mullis, who also leads the EDGE Academy small learning community. My daughter had just graduated in 2022, and at the time I was returning to the workforce after staying home with my three young children. Initially, I was looking for a role that aligned with my family’s schedule and allowed me to explore a new career path.

A few months into the job, a business teaching position opened. I was honestly unsure if I could do it, but Christine saw something in me before I fully saw it in myself. Her mentorship and belief in me played a huge role in my decision to take that step and in the teacher I’ve become.

I chose to teach marketing because it’s where my background and passion align. I have a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in marketing, along with master’s degrees in Public Administration and Marketing Project Management. More importantly, though, I’ve always been someone who connects well with people. Building relationships is one of my strengths, and that’s at the core of how I approach teaching.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

One of my favorite lessons to teach is our semester-long small business project, where students develop their own realistic business from the ground up. Entrepreneurship is something many of my students are genuinely interested in, so this project gives them a chance to turn that interest into something tangible and meaningful.

Throughout the semester, students take on the role of business owners. They create a brand identity with a logo and slogan, decide what products or services they want to offer, define their target audience, and think through how they would actually market and operate their business.

It’s not just a creative exercise; it pushes them to think critically, make decisions, and problem-solve in ways that mirror the real world.

What I love most is seeing students take ownership of their ideas. They start to realize that building a business takes more than just a good idea. It requires planning, adaptability, and persistence.

How did you approach working with the students on the district rebranding?

We began working on a district logo launch video, and then expanded into developing concepts for how each school’s new logo could be introduced. I used my prior experience with marketing and rebranding to build out a structured process for students, essentially turning a real-world brand launch into a guided curriculum.

Students worked through planning, content creation, and editing while collaborating in teams. They also took on leadership roles, presented their ideas, and operated under real-world expectations, meeting deadlines, following guidelines, and even signing confidentiality agreements. We treated it like a true client-based project, which elevated both the level of professionalism and student investment.

How did you make the project a real-world work experience for students?

Students approached the district rebranding as if they were working for a real marketing client. Over several months, they collaborated in teams to plan, create, and refine content that would introduce the new district and school logos in a way that felt engaging and authentic to our community.

Their work included brainstorming campaign concepts, identifying target audiences, scripting and storyboarding videos, filming and editing content, and presenting their final ideas. Throughout the process, they had to think critically about messaging, audience perception, and how to build excitement around a brand, skills that directly mirror what professionals in the marketing field do.

The experience was intentionally designed to feel as close to real life as possible. Students worked under deadlines, followed project guidelines, signed confidentiality agreements, and treated each phase of the project with a high level of professionalism. They also participated in group collaboration and took on leadership roles, which added another layer of accountability.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is that teaching is like “building the plane while you’re flying it.” At the time, I didn’t fully realize it was advice, but it has become something I rely on every day.

That mindset has been incredibly important because teaching requires constant flexibility. You’re navigating new students, evolving expectations, and shifting systems, all while trying to make content meaningful and engaging. There isn’t a perfect moment where everything is fully “built”... you have to keep moving forward anyway.

I’ve learned to give myself grace in that process. Some days don’t go as planned, and that’s part of the job. What matters is staying adaptable and continuing to show up for students.

I also bring that mindset into my classroom. I talk to my students about handling uncertainty and making the best decisions with what they have in front of them. They’re going to face similar situations in their future careers, where things aren’t perfect or fully figured out. The goal isn’t perfection … it’s learning how to adjust, problem-solve, and keep going.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

I try to be intentional about self-care whenever I can, whether that’s something small like getting my nails done or trying out a new recipe in the kitchen. I also have three daughters at home, and being their mom is one of the biggest ways I recharge. Spending time with them fills my cup in a way nothing else can.

Over time, I’ve learned that you can’t pour from an empty cup. I used to feel guilty taking time for myself, but I’ve realized it’s not optional … it’s necessary. When I take care of myself, I’m able to show up better for my students and my family.

I also enjoy traveling and spending time with friends and family. Those moments help me reset and come back to work with more energy and perspective.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Schools board taps Chris Bultman to represent District 4

2026-06-26T01:07:53+00:00

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Chris Bultman will be the newest member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners. He will represent District 4, the southwest part of the school district.

The IPS school board voted 5-1 on Thursday to appoint Bultman, the regional director of external affairs at Concept Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization that works with Indiana Math and Science Academies. The board interviewed him and finalist Lindsey Cornett in a public meeting on Wednesday.

Bultman will serve through January, when the newly elected District 4 representative will be sworn in.

Both Bultman and Cornett are running for District 4 in November. Bultman’s appointment means he will have some time on the board ahead of the election, unlike newcomer Cornett. He’ll also have to balance joining the board and campaigning.

Bultman is on the ballot for November. Cornett will be added, said the Marion County Clerks’ Office on Thursday. She was originally denied due to what she said was confusion about whether she met the deadline to file.

Board president Hope Duke Star said she voted for Bultman as a decision aimed at the future, adding that “a year from now, we will need some stability on the board.”

The District 4 seat became vacant when former Commissioner Allissa Impink resigned earlier this month after winning the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 46. During public comment on Wednesday, Impink spoke in support of Cornett.

IPS board members Star, Angelia Moore, Deandra Thompson, Ashley Thomas and Hasaan Rashid voted for Bultman. Board member Nicole Carey voted for Cornett.

Carey said she is concerned about the professional conflict Bultman could face as an IPS board member who also works for a charter organization that aims to enroll students living within the IPS district boundaries.

Star said that even when there is a gray area, she expects all IPS board members to prioritize IPS when they are in their board seats, including Bultman.

Bultman joins the board at a critical time, with five of the board’s seven seats on the ballot in November. It is also the first school board election since the creation of the mayor-appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which holds key powers for IPS and charter schools.

Voters will also be asked to decide whether to approve a tax increase, or referendum, that would provide funding for IPS and charter schools that opt in.But even if it passes, IPS is still expected to make $20 million in cuts by the 2027-28 school year.

In his Wednesday interview, Bultman said has experience working with students facing challenges outside of school and with helping families make decisions about where to attend school.

He said his priorities would be improving student outcomes and the district’s financial health while also making IPS a destination for families. Bultman said the referendum is also a key challenge facing the district. He also called for collaboration across Indianapolis’ school types with a focus on improving student outcomes.

Bultman will be sworn in during the school board’s next agenda review meeting at 6 p.m. July 28 at 120 E. Walnut St.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

IPS school board approves Cold Spring School’s bid to be an innovation charter school

2026-06-26T01:04:09+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board reversed its decision from last year and approved Cold Spring School’s request to remain in the district’s Innovation Network as a charter school.

The board also approved two new innovation schools: a second campus for Global Prep Academy and a new Monarca Academy high school. Both schools are already in the Innovation Network.

Innovation schools are independently run but receive some services from IPS such as transportation, food service, or building space. While many innovation schools are charter schools, some are not. Those schools rely more heavily on IPS for student services such as special education and English learner support.

The changes are all for one year, as contracts for Cold Spring, Global Prep, and Monarca are all up for renewal this year, according to Ricky Ritter, IPS director of innovation schools.

IPS superintendent Aleesia Johnson told the board that she expects more clarity around the district’s future and finances ahead of the renewal votes.

Here’s an overview of the changes.

Cold Spring School will become a charter school

Cold Spring School, which serves grades K-8, is an innovation school that wants to become a charter innovation school. Last year, the IPS school board rejected that request, saying the city’s education policy landscape was in flux.

This year, the board approved an amendment to Cold Spring’s innovation school contract that allows it to be a charter school.

Cold Spring Chief Operating Officer Cody Stipes told the school board that becoming a charter school would allow the school to access about $1.8 million more in state funding along with opportunities for federal and grant funds. The school can expand programming and academic offerings with the added money.

With the change, Cold Spring will contract with IPS for custodial and food services, while IPS would continue to provide transportation and the school building. As a charter school, Cold Spring will take over services for students with disabilities and English language learners from IPS, saving the district more than $800,000, per Stipes.

Global Prep Academy splits into 2 campuses

Global Prep Academy is expanding from one building to two to free up space at its current location at Riverside School 44. The existing campus will serve students through fifth grade, while a new location, Global Prep at the Monon, will serve grades 6-8.

The IPS board approved a one-year innovation school contract for the new school and amended its contract with Global Prep at school 44 to reflect the grades served at that location.

Global Prep owns the new building and will manage IT, custodial services, and food services. IPS will provide transportation for the schools. IPS will also save more than $96,000 a year by removing a modular classroom from school 44.

Monarca Academy adds high school

Monarca Academy, which is co-located at Northwest Middle School, is splitting into a middle school and a high school but remaining in the same building.

The IPS board approved a one-year innovation school contract for Monarca Academy High School and amended the existing contract for Monarca’s middle school to reflect the grade changes.

IPS will continue to provide custodial services, food service, transportation, and building space for both schools.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

IPS school board interviews 2 applicants for District 4 vacancy

2026-06-25T00:39:15+00:00

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In public interviews, two applicants to be the next member of the Indianapolis Public Schools Board of Commissioners stressed their experience working with students and a desire to engage families and the community with the district.

On Wednesday, the IPS school board interviewed Chris Bultman and Lindsey Cornett to fill the District 4 vacancy ahead of a Thursday vote. The interviews were also a preview of the upcoming campaign season as both finalists said they are running for the District 4 seat in the November election.

The seat representing the southwest part of the school district is vacant after former Commissioner Allissa Impink resigned earlier this month. Impink, who won the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 46, resigned from the school board before the general election, so the IPS District 4 seat would be on November’s ballot.

The appointee will serve until January, when the newly elected member is sworn in. That person will serve the remainder of Impink’s term through the end of 2028.

Bultman is the sole candidate on the ballot, but Cornett said she plans to run as well. She is currently considering appeal options or running as a write-in candidate after her candidate paperwork was denied due to what she said was confusion about whether she met the deadline to file.

Whomever is selected in the meantime will join the school board at a critical time. Five of the board’s seven seats are on the ballot, and voters will also decide whether to approve a tax increase, or referendum, that would provide funding for IPS and charter schools that opt in.

The IPS school board used to have the power to put a tax increase on the ballot, but that’s now under the purview of the mayor-appointed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which was created by state lawmakers earlier this year.

This week, IPEC members decided to ask voters for a property tax increase of 37 cents per $100 of assessed value. Even if it passes, IPS is still expected to make $20 million in cuts by the 2027-28 school year.

Meet the applicants for District 4 IPS school board member

Chris Bultman

Bultman is the regional director of external affairs at Concept Schools, a nonprofit charter management organization that works with Indiana Math and Science Academies. He previously worked as a teacher and on the culture team at Indiana Math and Science where he worked with students facing challenges outside of school.

If appointed, he said his priorities would be improving student outcomes and the district’s financial health while also making IPS a destination for families. He also noted that the referendum is a key challenge facing the district.

Bultman said this moment calls for strong collaboration across Indianapolis’ school types and that disagreement is OK as long as the main focus for all schools working together is improving student outcomes.

Lindsey Cornett

Cornett, a writer and editor for congregation engagement at Englewood Community Development Corporation, described herself as a fierce advocate for IPS. She’s also a former Florida public school teacher and mother of three IPS students.

If appointed, Cornett said she would do her part to get the referendum passed and “offer stability, representation, and camaraderie with the residents of our district” during IPS’s time of transition.

She added that channeling the community’s energy and love for Indianapolis and individual IPS schools is a great opportunity for the district. The biggest challenges are finances and holding IPEC accountable, Cornett said. Going forward, she said the focus needs to be on data-driven decisionmaking for student outcomes and making sure schools have the resources they need before new ideas are launched.

Impink attended the meeting and spoke in support of Cornett during public comment.

This is the second time this year the IPS board has filled a vacancy due to a resignation. Hasaan Rashid was appointed to the board in March.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

IPS seeks applicants to fill vacant District 4 school board seat

2026-06-16T19:33:38+00:00

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Applications are open to fill a vacancy on the Indianapolis Public Schools Board, with the board selecting an appointee next week.

The school board’s District 4 seat, which represents the southwest part of the school district, is vacant after Commissioner Allissa Impink’s resignation took effect June 15. Impink won the Democratic primary election for Indiana State Senate District 46 in May. She resigned before the general election so the school board seat would be on November’s ballot, reducing the time an appointed member will be on the board.

The appointee will serve on the board until January when the newly elected member is sworn in. That person will serve the remainder of Impink’s term through the end of 2028.

The November election is a critical one for the IPS board, with five of seven seats on the ballot. It also comes as the district faces financial challenges and after the board lost some authority to the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation. Established by state lawmakers earlier this year, IPEC now holds key powers over district and charter schools, including school accountability, buildings, transportation, and some financial matters.

To qualify for appointment to the IPS board, applicants must live in District 4 and have lived within the IPS school district for at least a year. They also must not have a felony conviction unless it was pardoned, reversed, vacated, or set aside.

Applications and resumes are due by 5 p.m. on June 23, and the school board will meet in executive session that day to select three finalists.

Finalists will have public interviews at 6 p.m. on June 24 at the district central office, 120 E. Walnut St. The board will vote on an appointment during its action session at 6 p.m. on June 25, and the appointee will be sworn in that evening.

It’s possible that whoever is appointed could also run for election in November. Potential school board candidates have until noon on June 18 to file. As of Tuesday afternoon, no candidate has filed to run in District 4, according to the Marion County Election Board’s candidate list.

Due to resignations, school board seats representing District 2 — which is now represented by Hasaan Rashid, who was appointed by the board in March — and District 4 are on the November ballot. Also on the ballot are three IPS board seats slated for election: District 3, currently represented by Hope Duke Star, District 5, represented by Nicole Carey, and an at-large seat held by Angelia Moore.

See the application for IPS District 4 commissioner here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Why this Indianapolis-area district is changing the start and end times for school days

2026-06-15T17:14:27+00:00

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When students in Decatur Township head back to class this August, they’ll start and end their days at new times.

The changes, which come with benefits for students and staff such as more sleep for middle school students and time for teacher professional development, are also in part, due to financial pressures schools face.

Changing start and end times means going from six different schedules to three, allowing for fewer bus routes and more savings to the district. School leaders said they are still implementing changes, but expect “impactful savings” to the district’s roughly $6.7 million transportation budget for this calendar year.

The priority is always how to best support students, said Scott Collins, superintendent of the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township. Additional benefits to the time changes are for high schoolers to end their day earlier and to align schedules for grade levels.

Yet, Collins also acknowledged that the money aspect can’t be untangled from those decisions.

Decatur Township schools are not alone in responding to less property tax funding due to changes at the state level and wanting to show fiscal responsibility to voters ahead of a potential tax increase, known as a referendum, vote in November.

School leaders in Decatur anticipate $3 million less in property taxes this year due to property tax reform. And additional state changes also mean the district is considering putting a tax measure on the ballot a year earlier than planned.

“We’re trying to save dollars now so we don’t have to ask for as much money in the future,” Collins said. “We want to be good stewards.”

And a big part of that for Decatur is busing – a key service that more than 70% of students in the district use daily during the school year. Plus, more than 1,100 of the district’s roughly 6,500 students use the bus each week for after-school activities like athletics, band, and clubs, Collins said. He added that buses are crucial for Decatur schools due to limited access to public transportation and limited ability to have walk zones for students.

Currently, the district uses a portion of its referendum dollars to pay for transportation costs, including salary and benefits for bus drivers, monitors, and mechanics. Without referendum funds, Collins said the district would have to consider additional busing changes such as walk zones and cutting after-school buses.

The district is considering a tax measure rate of roughly 27 cents per $100 of assessed value that would replace the current rate of roughly 29 cents starting in January if approved by voters.

In order to be on the ballot in November, the school board must approve and send the ballot question to the state Department of Local Government Finance no later than July 22.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You’re invited: Hear about the changes for schools this election and what they mean for students

2026-06-09T19:44:27+00:00

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School board elections won’t look the same in Indiana this year.

At the ballot box, voters could see new partisan labels for school board candidates. More voters than usual could be faced with a decision on whether they should approve a tax increase, known as a referendum, for their local schools. And before Election Day, candidates and school leaders also have decisions to make about their campaigns.

The outcomes in November could have a lasting effect on students and schools.

Join us on Wednesday, July 8, at 6:30 p.m. at the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Indiana History Center for a panel discussion on these issues.

We’ll dive into the changes around school decision-makers and school funding to ask: What’s at stake for students and families across the state?

Moderated by Chalkbeat Indiana reporter Aleksandra Appleton, the panel includes:

David Roof, director of the Center for Economic and Civic Learning at Ball State University
Terry Spradlin, executive director of the Indiana School Boards Association
Ashley Thomas, member of both the Indianapolis Public Schools board and the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation.

The event is in partnership with the Indiana Historical Society and is free, but RSVP is encouraged. Get your ticket here.

Doors open at 6 p.m. The panel starts at 6:30 p.m. Food and childcare will be provided. Free parking is available in the Indiana Historical Society lot off of New York Street.

Update, July 1: This story was updated to clarify that parking will be free for panel attendees.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

What different potential tax increases would mean for Indianapolis schools and homeowners

2026-06-03T20:03:13+00:00

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How much money should Indianapolis schools ask taxpayers for this November?

That’s one of the questions facing the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, and IPEC is having two public listening sessions to share information and gather feedback.

6-8 p.m., Thursday, June 4, in the media center of Arsenal Technical High School.
Noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, at a location to be determined, likely in the northwest part of the area served by Indianapolis Public Schools.

IPEC members are expected to decide at their June 22 meeting if they want to ask voters to approve a tax increase known as a referendum. These local property tax increases are for specific needs and last for a limited period of time, unlike annual property taxes that fund schools and other services.

Here’s what to know about the options that IPEC is weighing:

What is the current referendum rate?

Voters approved an operating referendum for Indianapolis Public Schools in 2018. The current rate is 19 cents per $100 of assessed value, and the annual revenue to the district is about $49 million.

Charter schools that are part of the IPS Innovation Network receive some of that funding, but independent charters do not.

How is the process for this referendum different?

There have been multiple changes since 2018. The power to put a tax measure on the ballot went from the elected IPS board to the mayor-appointed IPEC. And all charter schools that enroll students living within the borders of the IPS district can opt into receiving money from the tax measure.

Officials at the May IPEC meeting said the charter school change means the number of students supported by referendum funds would essentially double and said the rate of 38 cents per $100 of assessed value is essentially parity in terms of funding to the 2018 tax measure.

What are the rate options?

At the May IPEC meeting, presenters suggested rates from 19 to 55 cents. IPEC can also decide not to seek a referendum, or pick a rate not presented.

Depending on the rate, IPS might have to make cuts in addition to the ones previously announced that could include school closures and consolidations, ending Innovation Network agreements, and cuts to instructional programs, transportation, or staffing.

Lower rates could also put IPS at risk of a state takeover and lead to families and employees leaving schools, while higher rates would provide stability during a transition period, IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson told IPEC.

Johnson said 27,000 students, including those at district schools and some charter schools, rely on IPS services that could be affected.

Below is a look at the various rates and their impact on schools, based on presentations to IPEC by Johnson and Andy Seibert, CEO of TogetherEd, as well as Susan Preble, the Indy Chamber’s vice president of state government affairs. The cost to taxpayers is the cost instead of the current referendum cost, not in addition to it.

What else does IPEC need to decide for the tax measure?

If it opts for a referendum, IPEC will also need to decide how long the tax measure should last and what the money should be used for. Typically, referendums are eight years, but Johnson and Seibert recommended four years to IPEC.

The funding would help with services for students with disabilities and English language learners; teacher and staff retention and compensation; student opportunities including work-based learning, postsecondary pathways; and maintaining current instructional models across schools, according to Johnson and Seibert’s presentation.

It’s possible state lawmakers could increase funding for students with disabilities and English language learners, but that won’t be determined until after the vote on the tax increase.

IPEC’s next meeting is 5 p.m. on Monday, June 22, in Room 221 of the Indianapolis City-County Building.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

From 19 to 55 cents: IPEC hears options for a possible tax increase

2026-05-29T01:58:47+00:00

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Changes are coming to Indianapolis schools, but how many and which ones depend on a potential tax increase and if it passes, speakers told the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation on Thursday.

The mayor-appointed IPEC board was created by state lawmakers earlier this year to oversee key aspects of district and charter schools in the city, including transportation, buildings, school accountability, and some finances. It lessened the powers of city school boards, including the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board.

One of the first things that IPEC will decide is whether or not to put a tax increase, or referendum, on the ballot in November, something previously decided by the IPS school board.

Tuesday’s meeting, IPEC’s second, largely centered on the possibility of the ballot measure and also included electing officers and updates about the corporation’s accountability framework for schools.

IPEC members listened to a presentation from IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and Andy Seibert, CEO of TogetherEd, and one from Susan Preble, the Indy Chamber’s vice president of state government affairs.

A vote on the tax measure is expected at the corporation’s June 22 meeting ahead of a July 22 deadline for the ballot question to be sent to the state Department of Local Government Finance.

Speakers during public comment expressed support for IPEC and the need for equitable transportation, as well as the need for the referendum to focus on students, equity in schools, and voter transparency.

Referendum possibilities for Indianapolis schools

School districts, and in this case IPEC, can ask voters to approve tax increases for specific needs such as operating costs, construction, or safety measures. These dollars are in addition to the local property tax dollars that schools receive along with state and federal funding.

IPS last passed an operating referendum in 2018. Charter schools that are part of the IPS Innovation Network currently receive some referendum funding, but independent charters do not.

Since then, state lawmakers made a change that also allows charter schools that enroll students living within the borders of the IPS district to opt into receiving money from the tax measure. This year is a key one for the future of IPS, as the current operating referendum is expiring and the district faces a budget deficit.

Presenters to IPEC laid out options from no referendum to tax measures at the current rate of 19 cents per $100 of assessed value up to 55 cents. Estimated impact on homeowners could range from $169 annually if the current rate is renewed to $475 at 55 cents.

Johnson said the lower amounts could lead to a state takeover of the district as well as more widespread changes for students such as school closures, ending Innovation Network agreements, and cuts to programs, transportation, or staff. She stressed that the vote outcome will determine the level of stability or disruption for students and families.

While the current referendum was for the typical eight years, Johnson and Seibert said they support four years for the next one.

They said that is long enough for long-term planning and resource stability as things change with the addition of IPEC. Funding would help with services for students with disabilities and English language learners as well as teacher and staff retention and student opportunities around work-based learning and postsecondary pathways.

Preble said the popularity of referendums across the state reflects that “we are not funding public education in an adequate way.” She said she believes state leaders know this, especially when it comes to students with disabilities and ELL students, and could address it in the upcoming legislative session, but that wouldn’t start until after the referendum vote.

IPEC members asked presenters for additional data around costs, referendum funds and enrollment. They also asked questions about funding for Pre-K while acknowledging there wasn’t enough time to include it in this referendum.

IPEC approves posting for executive director, discusses accountability

IPEC also made several personnel decisions: It staggered terms for board members, and corporation officers and approved a job posting for an executive director. The job will be posted Friday on the IPEC website and the Indianapolis City-County Council’s job board. The salary range is $235,000 to $325,000 annually.

Deandra Thompson was elected as the vice chairperson, and Patricia Castañeda as the secretary in unanimous votes. Board terms were also announced, per state law:

Hope Duke Star, Dexter Taylor, and Eddie Rangel each have a two-year term.
Ashley Thomas, Janet McNeal, and John R. Hammond III each have a three-year term.
Thompson, chair David Harris, and Castañeda each have a four-year term.

IPEC members also heard updates around the accountability framework. Priorities are to gather more feedback from the community and IPEC members, O’Connor said. A progress report is due to state lawmakers on Aug. 1.

Presentations from Tuesday’s meeting will be posted on the IPEC website. The corporation’s next meeting is 5 p.m. June 22 in room 221 of the Indianapolis City-County Building, 200 E. Washington St. IPEC’s July meeting was changed to July 22.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Allissa Impink to resign from IPS board, leaving 5 of 7 board seats up for election on November ballots

2026-05-19T23:00:00+00:00

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Allissa Impink will resign as an Indianapolis Public Schools commissioner in June, teeing up a November election where a significant majority of the IPS school board seats are on the ballot.

Impink, who won the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 46 earlier this month, announced on Tuesday that she plans to resign from the school board effective June 15. Tuesday is also the first day that candidates can file to run for school board this November.

With Impink leaving her seat early, five of the seven seats on the IPS school board will be up for election on Nov. 3. It is shaping up to be a key election for the board as the district faces financial challenges and a loss in power due to the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation or IPEC.

Impink called serving on the school board “one of the greatest honors of my life,” and said resigning before the November election allows her to ensure “the community retains its voice” in who replaces her on the school board. It’s highly likely that Impink will be unopposed for state senate.

Impink, a former IPS teacher, was elected to the school board in 2024 to represent IPS school board District 4, the southwest part of the district. The IPS board has seven members who serve staggered four-year terms.

If a board member resigns, the board must appoint someone by majority vote within 30 days to fill the position until the next school board election. Voters will then select someone to finish the term if needed.

By resigning ahead of the election, Impink ensures her seat will be on the ballot in November, shortening the time for an appointed board member to a few months and an elected replacement would serve until 2028. If she waited to resign until after the November election, the appointed member would serve until 2028, the next school board election year and when Impink’s term was slated to end.

“As a strong supporter of the democratic process, I am encouraging qualified, passionate community members to file to run for school board so that IPS families have a direct say in who leads them through the remainder of the term ending in 2028,” Impink said.

Impink is the second IPS board commissioner to resign this year. Gayle Cosby, who represented District 2 and was also elected in 2024, announced her resignation in March, citing ongoing health challenges. The board appointed Hasaan Rashid to fill the vacancy until this year’s election.

This means both District 2 and 4 will be on the ballot in November along with the three IPS board seats already slated for election in 2026: District 3 currently represented by Hope Duke Star, District 5 represented by Nicole Carey, and an at-large seat represented by Angelia Moore.

Guide: How to run for school board

The election comes at a time when the IPS board is navigating a substantial loss in power under a new law that created IPEC, which has key powers for district and charter schools including school accountability, buildings, and transportation as well as some finances. Three members of the IPS school board are also members of IPEC, per state law. Those are Star, Ashley Thomas, and Deandra Thompson.

This year is also the first year that school board candidates can add their party affiliation to the ballot if they choose to do so. Potential school board candidates have until noon June 18 to file.

Impink won the primary election for state senate handily with 68.46% of the vote in a three-candidate race, per election results. No Republican candidates ran in the primary election. However it is still possible for a challenger to file to run in the general election.

District 46 includes downtown, the near eastside, and southern parts of Indianapolis and is currently represented by Andrea Hunley, a former IPS principal, who is running for Indianapolis mayor in 2027.

Impink said she looks forward to using her “strong and passionate voice for IPS and public education throughout Indiana at the state level.”

“I will use every tool available to me to protect and strengthen public schools across Indianapolis and the state of Indiana,” she said.

Voter registration for the November election is open through Oct. 5. You can register or check your status here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana State Senate District 46 primary election: IPS board member Impink wins

2026-05-06T03:22:43+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools board member Allissa Impink is the unofficial winner of the Democratic primary for Indiana State Senate District 46, which could likely tee up a vacancy on the school board.

Unofficial election results with 100% of vote centers reporting showed that Impink had 68.46% of the vote, Sam Glynn had 12.02%, and Clif Marsiglio had 19.52% in the Democratic primary. Results are unofficial until May 15, after provisional and military ballots are counted. The Marion County Election Board will certify the results on May 18.

In a victory statement, Impink promised to focus on community voices, including “parents who are juggling their jobs, childcare, and paying their bills.”

“As I’ve said from the very beginning, the challenges we face are not separate issues. They are deeply connected,” she said. “And for far too long, families have been left to navigate systems that don’t work together.”

No Republican candidates ran in the primary election for the seat that includes downtown, the near eastside, and southern parts of Indianapolis. But it is still possible for a challenger to run against Impink in the November general election. If she wins that race, it would create an opening on the IPS school board. Impink’s current school board term ends in 2028. Board members would appoint a new member to finish her term, and the seat would be up for election in 2028.

Board members recently did the same process to fill the District 2 seat after Gayle Cosby announced her resignation in March. The board appointed Hasaan Rashid to fill the vacancy.

Impink, also a former IPS teacher, was elected to the school board in 2024 to represent District 4, the southwest part of the district. She previously told Chalkbeat that if elected in November, she “will be still carrying that baton of valuing public education.”

On her campaign website, Impink said she supports a moratorium on new charter schools and fully funding public schools, as well as supporting educators and making sure “every student has the opportunity to succeed.” She added that she wants to make sure that IPS is “fully reimbursed for transportation, facilities, and special education services provided to innovation schools.”

Transportation and facilities for district and charter schools are within the purview of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation. The new body appointed by the mayor will provide state lawmakers with an update on plans for both in November before fully taking over management of transportation and buildings in the 2028-29 school year.

State Senate District 46 is currently represented by Andrea Hunley, a former IPS principal, who is running for Indianapolis mayor in 2027.

Four seats on the IPS school board are up for election in November: Hope Duke Star’s District 3 seat, Nicole Carey’s District 5 seat, Angelia Moore’s at-large seat, and the special election for District 2 represented by Rashid.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Public Education Corporation announces date and location for first meeting

2026-04-10T20:54:35+00:00

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A new governing body for Indianapolis schools will meet for the first time on April 14.

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC, will govern key aspects of public schools in the city. It will oversee buildings and transportation for charter schools and Indianapolis Public Schools. The corporation will also have power to ask voters for funding for schools through a referendum, and will create an accountability system that could be used to decide which schools close.

IPEC will meet at 4 p.m. April 14 in Room 221 of the City-County Building, 200 E. Washington Street, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office announced. An agenda was not available on Friday.

The nine members of the board, appointed by Hogsett, were announced by him late last month and include three IPS board members, three representatives of charter schools, and three experts in areas relevant to the corporation’s work as required by state law.

One of the appointed experts is also a charter school leader. Additionally, David Harris is the board chair. Harris was the charter schools director under former mayor Bart Peterson, and the duo co-founded the Mind Trust, an influential nonprofit that helps launch charter schools.

IPEC’s creation by state lawmakers means less power for school boards in the city, including the elected IPS board. However, school boards will still have power over day-to-day tasks including setting budgets, curriculums, and hiring and firing the superintendent or school leaders for charter schools.

IPEC was formed following the December 2025 recommendations of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, which was a state-created task force. The corporation’s powers will phase in with key powers over finances and referendums starting this year and powers over buildings and transportation in 2028.

The April 14 meeting will also be livestreamed on Channel 16.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Why there are no education elections on your primary ballot

2026-04-07T18:50:17+00:00

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Early voting is underway for the Indiana primary elections, but there are no education-specific items on the ballot.

In previous years, referendums — where school districts ask voters for extra funding through property taxes — could appear on primary ballots. But lawmakers changed that last year. Lawmakers also changed school board elections from nonpartisan to partisan but didn’t add primary elections for those positions.

Here’s what’s different at the ballot box and what to expect:

Partisan school board elections don’t include primary races

After years of attempts to make school board elections partisan, lawmakers approved the change that allows candidates to have a party affiliation but didn’t include primary races.

Instead, school board candidates will choose if they want to select a political party, identify as an independent, or be nonpartisan in the general election. School board elections are not included in straight party voting, and multiple candidates could have the same affiliation.

The change faced opposition from people who said partisan politics would be a distraction from the school board’s duties. Supporters countered by saying politics already influence schools.

While there aren’t any primaries, a candidate’s affiliation can be challenged and removed from the ballot if the candidate didn’t vote in the last two primary elections or get written certification from the county party chairman that the candidate is a party member. Candidates across the state can file to run from May 19 to noon on June 18.

This November will be the first for partisan school board elections. School boards statewide, including in Marion County, will have seats on the ballot. Each school board determines the number of seats and if the seats represent areas within the school district’s borders or are at-large. For Indianapolis Public Schools, four seats are up for election, including one special election to fill a seat after a board member resigned.

Fewer opportunities for schools to ask voters for tax increases

School districts can ask voters to approve tax increases for specific needs such as operating costs, construction, or safety measures through referendums. These dollars supplement the local property tax dollars that schools receive along with state and federal funding.

In the past, school districts could ask voters to approve increases during the primary or general election of any year. In 2025, lawmakers changed the rule to be only the general election of a statewide election year after the November 2025 election.

There could be more referendums on the ballot this November given the limits on timing as well as funding constraints on districts, including property tax reform and sharing those funds with charter schools.

Whether or not to put a referendum on the ballot is determined by school districts, except in Indianapolis where the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation will decide. IPS’s current operating referendum expires this year, and without that funding, the district could be out of money by next year, per IPS documents.

School boards must send their ballot questions no later than July 22 to the state Department of Local Government Finance. The department then has until noon Aug. 1 to decide if it’s approved.

What to know about voting in 2026 Indiana election

Early voting for the primary elections started on April 7 and ends at noon on May 4. Primary election day is May 5, and polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. local time.

For the general election, voter registration opens on May 19 and ends Oct. 5. Early voting starts Oct. 6. On election day, Nov. 3, polls are open from 6 a.m .to 6 p.m. local time.

You can check your voter status and register to vote as well as look up polling places and sample ballots at indianavoters.in.gov.

This article was updated to include deadlines for putting referendums on the November ballot.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library now available to children in all 92 Indiana counties

2026-04-02T15:35:34+00:00

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Children in all 92 counties across the state can now get free books in the mail through Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library of Indiana.

The announcement from the state on Wednesday comes nearly a year after state lawmakers approved the 2026-2027 budget that cut funding for the program. Gov. Mike Braun tasked First Lady Maureen Braun with fundraising to keep the program alive.

In a Thursday news release, the state touted the expansion of the program to all counties in the state as a “a major milestone for early childhood literacy across Indiana.”

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library provides books for children from birth to age 5 in the United States and four other countries. The organization mails the “high-quality, age-appropriate books” at no cost to families each month.

To provide the books, the library partners with local organizations that help secure funding for the books. Before the budget cut, the state of Indiana and local partners split the costs of books. The program received $2 million in the 2023-24 state budget and $4 million in 2024-25.

Griffin Reid, press secretary for Gov. Braun, said via email that there were no lapses in book delivery since the cuts.

As of August 2024, children in 85 counties had access to the program, and in Marion County, only two ZIP codes had access to the program. Now, all ZIP codes in the state are covered.

The Imagination Library in Indiana is a partnership between the state, the Dollywood Foundation, the Hoosier HOPE Foundation, and local partners, per the news release. The release did not say how much money was raised. In March, Maureen Braun announced she was at 90% of a two-year fundraising goal for the program, but didn’t specify amounts.

To sign up for the Imagination Library, visit www.imaginationlibrary.com

Update: This story was updated to include further details including no lapses in service since funding cuts, all ZIP codes are covered, and fundraising goal progress.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How this school chef is building healthy habits one vegetable at a time

2026-01-26T12:00:00+00:00

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The students at Circle City Prep aren’t big fans of squash – no matter which type their school chef makes. But they do like brussels sprouts.

Tracey Couillard, lead chef at the school, leans on her days working in Indianapolis restaurants to come up with ways to cook with vegetables and fruits that might be new to the students.

It’s all about “making sure we are intentional about what we are offering, and not just throwing spaghetti at a wall to make it stick,” said Couillard, who started her job a year ago.

The school’s kitchen is a Next Course Cafeteria through A Longer Table, a nonprofit formerly known as the Patachou Foundation which aims to make sure all students have access to good food. The organization partners with schools to have cafeterias that serve fresh and scratch-made foods. At Circle City Prep, Couillard leads a kitchen team of six other people to prepare scratch-made food for breakfast and lunch for more than 430 students that include fresh vegetables and fruits as well as daily salads.

What students are eating is also getting attention at the statehouse where house lawmakers advanced a bill to ban foods with certain food dyes and additives from public schools that participate in a “federally funded or assisted meal program.” The bill also requires schools to post a menu and ingredients online.

At Circle City Prep, Couillard said the fresh foods help students build healthy habits both inside and outside of school. And it’s led her to build relationships with students too.

“Sometimes kids will be in a sad spot and ask if I can have lunch with them, so then I sit with them and let them talk and let them share their feelings because there are a lot of big feelings between kindergarten and eighth grade,” she said.

Chalkbeat talked to Couillard about her daily routine, what makes her cafeteria special, and the biggest thing she’s learned on the job.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What led you to become the lead chef at Circle City Prep?

I was in the Army National Guard for 20 years, and after I retired from the guard, I started working in restaurants around Indianapolis and did that for about 12 years.

This opportunity popped up at a time when I needed a change, and I honestly didn’t know if it was going to be for me. Working in restaurants with adults is very different than working in a school kitchen with kids from kindergarten to eighth grade as your primary customers

But the kids are the best part. I’ve got kids that come into my office when they are having a bad day, and they build Legos while I’m working on something. I’ve got a couple of kids who come in after school and do extra practice on their reading.

I get a lot of joy and feel like I’m actually doing something helpful and making a positive difference in kids’ days.

Tell me about the meals you make at the school.

It’s mostly all from scratch and we do a lot of our own sauces. We’re very mindful of sodium, fat, and sugar to make sure we are serving good healthy foods for the kids to eat. Students have fresh vegetables and fruit. Every day they have a different salad option.

I started a program at the beginning of the school year to introduce them to new fresh fruits and new fresh vegetables, just trying to broaden their horizons.

At first, they were apprehensive because it’s something new but now, the kids get really excited about it, they are really invested in it.

How has the food made an impact on students?

They eat more vegetables now when they are coming through lunch, and that’s just good fuel for their bodies and their minds. They’re more willing to try something new too. It’s shocking to me how many kids I see with salads compared to last year because it’s just different exposure.

When they ask their people at home to cook something we had at school and it doesn’t taste the same, they’ll ask if I can share a recipe with their parents on how we do it so it tastes like it does here, which is really cool.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My day starts between 6:30 and 7 a.m. I check out the breakfast stations and make sure they are set, and oftentimes I’ll be walking the halls while the kids are coming in, touching base with them and making sure they are getting their breakfast.

I sit in on late breakfast. There are kids that come in late almost every day so they are already a little behind the curve. I sit down with them, make sure they have a good breakfast and their mind is set to jump in and go to class. I’m trying to be a positive touchpoint for them when they are starting their day.

In between breakfast and lunch, we are prepping. And at lunch, I’m helping kids move through the line, making sure that they have all the items they need on their tray to have a good meal.

What do you want people to know about what it’s like to have a cafeteria that emphasizes fresh foods?

They have to look at the kids as they are an investment. We are able to run a fully staffed kitchen and feed breakfast and lunch to more than 430 kids a day, and we are operating a scratch-based kitchen in the black.

You can run a successful school kitchen without using all of the processed foods, it takes practice, and it takes a certain amount of skill that maybe you wouldn’t expect from a school cafeteria.

But it’s an investment in the future. You are building healthy food habits and eating habits and trying to develop healthy relationships for kids with food. I’m teaching kids that good food can taste good.

What do you want to do next?

I would love to have a hydroponic garden in the cafeteria space. I would love to have a little green space where we can grow veggies and fruits and things like that. Because we serve salads every day, so how cool would it be to have lettuce growing in our cafeteria? The kids could see this is what is actually nourishing our bodies and this is how it grows to develop more of that connection of where does the food come from and how does it get to our plate.

What have you learned doing this job?

You don’t understand how much of an impact you can have on somebody else’s day. And you don’t always see that impact with adults, but it’s really easy to see that with kids. You can see their whole day shift with just a “Hey, how are ya? You good?”

You give them two minutes and those little time investments make a difference. That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned because it’s not hard to make somebody smile and share a little joy.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

$10 million federal grant will bring high-impact tutoring to more Hoosier students

2026-01-14T18:41:36+00:00

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A high-impact tutoring program created at the University of Notre Dame will scale to reach second and third graders across Indiana with a new federal grant.

The Indiana Department of Education received a five-year, nearly $10 million Education Innovation and Research grant from the U.S. Department of Education to expand the model, which gives tutors research-backed skills to help students while also aiming to strengthen the educator pipeline.

In the Tutor-ND program, interdisciplinary teams from the university train and support tutors in evidence-based skills such as the science of reading as well as teach them to build caring relationships with students. The program currently works with more than 20 organizations that offer tutoring including South Bend Community Schools and local Boys and Girls Clubs, according to the program’s website.

With the new grant, Notre Dame will partner with the Indiana education department to serve at least 9,000 students who are high-need, defined as attending schools with an IREAD pass rate under 85%, according to the grant application. Of those students, 2,000 will be very high-needs, or not on track to pass the state reading test.

The grant allows the program to expand in Northern Indiana and for other universities to create new regional hubs in their communities with Notre Dame’s support. The additional universities will be selected through an application process, and Butler, Indiana, Purdue, Ball State, and Valparaiso universities, and the University of Louisville have expressed interest, according to the grant application.

The application also says that tutors include high school and college students, instructional aides, and other school-connected adults.

The grant-funded tutoring will be during the school day and will start in fall 2026, according to the state department of education.

The new program is the latest piece of the state’s ongoing investment in student literacy through programs, resources, and policy, including mandated science of reading in schools and a law to hold back students who don’t pass the IREAD, with some exceptions. In 2025, Indiana third graders passed the IREAD at a record-setting rate of 87.3%, which was up nearly 5 percentage points from 2024.

Expanding Notre Dame’s program allows for more high-impact tutoring and for community members to get involved in the state’s literacy push, state education department officials told the state board of education at its meeting Wednesday.

“Notre Dame in partnership with other higher ed institutions across Indiana can help us train an army of people to help tutor and support our students,” Katie Jenner, Indiana secretary of education, told the board.

Additionally, the state education department partnered with WestED on the grant to be an independent evaluator who will measure the impact.

Update: This story was updated to include that the grant-funded tutoring will be during school, starting in the fall.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Here are 5 things the mayor and IPS superintendent want in the ILEA recommendations

2025-12-16T16:01:40+00:00

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The day before a scheduled vote on recommendations that could impact who oversees Indianapolis schools, Mayor Joe Hogsett and Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson announced their preferred outcomes.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is scheduled to vote Wednesday on final recommendations about the future of the city’s district and charter schools. The ILEA will then send those recommendations to state lawmakers.

The task force is considering two proposals that would limit the power of the elected IPS school board.

One would give oversight of charter and IPS schools to a collaborative board consisting of IPS, mayoral, and charter school appointees. Another would give oversight to an independent Indianapolis Education Authority within the mayor’s office, and create a new secretary of education position.

But notably, Hogsett, the chair of the alliance, and Johnson, a member, didn’t express a preference for either proposal or any other plan for who would run schools.

Instead, their five priorities, which they announced via a Tuesday press release, focus on transportation and buildings, as well as limiting charter authorizers and ensuring schools have funding to serve all students, such as those with disabilities.

Hogsett and Johnson’s five priorities are:

Exempting IPS from the so-called $1 law, which allows charter schools to purchase or lease district buildings no longer used as schools from the district for $1.
Requiring all public schools — including district-run and charter schools as well as Innovation Network schools — to offer transportation or forfeit their share of property taxes. (Legislation passed earlier this year allows all charter schools to receive property tax funds starting in 2028.)
Limiting charter authorizers to two who can approve schools within the boundaries of the IPS school district: the Office of Education Innovation and the Indiana Charter School Board. (Currently, charter schools in Indianapolis use one of three authorizers.)
Have a shared framework for making decisions about buildings to give the community a clear understanding of how decisions about school buildings are made. The press release notes there are more than 103 school buildings for 41,000 students within IPS boundaries.
Make sure all public schools, regardless of type, have resources and funding to serve and be accessible to all students, including students with disabilities, students facing homelessness, and English language learners.

The ILEA was created by state lawmakers and tasked with making recommendations about how the district and area charter schools might share buildings and buses. But lawmakers also gave the task force the ability to make recommendations on other topics, including school governance.

Last month, the alliance said addressing who oversees schools would be key to its recommendations. Hogsett and Johnson said they drew up their priorities for the ILEA’s recommendations after listening to community input.

The ILEA, which has nine members, has met since the summer and most recently had two public comment sessions ahead of Wednesday’s vote.

At one of those sessions on Monday, members of the Indianapolis community raised concerns about the potential impact of the ILEA’s recommendations on the elected school board. Another speaker asked whether the ILEA would recommend repealing the $1 law about building acquisitions — an idea that appears to have growing bipartisan support among Indiana lawmakers.

Members of the public have also sparred over whether the ILEA should recommend limiting the number of authorizers for Indianapolis, and requiring all public schools to provide transportation. Charter advocates in particular have criticized these ideas as an infringement on charter autonomy.

The ILEA will meet to vote on its final recommendations at 6 p.m. on Dec. 17 at the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington St.

Chalkbeat Indiana reporter Aleksandra Appleton contributed reporting.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s when the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance will meet next

2025-11-26T17:38:55+00:00

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The Indianapolis Education Alliance will meet Dec. 3 to narrow down possible recommendations for changing who oversees schools and how school buildings and buses are managed.

The meeting is from 4 to 5:30 p.m. in the public assembly room of the City County Building, said Shaina Cavazos, director of the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

ILEA members acknowledged at their last meeting that in order to recommend changes to building and transportation management — the main task assigned to them by state lawmakers — they need to address school oversight. The group heard four options for doing so, including ones that would drastically limit the power of the elected board for Indianapolis Public Schools.

On Dec. 3, the ILEA is expected to go over the options for how to change the management of facilities, transportation, and school oversight, and narrow them down. The alliance could decide to not pick one of the presented options, and instead combine elements to create a new option, or choose something entirely different, ILEA consultant Michael O’Connor previously told Chalkbeat.

A majority of alliance members told Chalkbeat that they don’t yet have a preferred option for how to change school oversight. However, multiple members said they are considering appointed board members for schools, as well as reducing the number of charter authorizers. Other members, however, support elected school boards.

After the meeting, the ILEA will host public input sessions on the transportation, facilities, and governance models that the group likes best, before voting on its final recommendations to city and state leaders on Dec. 17.

The time and location of that meeting has not yet been announced.

Give the ILEA your feedback on the options for governance, transportation, and facilities from the November meeting here. You can also send general feedback to the ILEA by emailing ILEA@indy.gov.

Chalkbeat reporter Amelia Pak-Harvey contributed to this article.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana Teacher of the Year 2026: Meet Megan Johnson, a ‘dedicated literacy champion’

2025-11-12T12:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

Indiana’s 2026 Teacher of the Year Megan Johnson always knew she wanted to be a teacher.

Growing up, she loved the classroom. And her teachers helped her build confidence and discover her talents, despite being a student who “often blended in,” she said.

“I realized that what I loved most was the relationships and the sense of belonging that school created,” Johnson said. “I knew I wanted to be part of giving that same experience to my own students one day.”

As a fourth grade teacher at Central Elementary in Plainfield, Johnson said she wants “to be the teacher who truly sees every student, who takes time to know them well, and who pours into them the way my teachers poured into me.”

Johnson was named Teacher of the Year by the Indiana Department of Education in October, and said she’s still “in awe of it.” The more than 60-year-old state program aims to inspire and celebrate the teaching profession in Indiana. State Secretary of Education Katie Jenner praised Johnson for her embrace of the science of reading, calling her “a dedicated literacy champion.”

In her new role, Johnson said she wants to get to know teachers across the state.

“I want to celebrate the hard work and dedication of educators and share the great things happening in our schools with the broader community,” she said. “Above all, I hope to carry the voices of teachers and students with me, shining a light on the passion, creativity, and heart that exists in classrooms across our state.”

Below, Johnson told us about her love of reading, pitching a playground project with her students, and the best advice she’s ever received.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I tell my students all the time, “Oh, this is my favorite subject,” or “This is why I love teaching science,” or “This is why I love teaching math and reading.” The truth is, I really enjoy all subjects because each one has something special to offer.

Megan Johnson, a teacher at Central Elementary School in Plainfield, hugs students after she was named the 2026 Indiana Teacher of the Year by the Indiana Department of Education.

Science stands out because it is so hands on and gives students the chance to learn through discovery. I can introduce a concept, but they get to explore and see the learning come to life in front of them. That moment of curiosity and excitement in their eyes is incredible to watch. In fourth grade, we do a lot with energy, and those lessons are so much fun. Students make real connections and begin to see how the world works.

Still, I could choose favorite lessons from every subject area because each one offers its own kind of magic in the classroom.

What does teaching literacy look like day-to-day in your classroom?

In my 19 years of teaching, literacy is the subject that requires the most effort, care, and understanding of each individual student. It is something that I am always studying and reflecting on, trying to find the best ways to reach every learner in my classroom. I truly believe that students need to have a purpose for everything they do in reading. When I let them in on what that purpose is, they invest more deeply in their learning and take greater ownership of their progress.

Over the last five years, I became a strong supporter of the science of reading. Even when I did not fully understand it at first, I knew it was something worth trying. Each year since, I have continued to add new practices and strategies that align with that research.

In my classroom, literacy is active, purposeful, and engaging. My students read a variety of texts and apply comprehension skills in meaningful ways. For students who need it, we include focused work on phonics. I make it a priority to build background knowledge and vocabulary across all subject areas so students can connect more deeply with what they read.

Megan Johnson, the 2026 Indiana Teacher of the Year, poses for a photo with state Secretary of Education Katie Jenner.

Literacy in my classroom is a living, growing process that I continue to refine each year, and I am so proud of the progress my students make through it.

What is an example of the project-based learning you do with students and community partners?

I am especially proud of a playground redesign project that my students and I created in September 2020.

After reading a text that highlighted the diversity of needs, we took a closer look at our own playground and realized that it was not fully accessible to all students, including some at our school. That sparked an important conversation about inclusion and fairness, and I challenged my students to redesign our playground so that all children in our school and community could use it.

We discussed working within a budget, researched playground equipment that would meet the needs of children of different ages and abilities, and even brought in an architect to talk about design, blueprints, and accessibility standards. My students created digital models of their redesigned playgrounds and presented their ideas to our principal for consideration.

This project went far beyond a single subject. It combined literacy, math, science, and technology, but more importantly, it helped my students see the impact they can have on the world.

Although the funding wasn’t available to make it happen, it was one of those experiences that truly made learning come alive and showed students that their voices and ideas matter. One student fell in love with architecture, and still plans to pursue it as a career as a now middle schooler.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I ever received came from my first principal, Mr. Mike Underwood. He told me to “shut my door and teach” in the kindest, most loving, and professional way. At the time, I did not fully understand what he meant, but looking back, it makes perfect sense.

What that advice means to me now is that there will always be a lot of noise around education. There are positives and negatives, and sometimes the negative voices seem louder than all the good that is happening in schools. But there truly is so much good within the walls of every classroom, including my own. I have made my classroom an anchor place for my students. I bring in people from the community to connect with them, use best practices and research to guide my instruction, and make sure my students have everything they need to grow and be successful.

So, in that sense, I do exactly what he told me years ago: I shut my door and teach.

Inside those walls, I can control the climate, joy, and learning. It is a space filled with positivity and purpose. I block out the noise that does not serve my students, and when they leave my classroom, I hope they carry that same joy, learning, understanding, and confidence into the world.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Outside of school, my most important roles are being a wife and a mother. My husband and I are raising two sons, a 10-year-old and a 14-year-old, who are both active in sports. Along with their activities, we love exploring, hiking, and traveling. We have visited 19 of the national parks, and we try to take trips that help our boys see the world, meet new people, and gain a broader perspective on life.

I also take care of myself in smaller ways. I enjoy running, reading, and spending time with friends over meals, sharing stories and catching up. Balancing family time, outdoor adventures, and moments for myself helps me recharge and stay grounded, so I can bring my best self to my students each day.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Voters in 5 of 6 Indiana communities, including Avon, approve school referendums

2025-11-05T21:30:10+00:00

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Volunteers and district leaders wearing school colors stood outside the Avon United Methodist Church, a popular polling place in the Hendricks County town, handing out information about the only item on Tuesday’s ballot: a referendum for Avon Community Schools to pay for maintaining smaller class sizes, extracurriculars, and competitive teacher pay.

Nearby, members of the Avon High School orchestra played Christmas carols, and a steady stream of people arrived to cast their vote.

One hundred and seventy-three jobs, mostly teachers, were on the line. The vote was six months earlier than planned, due to changes made at the statehouse. And Lt. Gov Micah Beckwith went to Avon less than two weeks earlier to showcase his opposition to school referendums.

Avon Community Schools was one of six school districts with a referendum vote on Tuesday, an election watched by many as a test case for future school property tax measures due to multiple changes by lawmakers.

Unofficial results showed five districts – Avon, Cannelton City Schools, Duneland Schools, Hanover Schools, and Lake Central Schools – passed their referendums, all renewals of previous ones. Northwest Allen Community Schools, the only district with a new referendum, did not.

“We don’t take that support lightly and I’m excited to see all the many ways our students and educators will thrive in the coming years thanks to our community’s support,” Avon superintendent Scott Wyndham wrote in his victory message.

State law allows school districts to seek this additional revenue as a supplement to the local property tax dollars they receive, as well as state and federal funding. Referendums can be for construction, safety, or operating expenses. All six this year were operating referendums meaning they were to fund salaries and programming.

Members of the Avon High School orchestra perform for voters on Tuesday. The school district referendum was the only item on the ballot.

Earlier this year, state lawmakers passed measures to lower property taxes, which many expect to lower operating revenue for schools, increase how much of that funding some districts must share with charter schools, and restrict referendums to only general statewide elections, rather than during any primary or general election. This year was an exception for school boards that passed a resolution before June 30 to place a referendum on the November ballot.

“Indiana is now a referendum state and it’s only going to become more and more the case,” Wyndham said, adding that school leaders and educators are there to teach kids and provide the best schools possible. “Yet Indiana has put us in a situation where for the last three months we’ve been running a campaign.”

School referendum campaigns are ‘full-time job’

In Avon, the referendum was a renewal of the 2018 referendum, but at a lower rate, and campaign volunteers aimed to share what was at stake with the community.

One example was the orchestra playing outside the polls. Before the 2018 referendum, elementary schools shared teachers for “specials” like art, gym, and music. After the referendum, each school has a dedicated teacher for those classes, and the music program has grown. Avon now has the largest orchestra program in the state with over 1,000 students in grades six to 12 participating, per the district.

While referendum support was generally positive, Avon school leaders said misinformation also caused challenges.

Sarah Parent, an Avon school board member, said the district’s political action committee put in a lot of time and effort, equating it to a full-time job. “And many of us already have full-time jobs.”

Parent, who has three children in the district, added that she thinks referendums are divisive and wants to see more school funding from the state legislature so that schools don’t have to do them, eliminating ”one extra thing that’s dividing the community right now.”

Both Parent and Wyndham encouraged people in Avon to stay involved with the schools and do their research, especially if they have questions about the district or voted against the referendum.

“Win or lose,” Parent said, “there are a lot of big decisions to be made.”

Indiana school referendum election results

Below are unofficial results for the November 2025 Indiana school referendums:

Avon Community School Corporation, Hendricks County: Passed. 64.58% voted yes.
Cannelton City School Corporation, Perry County: Passed. 71.5% voted yes.
Duneland School Corporation, Porter County: Passed. 61.9% voted yes.
Hanover School Corporation, Lake County: Passed. 52.71% voted yes
Lake Central School Corporation, Lake County: Passed. 59.51% voted yes.
Northwest Allen Community Schools, Allen County: Failed. 53.99% voted no.

Chalkbeat Indiana reporter Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this story.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s how many students were held back thanks to Indiana’s retention law

2025-11-05T18:34:31+00:00

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Roughly 3,000 Hoosier students are repeating third grade this school year, due to the state’s retention law.

This is the first school year students were held back under the 2024 law that mandates retention for students who don’t pass the state’s reading test, the IREAD-3.

The law sought to address the growing number of students who were promoted to fourth grade without passing the test, which is an indicator of the early literacy skills tied to success in later grades. It has exemptions for certain students such as those with disabilities or those who are learning English, and gives students multiple chances to pass the test, including twice in the summer after third grade.

The state’s department of education presented data on IREAD pass rates and retention to the State Board of Education on Wednesday, revealing the total number of students who were held back for the first time.

“We will be watching those students very closely,” State Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said of the students held back, “to ensure they are readers following this year.”

Statewide, over 84,000 students were tested, and 10,663 didn’t pass the IREAD by the end of third grade. Of those, 6,950 received a good cause exemption to go to fourth grade anyway, 3,040 were held back, and roughly 673 students either left the state or are now homeschooled, per the state’s presentation.

A state dashboard with this data for traditional public schools, charter schools, and private schools is available online.

The number of students held back is lower than estimates during the 2023 legislative session, which said more than 7,000 students could be retained in third grade due to the law, Jenner pointed out to the board. She previously said that she didn’t believe many students would be held back.

The smaller-than-first-estimated retention numbers also follow an increase in IREAD scores last school year where 87.3% of students passed the test, an improvement of 5 percentage points from the previous year.

Anna Shults, chief academic officer for the department of education, credited the impact of statewide literacy efforts and policies to support reading, such as giving students multiple chances to pass IREAD, summer school, and more. She also noted that literacy is a key part of the state’s proposed accountability model for schools.

“We are now ensuring that students that are promoted onto grade four are doing so with an ability to read and show mastery of key foundational reading skills,” Shults said.

Students who didn’t pass IREAD can still go to fourth grade

The state has multiple ways for a student who didn’t pass IREAD to qualify for a “good cause exemption” and be deemed that it’s in their best interest to go to fourth grade.

Those are if a student is in special education, if they are an English learner with less than two years of services, if they were previously held back in third grade or more than once before that, and if they are proficient or above in math on the ILEARN.

Schools have the laws and policies to hold students back, but the exemptions allow conversations on the local level about individual students, Shults said.

This school year, of the students who went to fourth grade with an exemption, nearly 75% were students in special education and nearly 24% were English learners. The remaining roughly 1% were either proficient in math or previously held back.

Indiana will continue literacy support going forward

For students who don’t pass the IREAD, Shults said the state’s focus will be on interventions for those students and what is happening day-to-day for them in school.

And she said the state will continue to make sure educators have what they need to improve literacy rates overall by looking at schools’ reading plans and providing teacher training, literacy resources, testing checkpoints, and supports like tutoring and summer programs.

The state board also heard a report on summer learning labs from Brandon Brown, CEO of The Mind Trust. This summer was the fifth year for the program that does English and math education, and it served roughly 12,000 students in 144 locations across the state.

Students take an assessment at the beginning and the end of the five-week program, and Brown said data showed gains across the board for all students.

He added that research also showed gains on state tests following the summer program, and the largest gains were for students who also did tutoring through Indiana Learns in addition to the summer learning labs.

Next, he said, the Mind Trust is looking at ways to replicate the program during other breaks from school in the fall, winter, and spring.

Update: This story was updated on Nov. 6 to include a link to the state dashboard.

Chalkbeat Indiana reporter Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this story.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana is a step closer to a new grading system for schools. Here’s the latest draft.

2025-10-15T18:30:19+00:00

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State education leaders want to measure schools by what students achieve, not punish schools for what students don’t. And they want to grade schools on more than test scores.

A second draft of an accountability system for Indiana schools was presented to the State Board of Education by Indiana Department of Education officials on Wednesday. The board has until the end of 2025 to approve the new framework, per state law, and is expected to vote on a new framework at its Dec. 10 meeting. Schools would receive grades no later than December 2026.

The proposed grading system assigns points to students based on their academic mastery, measured through test scores, and gives them additional points for other knowledge, skills, and experiences that state education leaders say students need for future success. That includes earning workforce credentials and skills like work ethic and communication and collaboration.

Each student’s overall score is then averaged with other students for a school’s overall grade. Schools are not docked additional points for students who don’t pass tests or master specific skills. Schools receive a letter grade based on a scale of zero to 100 points, with 90 points and above graded as an A and 59 and below as an F.

The blend of academics and skills in the proposed accountability model is the biggest change from previous models, and one that board members and Indiana’s education chief defended during the meeting, saying there are some people who want Indiana to focus just on academic mastery.

“There are other things that matter as well, and this is representative of what we’re really driving towards,” said Katie Jenner, Indiana secretary of education.

She said the new model would prioritize academic mastery and skill development, and stressed that “academic mastery, assessment and accountability matter in Indiana, regardless of what the federal government does or does not do.”

“For people in our country who think that if we have all humans take a test and if they pass or not that determines their success, you are fooling yourself because there are leaders in seats all over our country who probably couldn’t pass the test,” Jenner said. “We have to see the full human picture.”

School grading framework focuses on individual students

Indiana schools have not been graded since 2018 due to changes in state testing and the pandemic. In 2022, Indiana created the Graduates Prepared to Succeed dashboard that includes a profile of each school, but not a single grade. But some families found it too complex. So officials also want the new accountability system to be transparent and easier for people to understand.

By assigning scores to each student first, the proposal incentivizes schools to work with individual students to increase their school grade, instead of focusing on increasing the average of one metric, said Ron Sandlin, chief innovation officer for the state education department, who presented the draft to the board on Wednesday.

That approach to maximizing outcomes for every individual student is a “fundamental shift,” he said.

Overall, the second draft of the accountability model is largely similar to the first draft officials presented to the state board in June. Students who are proficient in a subject on a state exam earn points, but so do students who are approaching proficient – just a lower amount.

However, it does include additional opportunities for students to earn points based on work that schools are already doing to help students who are not reaching milestones.

For example, a student who is deemed to not be where they should be academically in ninth grade, but is able to get back on track in 10th grade would earn points to reflect the work the student and school did. Points are also earned for students who are identified at risk for not passing IREAD as second graders, but pass the test in third grade.

The proposal awards points for the readiness seals in the new high school diplomas. But it also includes a way for students to earn points for the old high school diplomas, as schools transition students from one diploma format to the other.

State education board member Kristin Rentschler said she works with students on a daily basis as a social studies teacher, and while school accountability frameworks are not something students think about, this draft would shift the conversation that educators have with students.

Specifically, it would give hope to students who struggle with test taking because educators can say “that’s not the only thing you are being measured on kiddo,” Rentschler said.

Next up is a public comment period before the final draft in December. An online public comment period is now open through Nov. 17. A public hearing for feedback will be held at 11 a.m. on Nov. 17 in the history reference room at the Indiana State Library, 315 W. Ohio St. in Indianapolis.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How this teacher has used zoology to teach lifelong skills for roughly two decades

2025-09-16T11:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat’s free monthly newsletter How I Teach to get inspiration, news, and advice for — and from — educators.

When Sherry Jackson teaches zoology at North Central High School, many of the lessons are ones she did when she took the course for the first time at Indiana University.

Students do behavior studies, memorize more than 120 birds that live in Indiana, perform dissections, and take timed exams — all similar to the lessons Jackson did as a college student.

She remembers thinking she could never memorize so many animals by sight, and the feeling of accomplishment when she eventually did. And she said the timed exams are an opportunity for her to get to know her students and their interests.

“Zoology is just amazing to me,” Jackson said. “To see the similarities and differences from one animal to the next and compare those to humans, how could your curiosity not be sparked?

This year marks Jackson’s 23rd year as a teacher at the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township’s North Central High School, where she teaches anatomy and physiology in addition to zoology. And she said she considers the school her home, filled with educators who care deeply and who are always learning.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I can remember as far back as kindergarten playing teacher. My mother was heavily involved in the PTO at my brother’s school, and she would bring home old or used school books. I used them to teach my dolls and any friends who came to visit. I even tried teaching my brother, though he wasn’t a fan. Once I got into elementary school, I often found myself helping my peers. I guess the calling started early.

I originally went to college with the intention of becoming a doctor. I majored in biology at Indiana University Bloomington and was in my final semesters when I started having recurring dreams about my future. I had even taken the Medical College Admission Test and begun looking at medical schools, but in these dreams, I never saw myself as the doctor — only as the instructor teaching future doctors. That dream stayed with me. After graduating in 1993 with a degree in biology, I entered the teaching program at IU and never looked back.

How did you become interested in and start teaching zoology?

Life sciences in general are absolutely fascinating to me, but zoology was by far my favorite course in college. That class sparked my curiosity more than any other. I got to learn about animals that I had never seen or heard of and I was challenged with learning extensive amounts of information.

When I came to North Central in 2003, zoology wasn’t available to teach. As the new teacher, I was assigned Physical Science (now called Integrated Chemistry and Physics) and Biology.

A few years later, the department chair and my mentor, Mr. Charlie Russell, approached me about taking on zoology. The moment he asked, I was thrilled. I’ve been teaching zoology ever since, and I love it.

What’s your favorite zoology lesson to teach, and why?

It’s hard to narrow down because I love everything about zoology. We’ve designed the course to be very laboratory-intensive — students spend two to five days each week in the lab.

If I had to choose, my favorite unit is Chondrichthyes — the cartilaginous fishes such as sharks. It’s our first major dissection and allows students to compare the anatomy of sharks with that of mammals. I love watching students work at their own pace, explore in depth, and make real-world connections between shark anatomy and their own. The excitement and sense of accomplishment they feel by the end of the unit is contagious.

What impact does studying zoology make on students?

I’m a huge proponent of teaching lifelong skills, and I’m fortunate to do that through science. Most of my students won’t major in zoology or work with animals, but they will leave my class knowing how to read and follow directions, stay organized, work independently and in teams, and — most importantly — think critically.

Some of my former students have gone on to become doctors, dentists, nurses, teachers, and more. I like to think I played a small role in helping them develop the skills they needed to succeed. Nothing makes me happier than when a former student comes back to thank me. That’s the best feeling in the world.

What was your experience with school and how does it affect your work today?

I’ve been around long enough to see many “new” ways to educate students come and go. Often, these so-called innovations don’t last. I consider myself a bit “old school,” and I firmly believe many traditional methods are still the best. The methods I use are from the time I spent in both high school and college.

I emphasize reading — students in my classes use textbooks. I believe in pencil-to-paper work because it builds stronger neural connections. I also stress multimodal instruction, exposing students to new material in multiple ways.

At the same time, I see myself as a Montessori-inspired teacher. My motto is: “The mind cannot forget what the hands have learned.” Hands-on learning is at the core of what I do. In my classroom, it’s always “go, go, go” and “do, do, do.” We don’t just sit at computers all day — we do science. Some students transfer in from schools where they’ve never done lab work, and I find that unconscionable. My entire education revolved around hands-on learning and I continued this practice in my own classroom.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I’ve received is: Maintain high expectations and always be consistent with students.

When I talk to new teachers, I always give them this advice. Younger teachers really struggle with the consistency aspect and that can get them into trouble. Gray areas in rules and expectations can really stress out teachers so I learned to be as consistent and hold high expectations with everything I do in the classroom when students are involved.

At first, some students mistake high expectations for being strict or even mean. But once they understand how much I value education, they realize I hold them accountable because I believe in them. I make a point to let them know when I’m disappointed, but I also celebrate their successes. Even rare students who don’t earn the credit in my class grow in meaningful ways, and witnessing that growth is the greatest accomplishment of all.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You’re invited: Hear back-to-school stories from the Indianapolis community and share your own

2025-06-30T11:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Whether you’re a student, parent, or educator, the start of a new school year is filled with fresh starts and memories.

Maybe it’s the first day at a new school. Or being on the other side of things as the parent waving good-bye. Or maybe it was the start of a school year that made a big impact on you — but you didn’t know it then.

Join us for “New and Nostalgic: A back-to-school community story slam” from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 21 at the Pitch Bleachers inside the AMP at 16 Tech, 1220 Waterway Blvd.

This event is a twist on previous educator story slams — it is open to the community so students, parents, educators, and community members can all come together to tell their stories about the shared experience of back-to-school. We’ll share, connect, and learn from each other as we embark on another new school year. The story slam is co-hosted by Chalkbeat Indiana, Indy Kids Winning, and Mirror Indy.

If you are interested in participating or want to learn more about sharing your story, please fill out this form.

This event is sponsored by ClusterTruck. It’s free, but RSVP is encouraged. Get your ticket here.

Doors open at 6 p.m. Food and drink will be provided.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance emphasizes collaboration, data collection, and student focus at first meeting

2025-06-26T01:26:00+00:00

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The first meeting of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance set the stage for the group’s work, emphasizing collaboration and maintaining focus on students and their experiences while also keeping historical context and accountability in mind.

“We are here tonight to begin a new chapter of collaboration for the future of education in the city of Indianapolis,” said Mayor Joe Hogsett, chair of the ILEA, at the beginning of the meeting.

The nine-member ILEA was created by state lawmakers earlier this year and could shape the future of charter and traditional public schools in Indianapolis. The group is tasked with examining solutions for facility and transportation management across Indianapolis Public Schools and the charter schools within its borders, as well as addressing school governance structure and efforts to increase efficiency.

The group includes Hogsett and IPS superintendent Aleesia Johnson as well as their appointees and must provide a set of recommendations to IPS, city, and state leaders by the end of 2025.

The recommendations will be a “data driven and actionable plan” that will lead to a “more rational, more equitable, and more sustainable system of school facilities and transportation that benefits all students in Indianapolis,” Hogsett said.

He said the plan will be a roadmap for collaboration between schools and could include ideas such as co-locating, sharing services, and consolidating.

The ILEA will start its work with data collection and members made several requests for data during the meeting. The group could also issue a request for qualifications for an outside firm to help with that work in addition to those from IPS and the mayor’s office already working on data collection, Hogsett said, adding there would be more details about that process at the next meeting.

Johnson stressed the need to also look beyond the data to the historical context and the impact of policy decisions over decades.

“As we are collecting data and doing those things, I don’t want us to lose sight of what has happened over 50 years ago to bring us to this place today,” she said, adding that she also wants to keep in mind the collaboration that has happened.

Wednesday’s meeting included a presentation from Andrew Strope, IPS deputy superintendent, and Shaina Cavazos, director of the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, that gave an overview of the history and the policies shaping education in the city such as the creation of Unigov in 1970, which intentionally left school districts out while unifying city-county government and the 2001 state law allowing for charter schools.

After spending the summer collecting data, the plan is to dive into the data in the fall and then spend late fall working on and refining recommendations before they are proposed by the end of the year, Hogsett said.

The introductory ILEA meeting follows a tense legislative session where the group was created, as well as a proposal aimed to dissolve IPS and replace it with charters. That bill ultimately failed, and a successful plan to redirect some property tax revenue from IPS to charters was approved. Starting in 2028, charter schools, which have grown in enrollment as IPS enrollment has dipped, will receive a portion of property tax funding that has been for traditional public schools in the past.

Money from property taxes is used by traditional school districts for operations including transportation and building maintenance. Charter school advocates have argued that the lack of property tax funding contributes to their struggle to offer transportation to students who want to attend.

And charters are tasked with finding buildings to open in. The $1 law allows charters to buy or lease vacant school buildings for $1, but is often formally challenged when schools try to use it.

During the legislative session, IPS called for a moratorium on new schools in its boundaries, and lawmakers prohibited new charters from July to December of this year, except for those schools approved by the mayor’s office.

On Tuesday, the Indianapolis Charter School Board approved Legal Prep Charter Academy to open in 2026, meaning it would be the first new school to open in Indianapolis since the end of the legislative session.

At the ILEA meeting on Wednesday, a dozen people spoke during public comment, urging the ILEA to make sure all children in Indianapolis have good schools to attend, regardless of the type. Speakers also stressed that a lack of transportation can limit school choice, asked the group to look at school collaboration models that are working, and called for greater school accountability, largely for charter schools.

They told the group it had the opportunity to change the competitive school choice environment in Indianapolis and collaborate in a way that benefits all students.

“You all are going to be asked to make some impossible decisions that will likely upset a lot of people, so thank you all for taking on that burden,” said Arion Clanton, who said he’s worked as both a teacher and a coach.

Clanton told the ILEA that solutions need to be longstanding and not one-size-fits all. He also urged the group to keep in mind the kids and families affected by the systems it is addressing.

Additional public comments submitted online were shared with the ILEA members and will be posted online, Cavazos said.

The ILEA is exempt from the state’s Open Door Law, which requires public agencies to make meetings open to the public; however, it does plan to have multiple public meetings like Wednesday’s. State law requires the group to meet publicly to vote on the final recommendations.

The next public meeting of the ILEA is 6 p.m. July 23 at the City County Building at 200 E. Washington St. A calendar of meetings and agendas is on the ILEA website.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

What the new state budget and property tax reform mean for Marion County schools

2025-06-17T18:13:44+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

When he considers future budgets for Wayne Township schools, Superintendent Jeff Butts knows times are about to get tougher. But he’s also grateful for what didn’t happen.

“There’s always that mantra of it’s better than it could’ve been, not as bad as it initially was,” he said.

Marion County school districts will soon receive more money from the state but lose millions in local tax revenue, creating a funding gap that could affect operations and student services, including building maintenance and bus replacement.

With the threat of a recession looming, schools in Marion County only received modest increases from lawmakers this year to their two-year education budgets. And district leaders are still dissecting what sweeping property tax reform will mean in the near future.

At the same time, district leaders like Butts feel grateful to have avoided deeper cuts in a year when state budget forecasts drove big reductions in other areas.

The 11 traditional public school districts in Marion County are projected to see an increase of $75.1 million in state funding over the next two years, according to an analysis of Indiana House Republicans’ projections by WFYI, Chalkbeat Indiana, and Mirror Indy.

That amounts to about a 2% increase across the county each year — but that’s not distributed evenly. The districts’ increases range from 1.1% to 4.4% in the upcoming school year across Marion County. Seven districts are projected to receive less than the 2.4% year-over-year increase in the inflation rate.

Even as state funding ticks up, districts in Marion County are expected to lose a total of $40.4 million in local property tax revenue in 2026 and 2027 — a critical funding source for transportation, facilities, and utilities. Because Indiana law limits transfers between the education fund, which includes state dollars, and the operating fund, which includes property tax revenue, leaders say they’ll now have to make hard decisions about what types of building maintenance and repairs to take on — and when to do those projects.

The new fiscal environment has also left some district leaders feeling cautious about future spending on everything from employee raises to new construction projects.

Tax changes will cut local revenue for schools

Indiana’s traditional public schools are primarily funded in two ways: state support in the form of per-student funding, and local property taxes. Each type of funding is designated for specific needs — state dollars cover classroom instruction, while local taxes support operations like transportation and building maintenance.

The bulk of state funding comes through the tuition support formula, which allocates money based on student enrollment at each district. Districts receive a foundation grant per student, plus additional funds through complexity grants for students from low-income families. The state also provides targeted grants for special education, career and technical programs, and academic honors.

In the newly approved state budget for 2025-26 and 2026-27, total K-12 funding increased by 2% each year, but not all of that money goes to traditional public schools. Charter schools and the private school voucher program are also supported from the same funding pool.

Districts with large funding gains are the ones projected to enroll more students overall, or more students requiring additional services, like students with disabilities.

State student funding for Franklin Township is estimated to grow by nearly 8% over the next two years. During the same time, funds for the Non-English Speaking Program will increase by nearly 24%.

At Indianapolis Public Schools, the county’s largest district, the state’s per-student funding will grow by an average of about 2% each year.

In Warren Township, state funding is estimated to inch up by 3.2% through mid-2027. Superintendent Tim Hanson said the district’s enrollment has stayed flat for about five years and “in this environment, flat enrollment is not a good thing.” While he said he feels fortunate the district didn’t take deeper cuts, he said enrollment is going to be a big focus for the district going forward.

In addition to state funds, local property taxes paid by homeowners and businesses flow into the operations fund and debt service fund, which pay for buses, utilities, and school maintenance and construction.

But property tax relief pushed by Gov. Mike Braun and approved by lawmakers will reduce that revenue stream. The measure, known as Senate Enrolled Act 1, gives homeowners a credit on their homestead property tax bills, with additional credits for veterans, seniors with disabilities and others.

Lawrence Central High School students work on projects in class on Sept. 29, 2023, in Lawrence Township, Indiana.

As a result, Beech Grove City Schools are expected to lose 3.7% of local funds in 2026 and 5.4% in 2027 — the most of all Marion County districts.

Butts, the Wayne Township superintendent, said that while his district “will see modest increases in our property tax revenue, they’re not nearly where they would have been without the language of Senate Bill 1.”

Another change to school funding is coming in 2028. That’s when traditional public schools will be required to share property tax revenue with charter schools. The change is expected to direct about $4.7 million to charter schools across the state in the first year, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Services Agency.

Unlike traditional districts, most charter schools have not historically received local property tax funding. But a law passed two years ago requires districts in Marion County to share a small amount of property taxes with eligible charter schools.

The changes are expected to reduce all local school district funding by $408 million in Indiana over the next two calendar years, based on what schools would have received under the current law.

Marion County districts start planning for funding loss

Several district leaders said they and their staff are still working to understand what the funding changes mean for their districts. While some of them said it’s too early to know exactly how they’ll respond, they stressed their dedication to students and families.

“We will continue to strive to be a district of destination, welcoming all families who seek a high-quality public education for their child,” said Dana Altemeyer, spokesperson for Lawrence Township Schools.

Kirk Farmer, chief financial officer for MSD of Decatur Township schools, told the school board in May that school districts don’t know the effect of changes to property taxes because the new law affects each parcel of property differently.

“We have to realize it’s going to be a substantial change in the way that schools are funded and how funds flow to school districts,” Farmer said, noting that Decatur is in a “significantly strong” position to navigate the challenges.

Other school leaders gave a glimpse into the topics they are thinking about as they review the effect of these funding changes

In Wayne Township, Butts said the district has already slowed spending after COVID relief funds ended. And due to new tariff policies, he’s expecting school buses and building materials to increase in cost too.

Plus, Butts said the modest increases in tuition support will make teacher contract negotiations challenging this year.

“We definitely need to look at ways that we can increase compensation for our teachers as we look forward, but with 1.1% and 1.3% increases, that’s going to be pretty hard to do,” he said.

As Warren Township schools plan for the years ahead, Hanson, the superintendent, said he’s focused on three things: protecting student learning, preventing layoffs and operations that are safe and sustainable.

At the Warren school board meeting in April, the district’s chief financial officer Matt Parkinson said officials are preparing to evaluate how new restrictions on when schools can issue debt will affect future construction projects.

The district already shares more than $100,000 with charter schools under existing law, and expects that to grow as new property tax sharing phases in over time.

“This creates a new moment for us in terms of how we operate and some of the decisions that we’re going to have to make,” Parkinson said during the April meeting. “We’re in a strong place financially, but it’s going to be a new challenge.”

Lawmakers will begin to plan for the next two-year budget in the 2027 legislature.

Chalkbeat Indiana reporter Amelia Pak-Harvey and WFYI reporter Sydney Dauphinais contributed to this article.

Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Eric Weddle is WFYI’s education team editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or follow him on X at @ericweddle.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance members announced by mayor and IPS

2025-05-23T21:09:32+00:00

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Mayor Joe Hogsett along with the Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and the IPS school board announced the members of the new Indianapolis Local Education Alliance on Friday.

The nine-member board, led by Hogsett, was created by lawmakers in this year’s legislative session and is tasked with examining the potential for IPS and charters to share buses and buildings as well as other “topics such as governance structure and increasing efficiency.”

“The goal of the alliance is to deepen collaboration across traditional public and public charter schools and support a strong academic experience for all students,” per the announcement from Hogsett’s office.

The creation of the board occurred during a legislative session that also included a proposal to dissolve IPS and replace it with charters that ultimately failed, and a successful plan to redirect some property tax revenue from IPS to charters.

According to the announcement, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance members — in addition to Hogsett and Johnson — are:

Bart Peterson, former mayor; former CEO of Christel House International; former senior vice president of corporate affairs and communication for Eli Lilly and Company (mayoral appointee).
Maggie Lewis, majority leader of Indianapolis City-County Council; CEO, Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis (mayoral appointee).
Angela Smith-Jones, associate vice president for state relations, Indiana University; former deputy mayor of economic development; former general counsel for the Indy Chamber (mayoral appointee).
Tobin McClamroch, managing partner, Dentons Bingham Greenebaum; chair of the Marian University Board of Trustees, (mayoral appointee).
Barato Britt, President/CEO, Edna Martin Christian Center (IPS Board President appointee).
Tina Ahlgren, teacher, H.L. Harshman Middle School; Hoosier Educator of the Year, 2024; IPS Teacher of the Year, 2014 (IPS district-managed school parent appointee).
Andrew Neal, CEO, Outreach Indiana; former Chief Operating Officer, Brookside Community Development Corporation (IPS innovation school parent appointee).

The group is not subject to the state’s open meetings law.

Hogsett called the members “accomplished civic leaders” and said he’s confident the group “will create a plan that ensures a stable, sustainable and collaborative path forward for our schools.”

Johnson added that the ILEA is an “opportunity to hear the diverse perspectives” of Indianapolis leaders as they create recommendations about the future of the city’s schools.

“We remain committed to advocating for our families, students, and staff throughout the course of our engagement with the ILEA,” she said in the release.

The organization is required to meet for the first time before July 1 and details about the meetings will be shared “in the coming weeks,” per the mayor’s office.

The announcement also noted that “opportunities for public comment and community input will be made available.”

The ILEA must submit recommendations to the state education secretary and legislators for consideration by the end of the year. The Friday announcement also noted that the group will report back to the city and district.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana plans to comply with Trump push to ban DEI from schools

2025-04-09T21:43:13+00:00

The Indiana Department of Education will comply with a federal order to remove diversity, equity, and inclusion from schools, saying it will collect signed forms from schools and districts saying they will abide by the Trump administration directive.

The department “fully intends to sign the certification,” said department spokesperson Courtney Crown in a Wednesday email to Chalkbeat.

Indiana’s move comes in response to the U.S. Department of Education April 3 announcement that states will have to certify schools are in compliance with the administration’s controversial interpretations of civil rights law. States that don’t agree to this certification will not receive federal funding, the department said.

Federal funding represents about 10% of all K-12 funding nationwide but makes up a larger share of local budgets in high-poverty districts.

By certifying that their schools do not use or promote DEI, state education officials would be promising that all of their school districts are in compliance. They would also be acknowledging that they could be liable for fraud under the False Claims Act if they request federal funds and are later found to be in violation of the law.

Trump has moved aggressively to root out DEI from the federal government and other institutions. In January, he signed an executive order seeking to withhold federal funding from schools that he said were promoting “discriminatory equity ideology.” The president and his allies say DEI amounts to unlawful and harmful discrimination, but critics allege Trump’s attacks unfairly malign diversity programs that help students.

Initially, federal officials gave state education departments 10 days to certify, but the Trump Education Department has extended that deadline to April 24. A national teachers union is asking the courts to block enforcement of the federal department’s directive.

Crown noted that signing the certification in response to the federal directive aligns with Gov. Mike Braun’s Jan. 14 executive order, in which he replaced “DEI in government with MEI.” The latter indicates merit, excellence, and innovation.

Both the federal education department and Braun say their respective directives aim to enforce compliance with Title VI, a provision of federal civil rights law that bars discrimination on the basis of race or shared ancestry, and the June 2023 Supreme Court of the U.S. ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard.

The court ruled that race-conscious admissions were unconstitutional, however universities could consider an applicant’s discussion of how race impacted their life. The Trump administration however, interprets the ruling to mean many common diversity practices represent illegal discrimination. As a result, programs to mentor teachers of color or efforts to reduce racial disparities in school discipline could face increased scrutiny.

And Braun’s executive order says that “state funds, property, or resources” can’t be used to support DEI positions, departments or activities if they grant preferential treatment based on “race, color, ethnicity, or national origin.” The state also won’t support requiring training and programming that does the same, and there can be no mandates to disclose pronouns.

The order also closed the state’s Office of Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity.

Per the order, executive state agencies will review DEI positions, departments, activities, procedures and programs to make sure they are in compliance with the Supreme Court Decision by April 30, with a report to the governor and legislative council due July 1.

At the same time, a Senate bill aiming to address “unlawful discrimination” is moving through the Indiana Statehouse.

The first version of the bill was more sweeping and aimed to close DEI programs, but a version that advanced out of committee on Monday now focuses on preventing discrimination by not allowing actions, such as enrollment and hiring, based on someone’s personal characteristics. It also includes civil penalties for violations.

Lawmakers said the bill was an effort to codify executive orders from Trump and Braun, as well as the Supreme Court decision on admissions.

The bill now goes to the Indiana House. Bills must pass out of the opposite chamber by April 15, and lawmakers must adjourn the legislative session by April 29.

Chalkbeat national editor Erica Meltzer contributed reporting.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Education is a ‘state and local responsibility,’ Indiana leaders say after U.S. Education order

2025-03-21T21:39:43+00:00

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Indiana leaders this week welcomed an order from President Donald Trump intended to close the U.S. Department of Education, saying it will give the state more control over education and greater flexibility to spend federal funds.

The long-expected step directs Secretary of Education Linda McMahon to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the closure of the Department of Education and return authority over education to the States and local communities” in order to save money and improve academic outcomes.

Both Indiana Gov. Mike Braun and Secretary of Education Katie Jenner expressed support for the move, with Jenner writing in her weekly newsletter Friday that it would “empower Hoosier communities to identify and respond to the unique needs of our students.”

“Hoosiers know what our students need to succeed better than bureaucrats in D.C.,” said Braun in a post on X.

But how the order and other presidential actions will ultimately affect students with disabilities, those learning English, and even college graduates paying back student loans remains to be seen, as advocates fear major disruptions in programs and services. Trump further announced Friday that the Small Business Administration would handle student loans, and that the Department of Health and Human Services would oversee students with disabilities.

Only an act of Congress could close the department completely. But experts say the order — combined with the layoffs and buyouts that have already affected critical areas of the department — could dismantle some key functions, leading to far-reaching consequences for students and teachers.

“It’s a broad strokes order creating chaos and taking away resources so that the Department of Education will no longer be functional even if there is a department going forward,” said Brooke Kandel, dean of Butler University’s College of Education.

Future for K-12 students is uncertain

What happens next will vary in each state and depending on how Congress acts, Kandel said. The order is not likely to affect curriculum in states and schools, which was already largely a local decision.

One of the Education Department’s key functions is distributing billions of dollars in education funding, especially the funding schools rely on to educate students who come from low-income backgrounds or those who receive special education services. Much early speculation has focused on how its funds would be allocated if the department were dissolved.

Indiana is one of 12 states to ask McMahon for “maximum flexibility” in receiving and spending federal funds. This could mean allowing states and districts to receive all their federal Title funds in block grants, said Jenner and 11 other state education officials in a January letter.

Their other suggestions included implementing “alternative spending approaches” such as competitive or matching grants for allocating Title I funds — which support students from low-income backgrounds, among others.

They also asked McMahon to allow states to “define how districts allocate funds at the school level, particularly when education goals are not being met.”

“By reducing federal constraints on funding streams, [state education agencies] can more effectively address their unique challenges, such as rural school support, achievement gaps, and workforce alignment,” the joint letter said.

But since Title funding currently supports specific initiatives and student groups, redirecting it could mean the loss of programs or services in areas such as special education or English learner education, Kandel said.

And the effects could compound. Cuts to the statistics arm of the department would mean the loss of national data sets.

Cuts to the Office for Civil Rights make the department less able to respond to families’ concerns about discrimination against students based on disability, race, or gender, she added. Under Trump, the focus of the OCR has shifted to focus on states, districts, and universities that it says are promoting DEI policies and are violating Title IX, a federal law that prohibits sex discrimination, by allowing gender-neutral bathrooms and trans athletes to compete in women’s sports.

“You need people to investigate possibilities of discrimination, and if you don’t have the staff you just can’t follow through with those, ” Kandel said. “We need to keep states and schools accountable to students and be consistent with how we apply laws to students.”

In comments during the order signing, Trump said funds for special education and high-poverty schools would be preserved. Rewriting the way federal funds for education are allocated would also require an act of Congress.

In a statement on potential cuts to education programs, the Indiana Department of Education said, “We are not currently aware of any federal funding cuts that will impact programs administered by the Indiana Department of Education.”

“Education is a state and local responsibility. Governor Braun supports efforts to return control over education to its proper place. He is confident in Indiana’s ability to provide an excellent K-12 education for Hoosier students,” the statement said.

Impact on college-going students

Coming off a year of persistent glitches and delayed aid notices, this year’s FAFSA - Federal Application for Free Student Aid - now faces questions from students and families about cuts and changes at the Education Department as well as about future loan repayment.

“We want to make sure that people don’t walk away” from aid dollars or from going to college in general, said William Wozniak, INVestED vice president and CMO. INvestED provides free FAFSA help across the state both in-person and via phone.

The biggest thing to know is “the FAFSA is open and financial aid is out there,” he said.

Wozniak stressed that despite the form’s name, it’s not just for federal funds, but also for state and university-based scholarships and funds.

That includes state funds like 21st Century Scholars and Frank O’Bannon Grant. The FAFSA website also notes that direct loans and Pell Grants are still available.

And award letters from universities are going out, Wozniak said.

While the form is working, the piece with more uncertainty is student loan debt and the future of repayment plans given ongoing court cases, he said.

So Wozniak’s advice to students and families is to fill out the FAFSA, see what’s available to them, and then make decisions about what aid to use.

“Let’s do everything we can on the front end to get all the financial aid we can to minimize debt,” he said. “That’s what we can 100% control.”

What things look like in four years is impossible to predict, he said, but students have control over looking at strategies to graduate with the least amount of debt.

The deadline to fill out the FAFSA for state aid is April 15. Indiana students are required to fill out the form, however there are some exceptions and it is not a requirement to graduate.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Future of property tax revenue for IPS and charter schools fuels intense debate

2025-02-28T04:09:13+00:00

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Discussion of legislation that would require Indianapolis Public Schools to share property tax revenue with charter schools dominated the roughly two hours of public comment at the Indianapolis Public Schools board meeting on Thursday.

The debate over Senate Bill 518, which the state Senate has passed, underscores the tensions between IPS and the charter school community. House lawmakers have also adopted a budget proposal to cut property taxes, which would also affect district revenue.

Nearly 100 people signed up to speak. Speakers advocated for and against the bill, as well as for and against charter schools. However, the loudest applause came for those speaking against the bill and urging the board to take a stronger stance against it.

Ahead of public comment, board members Allissa Impink and Gayle Cosby, said they oppose Senate Bill 518 and that it is part of a larger effort to defund public schools by making traditional public schools and charter schools compete for the same funding.

Impink said the statehouse can fully fund schools and that the community must call on lawmakers to do so.

Cosby said the bill “has all of us collectively sinking in the same leaky boat.”

Public speakers discuss funding levels, school resources

It’s unclear how much revenue IPS would lose under the proposed Senate bill. The district would need to share certain revenue streams, such as any future voter-approved referendums, as early as 2026. But perhaps the largest chunk of funding would come from the district’s operating revenues, which the district would have to share beginning in 2028.

Several speakers made comments similar to those from Cosby and Impink.

Parent Simona Santabarbara said she was against the bill, but not against charter school families. She said that the children are watching how this moment is handled.

“The stakes are too high for us to not fight together,” Santabarbara said.

However, the majority of speakers either spoke for or against the bill or charter schools in general.

Speakers opposed to the bill said they worried it would lead to program cuts and school closures.

Monica Shellhamer, a teacher at Christian Park School 82, asked the board to take action against the bill, not just talk.

“We need action to make sure all our students have the resources we need,” she said.

But speakers backing the bill said it would allow schools to be funded equally, and said additional funding would allow charter schools to offer transportation, making them more accessible to more families.

Those who advocated for charters also stressed they felt ignored by the board.

LaToya Tahirou, a parent associated with Stand for Children, said she’s about promoting schools that close the opportunity gaps and allowing for families to choose. She added that she sees “more division being created when we need to come together and let everyone be heard.”

Some also raised the issue of advocacy groups. Those against charter schools urged the board not to negotiate with groups that support charter schools. Some called out the Mind Trust, Stand for Children, and RISE Indy — groups that run their own programs and also support charter schools — for the division.

Stand for Children and RISE Indy have political action committees that have also donated tens of thousands to IPS school board races.

In a statement after the meeting, the Mind Trust said it supports calls “from parents, students, and community members for IPS leadership and board members to collaborate with charter schools to strengthen our city’s public school system so that all students have the resources they need.”

RISE Indy also stressed the importance of providing resources for all kids, and said they will continue to fight for those “who have been deprioritized.”

In addition to the bill requiring IPS to share property tax revenue, lawmakers introduced a bill that would dissolve IPS and its elected school board and replace it with charter schools overseen by an appointed board. They also floated a bill to remove the district’s power over transportation and facilities.

Those bills hadn’t advanced by the midpoint of this year’s legislative session, although lawmakers could incorporate the same bill language into other legislation later in the session.

Some say IPS should reconsider charter collaboration

Some asked the board to rescind a resolution that reaffirmed its commitment to collaboration with charters, which the school board approved in May.

That resolution came after significant pressure from pro-charter parents, who last year demanded that IPS partner with more charter schools where students of color are successful.

Several speakers also called for a moratorium on new schools. Last week, the school board called for a moratorium on new schools in the area for the next two years. IPS officials have stressed that splitting revenue among over 100 schools within district boundaries will result in no school truly receiving enough.

Charter school authorizers are ultimately responsible for approving new charters in Indianapolis. Authorizers that have approved schools within IPS borders in recent years include Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Office of Education Innovation, the Indiana Charter School Board, Ball State University, and Education One at Trine University.

But charter leaders have argued that additional funds to charter schools will help pay for higher teacher salaries and better transportation. Groups advocating for charters opposed a moratorium, arguing that charters have delivered better results for families while also having to operate with significantly less public revenue than IPS.

Charter supporters have also pointed out that IPS recently launched new schools.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

This Indianapolis art teacher teaches life lessons alongside drawing lessons

2025-02-14T12:00:00+00:00

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It’s “fun Friday” in Makeba Averitte’s art class at Liberty Grove Schools, a K-6 Innovation charter school on the northwest side of Indianapolis.

Fourth graders file in, and he tells them to start by taking two Valentine’s Day coloring sheets and two Black History Month coloring sheets. When they are done, Averitte will hang the latter set in the school’s hallways, but the valentines are for students to give to family, he said.

Averitte’s classroom is filled with color and art from the paint buckets hanging from the ceiling to artwork, including his own, on the walls and cabinets. But it’s also filled with supplies for life: shelves of clothes and a “care cabinet” of hygiene items for students in need. Positive affirmations adorn the walls for students to recite in corresponding King and Queen mirrors. Averitte even keeps hair clippers in his desk for students in need of a haircut.

He fuses history and language lessons with art and talks to students about their emotions, too. Averitte does this all with a big smile and sometimes a dance.

Growing up, Averitte said his teachers didn’t understand what he was going through at home, and how he used humor to distract from his pain. But now, as a teacher himself, he aims to boost students’ self-confidence and open their minds to new ideas. It’s being a part of their village.

“A village means that everyone is doing their part, everybody’s got a role, everybody plays a part,” he said. “It’s a better world.”

A bulletin board in Makeba Averitte's classroom emphasizes the impact that mindset has on a student.

Averitte spoke to Chalkbeat Indiana about merging art with life lessons, building a village, how his mom learned to read as an adult, and the best advice he’s received.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

It never dawned on me, but I always understood the importance of the village. I enrolled my child as a kindergartener at what was then Ignite Achievement Academy (in the same building that Liberty Grove is in now), and when the school held community discussions on the importance of the village, I shared my story. Someone saw something in me, and in 2017, I was hired as an assistant PE teacher, initially. Then, I started offering art as enrichment classes. The rest is history. I’ve been teaching art at Liberty Grove Schools for three years.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

Actually, I love art and social-emotional teaching. I love art because it allows children to see what I saw in art as a kid and currently. You can take a blank piece of paper and turn it into life.

Sometimes students aren’t sure they can create something. Then, I help them see the art in their name, like how the letter A in a name can be the roof of a house. Then, when I see a child turn that letter A into a Christmas tree or something else, it’s amazing. I love seeing their reaction to something they’ve created as well as the confidence they gain when they see they’ve created something amazing.

I also love teaching life skills and coping skills. Bottled-up feelings affect our growth and development all around. It can affect our confidence, our dreams, and more. The same is true for children, and we can help them understand that it directly helps their growth and development. Plus, I really enjoy teaching life skills to students and mentoring others — students and parents, even. For families, we are all on a journey, and I want to remind them that they are not alone. It really is all connected. The village. And that’s how we help prepare students in the classroom, in life, and beyond.

How has your role as the president of the school’s parent advisory council impacted you and your work?

My target is to work with parents and children. That’s how we — the village — help students achieve academically and thrive in life. They are the future. They are making changes in this life, right now, just like the youth of our history who were game changers. We have a role in this life to encourage them every step of the way. This position allows me to share who I am, where I’ve been, and where I am going and encourage them. I want to build up parents on that journey, especially as I reflect on my life and my parent — my mother.

For example, my mother used Indy Reads, and seeing her grow because of it and other times she persevered inspires me. So I share my journey, connections, and resources, like Indy Reads, with families. It really is all connected.

I heard you like to help students work toward their dreams for future careers. How do you do that?

This is a part of my every day. For example, I created a class assignment where I asked students to create their own business logo. They did an amazing job. I saw their excitement and then I encouraged their dreams further by creating flyers for students that showcased the dreams they’ve shared. I have future brain surgeons, hair stylists, nail techs, a photographer, and more in my classes!

Sometimes, I’ve even purchased things to coincide with those dreams, like a stethoscope or scrubs, a camera, and more. My job is to help students dream big and believe in themselves. And when they do, students lock in and work towards those goals in different ways.

Liberty Grove art teacher Makeba Averitte shows how he explains to students the impact that their mindset has on their lives and how education can help change it for the better.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

My mom shows how she never gave up on my brother and I, despite her struggles in life. One major dilemma was that she was illiterate. Through my mother’s action and sacrifice, she took it upon herself to seek help to better her education with Indy Reads’ adult literacy program. In her journey as a single mother, she proved to my brother and I that you can do anything that you set your mind to, no matter what you’ve been through. My mother received multiple awards from Indy Reads, including awards for leadership, achievement, and student of the year.

When I was a kid, my mom owned a neighborhood candy store, and she told the kids in the neighborhood if they showed her their report card with good grades, she will give them a bag of free candy. My mom showed me what the saying, “It takes a whole village,” looks like, as well as the saying “All hands on deck.”

It was less of what someone said and more of what they did. My mother showed me a lot, and I am grateful for her. She showed me that, no matter what, you got to stick it out when it comes to learning. She did that.

To me, that’s what helps students go far — the resilience, the push through, the knowledge and academics, and the know-how regarding how to apply it as they dream big and reach for their goals. The students are already amazing. I am grateful for the opportunity to help them see that so they can tap in and shine even more.

This story has been updated to clarify which school Averitte’s daughter first attended.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You’re invited: Hear local educators share their stories they want lawmakers to know

2025-01-30T21:38:09+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

What do teachers wish Indiana’s lawmakers knew about daily life in schools? We’re asking educators to share stories and experiences from the classroom that they want state lawmakers to know as they craft rules about schools at the Statehouse.

Join us for “Letters to Lawmakers,” a teacher story slam from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 25, at Guggman Haus Brewing Co., 1701 Gent Ave. in Indianapolis. The event is hosted by Chalkbeat Indiana, Indy Kids Winning, and Teachers Lounge Indy, and is a continuation of previous story slams. It’s a place for educators to share stories, spend time together, and learn from each other too. The community is also invited to hear their stories.

The event is free, but RSVP is encouraged. Food and drink will be available for purchase.

To RSVP, get your free ticket here.

And if you are an educator and are interested in telling your story, please fill out this form by Tuesday, Feb. 18.

Update, Feb. 4: This story was updated to extend the deadline for educators to sign up to be storytellers.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Text with Chalkbeat for updates on the Indiana legislative session

2024-12-19T12:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Keep updated on the latest education news coming from the Indiana legislative session by texting with Chalkbeat Indiana.

Each year, the lawmakers meet to create laws and policies around education in the state. In recent years, they’ve discussed and passed sweeping laws on what students learn and how their teachers teach, literacy, absenteeism, high school diploma requirements, and more.

Plus, legislators adopt the state budget every two years. It includes funding for public schools as well as vouchers for students to attend private schools. The 2025 session is a budget year.

So Chalkbeat Indiana launched Session Syllabus, a texting service that helps you stay in the know on big education issues and laws moving through the legislature.

Sign up by submitting your phone number in the form below to get texts about once per week from Chalkbeat reporter Aleksandra Appleton with updates on key legislation affecting schools and students. Or you can text the word SESSION to (317) 648-5331 to sign up.

You can also text back with your questions about bills, issues, and the legislative process and we’ll try and track down the answer for you.

We also offer text updates from Indianapolis Public Schools meetings — sign up for those here.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

IPS school board plans to appoint Deandra Thompson to fill vacancy and start her tenure early

2024-11-13T23:25:44+00:00

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Deandra Thompson will likely start her tenure on the Indianapolis Public Schools Board of School Commissioners roughly six weeks early.

The IPS board announced Wednesday that it plans to appoint Thompson to fill the vacancy on the board left by Kenneth Allen, who was selected and sworn in as Center Township constable last week after losing the school board election.

Allen resigned from the school board after becoming constable, a role that was vacant. Constables are elected by each township in Indiana to serve legal papers and act as a bailiff for the state’s small claims courts.

Thompson, who runs a STEM-based pre-kindergarten and was endorsed by charter school-friendly nonprofits, was already slated to replace Allen on the board in January after winning the election for an at-large seat on the board. Thompson won with 56% of the vote compared to Allen’s roughly 22% and Carrie Harris’ 22% of the vote, per unofficial results.

Deandra Thompson

“This decision reflects our commitment to upholding the values and choices expressed by our constituents, ensuring that their perspectives continue to guide the district’s work,” the IPS school board said in a news release about plans to appoint Thompson.

The race for this seat was the most crowded school board election for a single school board seat in Marion County with three candidates. Allen, who was the IPS board’s vice president, was also the only incumbent running for re-election.

IPS board policy requires remaining board members to fill the vacant seat within 30 days, and board members plan to vote on the appointment at the action session on Thursday, Nov. 21. To pass, four of the six current board members must approve.

Thompson said she is looking forward to getting a head start on the board.

“I really am excited about this opportunity,” she told Chalkbeat on Wednesday. “I really feel like my years of being in the community, building schools, learning from families, listening to families, collaborating with organizations has really taken me to this point, to bring it all full circle.”

Newly elected board members Gayle Cosby, Allissa Impink, and Ashley Thomas will start their four-year terms in January.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Elections 2024: Voting results for school boards in Marion County

2024-11-06T04:17:24+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Incumbent school board candidates in Marion County are largely poised to return to their roles, per unofficial results on Tuesday.

This election, there were 40 school board candidates on ballots throughout the county for 33 seats on 10 district boards. Overall, roughly half the school board candidates in Marion County are incumbents, and a majority face at least one opponent.

Only two incumbent candidates, Kenneth Allen, current Indianapolis Public Schools board member, and Matthew Hopp, current school board member for Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, were poised to lose their seats, per unofficial results.

Elsewhere in Marion County, the difference between joining the school board for Metropolitan School District of Warren Township or not was roughly 200 votes. And in Perry Township, only two candidates were on the ballot for four open seats, but there were roughly 500 write-in votes that could impact who joins the board.

In Lawrence Township, where board disagreements about administrator pay and academic achievement spilled into the election, incumbent Crystal Puckett had the lead with 65% of the vote in the school district’s only contested race.

Voter guides: 2024 school board elections in Marion County

The role of the school board is not day-to-day operations but rather district oversight, creating and enforcing policy such as the student handbook, making sure bills are paid, approving the budget, and hiring a superintendent. School board elections are non-partisan.

The number of board members in total and up for election, as well as whether members are at-large or represent a specific district, varies by school district.

Winning candidates will start four-year terms in January.

With 100% of vote centers reporting, here are the unofficial results: (Results are not final until provisional and military ballots are counted by Nov. 15.) See IPS school board unofficial results here.

Speedway Schools is not included because the school board is appointed by the town board, not elected.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

2024 election: Indianapolis-area students cast votes in mock classroom elections

2024-10-30T11:00:00+00:00

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With “The Star Spangled Banner” playing, students in Monica Poncé‘s class cast their vote for U.S. president in a mock election. But this democratic process had its own look and feel.

Each student sat in front of a projector screen showing portraits of the candidates. Poncé held a pair of buttons. She pressed the blue one for students to hear “I’m Kamala Harris” in the candidate’s voice. Next was the red one that said “I’m Donald Trump” in his voice. Then it was the student’s turn.

Some students made their choice by pressing the button. One touched sensory pads that corresponded to the candidates. Another indicated his choice between a plastic toy donkey and elephant. Two picked by fixing their gaze on one of the candidates on the screen.

“Thank you, that’s a good choice,” Poncé said regardless of the student’s choice. Together, they’d mark the paper ballot and put it in the cardboard ballot box.

After making his selection for president in the mock election, student William Weist puts his ballot in the ballot box with the help of teacher Monica Poncé and instructional assistant Elena Sanchez. Weist is in Poncé’s high school class at RISE Learning Center.

Each of the seven students in her high school class at RISE Learning Center has physical, cognitive, and communication disorders, plus a majority of the students also need services for blind or low vision. All are nonverbal and working toward a certificate of completion instead of a diploma through the Mobility Opportunities via Education — or MOVE — program.

They’re among thousands of Indiana students participating in mock elections as their teachers use the contentious 2024 presidential election to teach the importance of voting, civic engagement, and democracy.

Some are voting for their class president, or the choice between an ice cream or pizza party. Others are studying the real-world 2024 presidential candidates, and historical examples of activism and voter suppression.

What they have in common is an emphasis on the power of a vote during a presidential election where youth engagement may play a significant role in the results.

Poncé said that because her students can’t say what they want or like, things are often done for them.

“When I can give them a choice, I want to give them that opportunity to have a say in what they are doing,” she said.

Teacher helps students with disabilities be community participants

RISE, on the southside of Indianapolis, describes itself as “a cooperative special education program.” It serves students from Beech Grove City Schools, MSD of Decatur Township, and Perry Township Schools as well as a few from schools in Johnson County.

“I teach our students to be active members in the community,” Poncé said of her students, who are ages 15 to 22. “They can be dismissed by the community for not having thoughts or opinions because they are nonverbal.”

Monica Poncé shows markers to student Kaliyah Branom to give her a choice to sign her mock voter registration card ahead of the mock election at RISE Learning Center.

One of their electoral decisions was picking between blue and black markers to sign the mock voter registration cards they made earlier in the week.

Voter registration is a formal document, and formal documents are completed in blue or black ink, Poncé told them, as she and the instructional assistants held up markers to each student.

Earlier in the lesson, Poncé reviewed the “w-h words” of the presidential election with the students: what, when and who. She included the colors and symbols of the political parties too.

Poncé told them that they would wait their turns to vote because sometimes the lines at a polling place are long. And the results take time, she said, so they wouldn’t know until later in the day who won the class election.

Two of the students are old enough to actually vote. Poncé said that when her students turn 18, one of several resources she shares with families and caregivers is information about registering to vote and where polling locations are.

“We get to make a choice of who we want to run the country,” she told the class.

A school studies voter participation and activism

At Sankofa School of Success, an Innovation Network school in Indianapolis Public Schools , Treasure Jones’ first graders came up with the qualities they want to see in the next school president.

Someone who uses kind words and actions. Someone who’s hard working, helpful, and happy.

Danita Logwood’s second graders at Sankofa School of Success design Get Out the Vote posters to urge their parents and older siblings to vote.

Then they gathered around Jones as she read aloud from a book called “V is for Voting.” She reminds them of an earlier lesson about voter suppression — they agreed it would not be fair if Ms. Jones stopped someone from voting in the school election just because they have bad grades, for example.

“What’s a campaign?” one student asked in the middle of the book.

“It’s all the things you do to convince people to vote for you,” Jones said.

Jones also reminded them of why voting is important to her: “It’s important to me that potholes are filled. It’s important to me because I love to teach you guys that you have safe schools.”

She also told her class about why she votes and attends school board meetings.

At Sankofa, a K-6 school in the Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood, voting is a school-wide, month-long project, with different lessons at each grade level exploring voter participation, activism, and more. A mock election on Nov. 5 — with fifth graders running for office and sixth graders acting as the electoral college — caps the project.

There are real-world connections, too, as students will also cast a vote for the presidential candidates in a mock election.

“The littles bring a different energy to it,” said Eldridge Chism, the assistant head of school.

In Danita Logwood’s second grade class, students are designing posters specifically to urge their parents and older siblings to vote. Without voting, you lose out on your chance to make change and influence how things are done, Logwood said.

Here’s how she put it to the second graders: If the class has recess out on the playground, but you wanted to go to the courtyard, you might feel upset, but did you put up your hand and vote when you had the chance?

Logwood stressed the importance of voting in another exercise: She described the voting requirements in different periods of U.S. history, then asked students to stand up if they matched the requirements. At the beginning, only white male landowners could vote — so no one in the class could stand.

At Sankofa, Bruce Wooldridge’s sixth grade students study a 2016 ballot as they prepare to create their own, with versions in English and Spanish.

Fifth grade teacher Ashley Helman said the idea for the mock election originated with the students themselves, who would hear about the presidential election at home and then come into class and ask questions. Often, those questions were who the teachers themselves would vote for.

Helman told them that no, they can’t share those opinions as teachers. They should ask their parents.

“What I can do is let you know about the process and how it works,” Helman said.

How will Americans feel after Election Day?

At Enlace Academy, another Innovation Network school within IPS, sixth grader William Ulin took his defeat with grace.

He and a table of his classmates represented the state of Florida in a lesson on the Electoral College just 12 days before Election Day. The choices: an ice cream party versus a pizza party.

As a hypothetical Florida resident, William voted for pizza. But his fellow classmates swung the state in favor of ice cream. Ultimately, the classroom — the entire nation — made ice cream the winner.

The activity was the latest in a series of lessons on the election process that the K-8 school in the International Marketplace neighborhood on the city’s west side planned throughout October for its middle school students.

The lessons — taught during the school’s weekly “community meetings” that help build community and character — align with the school’s core values of citizenship and integrity. Students have learned about political mudslinging and how to spot reliable sources of news.

Enlace Academy sixth grader William Ulin, left, counts the votes of the classmates at his table, which represents the state of Florida in a lesson about the electoral college.

In an open-house event two weeks before Election Day, eighth graders also gave presentations on issues important to them and researched how both presidential candidates would impact the topic.

As sixth grade math teacher Elise Correa counted up the electoral votes for ice cream and pizza, School Leader Stephanie Campos reflected with students.

“How do you think Americans are going to feel after Election Day?” she said. “Someone’s going to be upset, right?”

Campos asked students how they would respond if their chosen candidate lost. Madeline Corado pondered the question.

“Be happy for them?” she asked.

“There’s only so much you can control, right?” Campos said. “But you can just keep on moving.”

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How this Lawrence Township educator inspires a passion for early childhood education

2024-10-16T11:00:00+00:00

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When Mary Easley was in high school, she took cosmetology classes at the career center. While she still became a licensed cosmetologist, Easley watched her instructors and an interest in teaching grew.

“I can still remember Mrs. Evans pulling me aside and telling me that I was meant to be a teacher. That conversation lit a fire in me, making me realize that teaching was my true calling,” she said.

Now, Easley, who has worked in early childhood education for 20 years, teaches early childhood education to high school sophomores, juniors, and seniors at the McKenzie Center for Innovation and Technology in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township — the same career center where she got her start.

This year, her students are participating in the state’s new early childhood education teacher apprenticeship program. Funded by a federal Preschool Development Grant, students combine classroom learning with work experience to earn high school and college credits. After high school, they can start their careers right away, continue their education, or both.

Easley’s students recently attended an apprenticeship signing day, similar to those for athletes, at the Statehouse and were recognized for being in the first cohort of the program.

And just like herself, Easley’s students have found their passion through the program. One student wants to work with students with disabilities, thanks to what she’s learned. Another wants to be an early learning center principal. Several want to teach elementary school students, and several more are in the program working with preschoolers in the same early learning centers they attended as young children.

“Their passion for this field is being nurtured by the real experiences and inspiration they are receiving from this pathway,” Easley said.

She spoke with Chalkbeat about the early childhood education program, the bond between high schoolers and preschoolers, and the best advice she’s ever received.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Tell me about the early childhood education teacher apprenticeship program in Lawrence Township schools. What does it look like for you and your students?

It’s an amazing opportunity for early childhood education students. The program is designed to support students by providing mentorship, hands-on job experiences, and college credits in the realm of early childhood education. It’s a wonderful foundation for students who are just beginning to start thinking about their next steps after high school.

Once students have completed the 120 hours of class instruction and 480 hours of work experience, they submit a professional portfolio that’s a reflective compilation of their overall experience. In addition to their portfolio, students will take an exam upon completion of all the required work. Students will have earned their CDA, or Child Development Associate, certification. This certification will allow students to apply for a lead teacher, instructional assistant, or site leader position in a preschool setting.

What is your favorite part of having high schoolers work in an early childhood education setting?

The highlight of my day is seeing the love and joy spread from the preschoolers to the high schoolers and vice versa. I see the patience and care from the high schoolers as the preschoolers are developing, growing, and understanding the world around them, while the preschoolers are also giving the high school students a sense of purpose and the opportunity to develop a passion for this career.

Some of my favorite moments are when the high schoolers enter the building, and all of the preschoolers start waving their hands and shouting the high schoolers’ names down the hall. I also love when the preschoolers draw the most colorful picture and hand it to them as a gift or come up to the high schoolers and ask them to read them a book.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I just recently wrapped up a chapter focusing on theories and principles. As an early childhood educator, my focus has always been on the socio-emotional well-being of my students, whether you’re big or small. So with that, I like to take time out and explore adverse childhood experiences. I encourage my students to make connections through documentaries, articles, and even music artists that the students listen to. By making those real-life connections, they are able to ask themselves, “What can I do to help?”

We are all carrying something in our invisible backpack, but once we start to unpack it and get to the core of what those issues are, I just believe that then we are able to have a stronger society as a whole. Stronger communities, families, and students.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

Oh wow! Well, because of the amazing teachers that I had throughout my upbringing, I carry a little piece of them as I have developed my own style of teaching. I truly believe that being a teacher extends beyond the four walls of a classroom. It’s about showing up, being present, and in the moment with your kids, and not only actively listening but making sure you are hearing them. Making sure to make those meaningful connections that will help sustain them throughout their journey.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

In graduate school, a professor would continuously remind us to earn our own understanding. I don’t think that the advice ever resonated with me until I started working with my high school students. For example, to a preschooler, I may have all the knowledge. However, to a high school student who has already started to navigate their way through life, I am merely a guide to help them earn their own understanding.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Just taking the time to breathe and relax at home. I love to cook and spend time with my family.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Election 2024: What candidates for IPS school board said about charter schools, literacy, and more

2024-10-09T17:27:43+00:00

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The district’s sweeping reorganization plan and the influence of outside groups loomed large over Tuesday night’s forum featuring candidates for the Indianapolis Public Schools board.

All eight candidates for four seats on the IPS Board of School Commissioners, attended the forum at the Indianapolis Public Library’s Central Library. The event was co-hosted by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI. Races for District 1, District 2, and an at-large seat are contested. The candidate for District 4, Allissa Impink, is unopposed.

At-large board member Kenneth Allen is the only candidate seeking reelection. He is being challenged by Carrie Harris and Deandra Thompson. The race for District 1 is between Alan Schoff and Ashley Thomas. Former board member Gayle Cosby is in the District 2 race against Hasaan Rashid.

This election season comes as IPS continues the rollout of Rebuilding Stronger that’s designed to overhaul the district in response to enrollment pressures and an increasingly competitive school choice landscape. The district is also trying to improve student academic performance following the pandemic.

Asked to assign a letter grade to Rebuilding Stronger so far, several candidates said it was too soon to tell. The candidates did seem to agree that while the plan was a good idea, its implementation has been rocky.

Candidates were also asked to list their endorsements, which ranged from labor unions to education advocacy organizations. Financial contributions from outside groups that favor IPS collaboration with charter schools and other reforms have played a key role in board elections for more than a decade.

In the election four years ago nearly $600,000 was raised by 10 candidates seeking the same seats as in this election. One of those candidates was Allen, the only incumbent running for reelection, who wore a “not for sale” T-shirt to the forum.

Other candidates also stressed they couldn’t be bought by outside interests, and criticized the role groups like Stand for Children and Rise Indy play in the board elections. Both groups use political action committees to pay for ads, mailers, and other campaign support.

But Thomas defended Stand for Children’s advocacy with parents and her own previous work with the organization.

Chalkbeat and WFYI reporters also asked the candidates about topics including charter school partnerships, literacy, building community relationships, student mental health, and chronic absenteeism.

Watch the full forum below. Spanish subtitles are available in video settings.

Read our full voter guide for the IPS school board election here.

Early voting is underway at the Indianapolis City-County Building at 200 E. Market St. Additional early voting sites open on Oct. 26 and can be found online. On Election Day on Nov. 5, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers, which can be found online.

This article was updated on Oct. 15 to include how to find the Spanish subtitles on the forum video.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Eric Weddle is the WFYI education team editor. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org.

Your guide to 2024 school board elections in Marion County

2024-10-01T13:16:02+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

This election, 40 candidates are on ballots across Marion County for 33 seats on 10 district school boards.

Winning candidates will start four-year terms in January 2025 and serve through 2028. As school board members, they will provide district oversight, create and enforce policies such as the student handbooks, approve the budget, and set goals. One of the biggest jobs of a school board is to hire and oversee a superintendent.

The number of board members — and whether members are at-large or represent a specific district — varies by school district. Board members can receive up to $2,000 annually in addition to meeting stipends. Generally, school board seats are nonpartisan election positions, except in Speedway, where the school board is appointed by the town board.

Overall, roughly half the school board candidates in Marion County are incumbents, and a majority face at least some opposition.

The district with the most candidates overall is also the district with the most candidates — three — for a single seat: Indianapolis Public Schools. That race, one of four in the district, is also the only one where the incumbent is vying for re-election.

And in five districts — Beech Grove City Schools plus the Metropolitan School Districts of Lawrence Township, Pike Township, Warren Township, and Wayne Township — there is one more candidate on the ballot than the number of seats open.

In the other four districts, every candidate on the ballot will join the board: Metropolitan School Districts of Decatur Township, Washington Township, Franklin Township Community Schools, and Perry Township Schools. In Perry, the board has four open seats with only two candidates on the ballot. A third candidate is running as a write-in, meaning she could join the board with one vote, but that still leaves one open seat.

Voter guides for Marion County school board elections

Chalkbeat Indiana partnered with WFYI and Mirror Indy to publish voter guides on each Marion County school board election. Read each guide:

Additionally, Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI are co-hosting an IPS school board candidates forum at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8, at the Indianapolis Public Library, Central Branch. RSVP and submit questions here.

How to vote

Voter registration is underway and ends on Oct. 7. Marion County residents can register to vote here.

Early voting begins on Oct. 8 at the Indianapolis City-County Building at 200 E. Market St. Additional early voting sites open on Oct. 26 and can be found online.

On Election Day on Nov. 5, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers, which can be found online.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Decatur Township school board election: Who’s running and how to vote

2024-10-01T13:05:53+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

This voter guide was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana, Mirror Indy and WFYI as part of a partnership to increase coverage of township school districts in Marion County and cover the 2024 school board elections.

Two current school board members are unopposed for their seats on the board for the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township. The district in southwest Marion County educates roughly 6,700 students.

This school year is the first for Superintendent Scott Collins who started his role in July after serving as the superintendent for Fayette County Schools.

The district, where nearly 72% of students come from a low-income background, offers free breakfast and lunch to all students this school year.

This election

This November, two of the five seats on the school board are up for election. In both cases, only the incumbent is on the ballot with no challengers.

The incumbents who are running are the president and vice president of the board, meaning they will stay on the board, but would need to be reelected by their fellow board members to remain officers. They will also be part of a board that oversees the new superintendent.

The board members’ new terms will start in January and go through the end of 2028.

Who votes and how to vote

Voters who live within the district boundaries can vote for both at-large seats.

Voter registration is underway and ends on Oct. 7. Marion County residents can register to vote online.

Early voting begins on Oct. 8 at the Indianapolis City-County Building at 200 E. Market St.

Additional early voting sites, including one at the Decatur Township Government Center, open on Oct. 26 and can be found online.

On Election Day on Nov. 5, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers, which can be found online.

Meet the candidates

Larry Taylor, at-large seat

Larry Taylor is the current president of the school board and has served on the board for more than two decades. He’s a district alumnus and has three children who all graduated from Decatur as well. Taylor is an assistant manager at United Water. Taylor didn’t respond to requests for comment from Chalkbeat.

Estella Vandeventer, at-large seat

Estella Vandeventer is the board’s current vice president. She’s a graduate of Decatur Central High School and was appointed to the board in 2017. Per her LinkedIn profile, she is a board member of the Decatur Township Scholarship Association and the Decatur Township Educational Foundation.

Vandeventer has two children. She works for American Senior Communities. Vandeventer didn’t respond to requests for comment from Chalkbeat.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact her at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Beech Grove school board election: Who’s running and how to vote

2024-10-01T13:05:19+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

This voter guide was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana, Mirror Indy, and WFYI as part of a partnership to increase coverage of township school districts in Marion County and cover the 2024 school board elections.

Four of seven school board seats are up for election at Beech Grove City Schools, a district southeast of Indianapolis with about 3,000 students.

The elected school board members will deal with the effects of an ongoing teacher shortage and recent grade reconfigurations.

The board was under fire in 2023 after member Rick Skirvin allegedly reported three Black students to the superintendent for theft inside a Walgreens, despite having no evidence. Skirvin retired in December amid a defamation lawsuit filed by the students’ families.

In July, parents expressed outrage over an attack on a student at Beech Grove High School by two of his peers, as reported by Fox 59.

In a video of the incident, no teacher or school official appeared to intervene. A district spokesperson said the incident was investigated but did not discuss disciplinary action.

Beech Grove City Schools belongs to the Indiana Literacy Cadre to receive instructional support from the state and get more students reading proficiently. In 2024, 20.7% of third graders in Beech Grove’s Central Elementary School did not pass the IREAD.

This election

Five candidates are running for four open at-large seats this November. The race includes three incumbents.

The elected members will begin their terms on Jan. 1, 2025 and serve through Jan. 1, 2029.

The elected school board will also be involved in implementing laws passed by the state legislature earlier this year. That includes a ban on cellphones in class and a revised reading law, which requires third graders who don’t pass the state literacy exam to be held back.

Who votes and how to vote

Voters who live in the district can cast a vote for all four at-large seats.

Voter registration is underway and ends on Oct. 7. Marion County residents can register to vote online.

Early voting begins on Oct. 8 at the Indianapolis City-County Building at 200 E. Market St. Additional early voting sites can be found online.

On Election Day on Nov. 5, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers, which can be found online.

Meet the candidates

Five candidates, including three incumbents, are vying for four seats on the school board.

April McManus, at large seat

April McManus is currently on the school board, and has served there since 2017, including as president. As a board member, she said the top priority is to take care of students to positively impact them and help with challenges they are facing. She said the district is in a “unique financial situation” due to needing referendums for transportation and capital improvements.

A Beech Grove resident for 24 years, her daughter is a Beech Grove Alumna. McManus works in the Indiana Department of Revenue.

Beth Prindle, at large seat

Beth Prindle is an incumbent candidate who has served on the board for more than three decades. She’s a graduate from Beech Grove High School and so are her four children. Prindle said she is running for re-election to continue to help Beech Grove schools be “the best it can be for the future of our community.” She said that the board is working to be “fiscally responsible” and “setting high expectations for our students.” Prindle works as a preschool teacher.

April Rinks, at large seat

April Rinks, is a regular volunteer at Beech Grove schools and has coached cheerleading at Beech Grove Middle School for five years. She told Chalkbeat that her love for her town and its schools motivated her to run for school board. Rinks said she wants to support the superintendent, advocate for teachers, attract top educators to the district, and continue the district’s educational successes. She’s also passionate about opportunities in science, technology, engineering, and math for young women and girls.

Rinks has lived in Beech Grove for 16 years. She has three children, two who are district alumni and a current high schooler. Rinks works at the Indiana University School of Medicine as a technologist in the cytogenetic laboratory.

Dennis Wilson II, at large seat

Dennis Wilson II is a self-employed attorney and owner of Elite Casino Productions, a special events company providing casino-themed entertainment, according to his campaign filing. He was also an officer of the Beech Grove Promoters Club, a community service organization.

In an email to Chalkbeat, Wilson said his priorities as a school board member are to improve literacy, promote academic engagement by keeping kids off their phones during school, and encourage lifelong learning.

Tara Wolf, at large seat

Tara Wolf, is an incumbent school board member who has served on the board since 2022. In an email to Chalkbeat, she said her priorities are school safety, communication, and responsible spending. She said the district’s biggest challenge is its budget, due to property tax caps. Wolf also said she wants to support superintendent Laura Hammack in the effort to improve the district’s academic standing in Marion County.

Wolf works at Midwest Communications Group, a campaign consulting firm.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact her at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Cell phone bans: Tell us how it’s going at your school

2024-09-12T13:16:11+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Students are back in class. But their cell phones are probably not.

Before this school year, some Indiana schools may have had restrictions on students’ cell phone use. But now, all schools are now required to have policies banning “any portable wireless device” during class time due to a new state law.

This includes phones and other devices that provide communication between two parties. Districts, including charter schools, must adopt policies banning several types of devices during class time, although there are some exceptions related to health care and emergencies.

Should students have cell phones in class? Indiana just said no — with a few exceptions.

But lawmakers didn’t pass a one-size-fits-all cell phone ban. Each school district must come up with its own policy for exactly how student cell phone bans work.

And that’s where you come in. We want to know how it’s going at your school. Has the ban made a difference? Were there unexpected results? Have schools struggled to implement or enforce the student cell phone ban? Let us know below:

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MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

RSVP to hear from candidates for Indianapolis Public Schools board

2024-08-28T19:27:23+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Sept. 6: This article has been updated to reflect that Terrencio Davis was removed from the ballot.

Eight candidates are vying for four open seats on the Indianapolis Public Schools Board of School Commissioners, and only one of them is an incumbent.

This election season comes as IPS continues the rollout of Rebuilding Stronger, its restructuring plan. The district also faces enrollment pressures due to an increasingly competitive school choice landscape, and challenges in improving student academic performance following the pandemic.

Voters have the opportunity to get to know the candidates and their views at a school board candidates forum hosted by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI. The forum will begin at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 8. at the Indianapolis Public Library, Central Library.

RSVP to save your seat.

Journalists from the two media organizations will moderate the panel discussion and take audience questions for the candidates submitted both before and during the event. The event is the same day that early voting starts.

School board members are elected but nonpartisan officials. The board doesn’t run the day-to-day district operations, but it does oversee and approve the district’s overall direction, policies, and superintendent.

On the Nov. 5 ballot are:

At-Large ( the entire school district)

Kenneth Allen (incumbent)
Deandra (Dee) Thompson
Carrie Harris

District 4 (areas south and west of downtown)

Allissa Impink

District 2 (Massachusetts Avenue passageway northeast of downtown)

Gayle Cosby
Hasaan Rashid

District 1 (east side and near southeast )

Alan Schoff
Ashley Thomas

Voter guide: Meet the candidates for IPS school board

All of the candidates have confirmed they’re participating in the forum. Terrencio Davis, was previously a candidate in district 2, but his eligibility was challenged, based on residency. The Marion County Elections Board upheld the challenge that Davis lived outside the district boundary at an August 29 meeting. The board removed Davis from the ballot.

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Voter registration is open until Monday, Oct. 7. To register to vote or to check your status, go here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Contact WFYI education editor Eric Weddle at eweddle@wfyi.org.

Cell phones, reading, state testing: See what’s new as Indiana students head back to school

2024-07-24T10:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Across the state, students are heading back to school soon. Students in Beech Grove and Warren Township start classes this week, followed by the rest of Marion County’s districts next week.

With a new school year comes new rules about cell phones in classrooms, a new pilot program for shorter but more frequent state testing, and a new policy on holding back students who can’t read based on third grade reading exams.

Read more about these changes and others you’ll notice this school year:

Check for school bans on cell phones

A new Indiana law requires school districts to ban cell phones and “any portable wireless device” from class time.

The ban covers phones, tablets, laptops, and gaming systems, as well as any other devices that can provide communication between two parties. But it’s up to each school district to decide on the exact policy.

There are some exceptions for educational purposes (including Individualized Education Programs), emergencies, and health care.

Some students will take more, shorter state tests

The Indiana Department of Education is piloting a checkpoint-based ILEARN this school year as an alternative to one high-stakes exam at the end of the year. More than 70% of schools opted into the pilot program, the department said.

The aim is to make the data more actionable throughout the school year for students, families, and teachers, instead of having to wait for results at the end of the year.

The pilot program will have three checkpoints throughout the year and a shortened summative assessment at the end of the year, per the department. The change is expected to be made for all students in the 2025-26 school year.

Schools and parents must meet about chronic absenteeism

Parents of chronically absent students in kindergarten through sixth grade will be required to meet with schools to create a plan and receive wraparound services to improve attendance, under a new law on truancy prevention.

The law also requires school officials to report truant students to the prosecutor’s office, and requires prosecutors to tell parents that they could be held legally accountable for their children missing school.

More students could be held back

More students could have to repeat the third grade, due to a new law that tightens the state’s policy for remediation. The policy doesn’t start until the 2025-2026 school year, but will be based on test results from the coming school year.

Retention has long been part of Indiana policy. It’s become less common in recent years, with thousands of students “socially promoted” over the years. But now, students have to pass the IREAD-3 to move to fourth grade.

There are some exemptions including for some students with an IEP and some English learners as well as students who pass the math portion of the statewide exam.

Additionally, parents have an opportunity to appeal a remediation recommendation if they believe their student meets one of the exemptions.

COVID relief funding ends for schools

Schools have until September to commit the third and final round of federal COVID funding — known as Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief, or ESSER. This means districts may already be looking for new ways to fund programs and positions supported by these dollars.

The state spending tracker shows the state has reimbursed schools for about 87% of available federal relief funds as of July 19. However, the tracker doesn’t capture schools’ expenditures in real time.

Chalkbeat Indiana Reporter Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this article.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

What’s next for the proposed new Indiana high school diplomas that focus on workplace readiness

2024-07-17T19:41:49+00:00

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Hoosiers still have time to weigh in on the state’s proposals for new high school diploma requirements as the Indiana State Board of Education will likely vote on changes slightly later than expected.

The diploma proposals by the state board of education in March would take the emphasis off college-going as the pinnacle of education, and instead prioritize students’ workplace readiness. In June, the state board added three readiness seals – enrollment, employment, and enlistment – to the proposal.

Currently, the first round of public feedback is open, with online comments accepted through July 30 and a public hearing the same day. As of this week, the state has received more than 6,300 online feedback submissions.

Per state law, the state must adopt new diploma requirements by December.

The original plan was for the state board to vote on the new diplomas in September. But Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said at a board meeting Wednesday that part of the feedback so far was to slow down.

Jenner said the board will hear a revised draft proposal at the August meeting and follow that with a second round of feedback, including a public hearing. The board will then release a final proposal.

Schools could choose to opt in and start offering the new diplomas early (in addition to the current diplomas) beginning in the 2025-26 school year. The new diplomas will take effect for all students beginning with the Class of 2029 who are starting eighth grade this coming school year.

The proposed diplomas have drawn skepticism from educators and others who are concerned about courses that would no longer be required under the proposed diploma rules. They’re also worried about plans to eliminate the current Academic Honors diploma, which is linked to college-going.

Public comment at Wednesday’s state board of education meeting echoed many of those concerns including those about history and fine arts requirements as well as academic honors.

However, supporters stressed the proposal would give students flexibility in terms of how they earn high school degrees, and that it would give students “a recipe for success” in achieving their dreams, as Jenner put it.

Partner groups help develop enrollment, employment, enlistment seals

In the proposed diplomas, students would earn either the standard Graduates Prepared to Succeed (GPS) diploma, or the workplace-focused GPS Diploma Plus. A trio of transcript seals would allow students to show they are ready for enrollment, employment, or enlistment to add to their diplomas.

The seals would focus on readiness, not eligibility, and each would have required courses, said Ron Sandlin, the state education department’s senior director of school performance and transformation, at Wednesday’s state board of education meeting. He added that students could earn multiple seals and apply seals to both diploma types.

On Wednesday, state board members heard from leaders of organizations — Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and Indiana National Guard — that are helping develop the seals.

All three stressed the importance of ensuring students are prepared for life after high school and have the greatest opportunities possible within each path that the seals represent. The next step for each is a draft of required courses and experiences.

How to give feedback on Indiana’s proposed diplomas

To offer online feedback, go here.

To give in-person feedback, there will be a public hearing at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30, in Conference Rooms Four and Five of the Indiana Government Center South.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

This Indiana educator created a literary journal for Indiana teens. Here’s why.

2024-07-15T11:00:00+00:00

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Once Ben Boruff decided to try teaching, he never looked back.

Now, he’s been teaching for 11 years, five of those at Munster High School in northwest Indiana.

An English and creative writing teacher who works mostly with juniors and seniors, Boruff also is the sponsor of multiple student clubs, including one focused on poetry and another on Dungeons & Dragons.

Every time a student asks him to help with a club, Boruff sees it as an honor. Plus, it gives him a chance to build rapport with students and create welcoming spaces where teens feel like they belong.

That’s also why he founded and edits Perspicacity Magazine, an online literary journal featuring the work of high schoolers across Indiana.

“If all Perspicacity Magazine manages to accomplish is to help some students feel a deeper appreciation for their talents, it’s worth it,” Boruff said of the year-old magazine, which publishes fiction, nonfiction, and poetry.

In a recent interview with Chalkbeat, he shared more about the magazine, told us about his favorite lesson to teach, and explained why you should choose your words intentionally.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher during my senior year of high school. I was initially going to study English in college, but I had some opportunities to work with a few younger students that year. I enjoyed it, and a friend suggested that I try education. I did, and it stuck. I figured that I’d change my major if, at any point, education didn’t feel right. But it just clicked.

Now, I cannot imagine myself doing anything else. Even amid the chaos of the education-focused culture war right now, I still love my job. Sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like if I wasn’t a teacher. It would undoubtedly be less stressful — probably a lot less stressful — but it wouldn’t feel complete.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

My favorite creative writing lesson involves the hero’s journey. I teach my students about the different iterations of the archetypal hero’s journey: from Joseph Campbell to Christopher Vogler to Dan Harmon. We talk about symbolic, situational, and character archetypes.

In other words, we learn all about the patterns that exist in storytelling. Then I tell my students to “flip” an archetype. Their challenge is to write a story in which they somehow change, alter, subvert, or rework an archetype. Intentionally disrupt a pattern. Make something wholly original. It’s a difficult assignment, but students have made some remarkable things.

What is Perspicacity Magazine, and what led you to start it?

Perspicacity Magazine is a new online literary journal that features creative works from high school students in Indiana. Perspicacity was created to nurture authenticity and empower young writers.

I believe every single student has the ability to create great art.

These lines are at the top of Perspicacity Magazine’s Submissions page: “Here at Perspicacity Magazine, we believe that authenticity and depth of thought are the best conduits of great art. We encourage writers to dig deep and explore the relatively untouched niches and jagged edges of experience. Be bold. Dive deep.”

Why a literary journal?

A literary journal provides an opportunity for students to showcase their works beyond the walls of their classroom. It is one thing to write a poem or a short story and share it with your teacher or your classmates. It’s another thing entirely to write a poem or a short story and submit it for publication for all to see.

I believe that all creative writing requires both strength and vulnerability: regardless of the work, you are putting a piece of yourself onto a page. That’s brave. Then to take that work and share it with a wide audience — that’s exceptionally brave. You are essentially saying that you feel that others could benefit from interacting with your experience. In most cases, that is undoubtedly true.

Why open the magazine to students from across the state?

Indiana has a rich literary tradition. We’re the proud home of Kurt Vonnegut, James Whitcomb Riley, Mari Evans, John Green, and more. Roxane Gay taught at Purdue, and the Indiana Writers Center has been helping Hoosier writers for decades. There was even a nationally recognized Golden Age of Indiana Literature [in the late 19th and early 20th centuries].

But like many places in the U.S. right now, that literary tradition is often overshadowed by obsessive escapism and doomscrolling. The issue is not that students today do not want to express themselves. My experience tells me that students desperately want to express themselves, but they sometimes lack the drive, the knowledge, or the opportunity to do so.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

One of my mentors and former high school teachers, Pam Fischer, told me to speak intentionally because you never know what people will remember. She told me that former students have returned 10 years after high school and reminisced about things she said that she had long since forgotten.

My experience has confirmed this: Students — and people in general — remember details of conversations that I don’t. We don’t have control over how our words will impact others. This is both inspiring and sort of terrifying.

I try to speak intentionally as a teacher, and I encourage my students to speak and write intentionally. Even if we can’t see it — and we almost never do — our words and actions have a ripple effect on those around us. No comment exists in a vacuum.

How do you take care of yourself when you’re not at work?

Not as good as I should. I’ve always found it difficult to truly detach from thoughts of teaching while I’m away from my classroom. It’s not a switch I can easily turn off. Teaching’s a tricky thing because there is always something you can do better. You’re never “done.” I believe that being great at something requires at least a bit of obsessiveness, so I’ve accepted my one-sided work-life balance.

But more to the point, I enjoy spending time with friends and family. I review indie comics for a couple of websites, and like to see film and art whenever I can.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

The 2025 IPS Teachers of the Year share what inspired them to work in the classroom

2024-06-07T11:00:00+00:00

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Typically, eighth graders aren’t great at keeping secrets.

But when it came to surprising their teacher Ashley Hogan with her Teacher of the Year award, she said they made it happen and it was a complete shock.

Last month, Indianapolis Public Schools made announcements for its 2025 Teachers of the Year: Hogan of Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School and Linda Thomson of Shortridge High School.

The annual award goes to one educator at the elementary level and one at the secondary level. They are nominated by principals and selected by a committee of peers, per IPS.

Below, Hogan and Thomson answered questions from Chalkbeat about their teaching inspirations, using multiple languages in the classroom, and how to spend summer break.

These interviews have been lightly edited for clarity and length.

A family of educators and personal classroom experiences

Hogan teaches eighth grade English language arts at Emma Donnan, which is part of Adelante Schools and an IPS innovation school.

Ashley Hogan from Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School is given one of two 2025 IPS Teacher of the Year awards.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

Honestly, third grade was the year that I knew education was the path I wanted. My father, mother, and grandmother were all educators. I grew up around kids, and felt like it was my calling.

I started in early education because those early years are most important and foundational. I became an eighth grade teacher two years ago because I wanted a challenge. I found that my students didn’t have that early foundation year, so I ended up incorporating those foundation skills from teaching younger students.

How do you use your own experience with an Individualized Education Program to empower your students?

I struggled with math growing up and had an IEP. The toolset I gained from that are the strategies that I use in my classroom now. I tell my scholars that everyone is different and all the strategies aren’t going to work for everyone.

I also tell them that I understand that at times things are going to be difficult, so growth is a win. If I made small progress in my math skills, my family would praise me so I give that same praise to my students.

How do you use being multilingual in the classroom?

I am fluent in Spanish and professionally fluent in French after learning as a student at the International School of Indiana and kept going in college.

For the last two years, I’ve had classes that are a mix of English and Spanish speakers, so I teach in Spanish and English and it helps students who are Spanish speakers to have more confidence. Little by little they have more confidence to answer questions in English too.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I have two. The first unit of the year allows my scholars to write poetry and read it in the classroom. They gain confidence and the other scholars are in their seats encouraging them. I immediately saw their confidence in public speaking increase.

And second is a Shakespearean unit. You can see them make the effort to read aloud and try out the tone and be confident. They want to be Puck and say the lines and try it out.

What is your advice to students on how to spend the summer?

Enjoy the summer. The school year is when they have to be locked in and focused and engaged. But in the summer, they can go outside, put down the phones, get away from the TV and try something new.

My eighth graders last year who did that felt better and more confident in themselves in the new high school year so I want the same for this group that just ended the year.

From the dance studio to Shortridge Spanish class

Thomson teaches Spanish and is a World Language Department Lead at Shortridge.

Linda Thomson of Shortridge High School learns she is one of two 2025 IPS Teachers of the Year.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I have always known I wanted to be a teacher: I was that kid who had a chalkboard and would sit my dolls around my room and give them spelling tests.

I am so passionate about my heritage and sharing my love of the language with others, so teaching Spanish was an obvious choice for me. More than anything, I love helping others, and being a teacher is a great opportunity to do just that.

What was your experience with school and how does it influence you today?

I had really great teachers, especially in high school. My teachers allowed us to be creative and gave us a space where we would feel comfortable asking questions and expressing our opinions.

Teachers who pushed me to do more than the bare minimum in my classes because they knew I was capable of more. I strive to be that same positive influence on my students as well, pushing them to see what more they can achieve.

Similarly, how does growing up in a bilingual household impact your work?

On my mom’s side, I was the first person to graduate high school, then college. Everything I do I ask myself: “How can I make my family proud?” In the classroom, I talk about my experiences growing up, and can relate to my students who have also had to grow up being the family’s translator.

It is more than just teaching a second language for me. It is about inspiring my students to explore the world. I just had a former student spend a semester in Spain and another recently switched her major to Spanish education. When students share those experiences with me, it’s pretty special.

Before teaching at Shortridge, you owned a dance studio. What did that experience teach you about inspiring students?

It taught me how hard work can truly pay off. At the end of the season we would put on a big dance recital. Organizing that show for so many students was a lot of work.

The most rewarding time happened when it was all done — when the students could look back and realize that they overcame the fear that comes with performing on a stage. Showing the students everything they can do by working together and positively supporting each other is something that I love to see, even if my teaching environment has changed from a studio to a classroom.

What is your advice to students on how to spend the summer?

Students should spend their summers doing what makes them happy, but also be willing to try new things. This is your opportunity to learn a new skill or explore a new place!

Find a cool book to read, find new music or an interesting podcast to listen to, etc. You can start a new job, which is one of the best ways to meet new people or finish up that craft project you didn’t have time for during the school year.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Voter guide: 4 Indiana districts are asking voters for funding in the May primary election

2024-05-01T19:34:29+00:00

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This voter guide was updated May 1 to include Fremont Community Schools’ referendum.

This May, four Indiana school districts will ask voters to approve funding to do things like raise teacher pay, continue programs supported by pandemic relief that will soon expire, and improve school safety.

These ballot measures seeking tax revenue will be on the primary election ballots on May 7 in Blue River Valley Schools, Brown County Schools, Fremont Community Schools, and the Metropolitan School District of Pike Township.

School districts can seek voter approval for referendums to pay for operating costs, as well as construction and safety expenses. They need a simple majority to pass.

The ballot language shows the percentage that school property taxes would increase from the base amount going to schools, not the percentage that property taxes overall would increase.

Additionally, a law enacted last year requires school districts in Marion, St. Joseph, Vanderburg, and Lake counties to share revenue from ballot measures for operating costs with charter schools. That law applies to one district on May 7, Pike Township, which is the first district in Marion County to hold a referendum since this law went into effect.

Here’s what to know about each district’s referendum:

Pike wants to fund pandemic programs, attract teachers

Rate: $0.24 per $100 of assessed property value for eight years

Estimated annual revenue: $14.5 million

For the first time, Pike Township is asking voters to help fund operations. The tax rate would be 24 cents per $100 of net assessed value for eight years.

The ballot measure would fund three key areas: continuing programs and staffing added since the pandemic, attracting and retaining teachers, and school safety and security.

Out of the total funding, $4.5 million would continue programming and keep staff who are supported by federal COVID relief.

The funding would cover everything from 1:1 computing devices and academic interventionists to social workers and a new curriculum to help students cope with traumas outside the classroom. It would support salaries and benefits for nearly 60 staffers.

“The funds are going away, but the needs are still very much there,” said Pike Superintendent Larry Young said.

Another $9 million would help Pike Township offer competitive salaries and attract top educators to the district, Young said. The funding would cover instructional staff, but also custodians and secretaries.

Finally, an estimated $1 million would pay for additional school resource officers and safety personnel to the district, although Young said there’s not a specific number. It would also fund security upgrades, including a security system that multiple people can walk through at once.

Pike must share referendum funds with charter schools that enroll a student living in the district and opt in.

However, 15 charters are seeking to receive money from Pike’s referendum, according to school board documents. If they ultimately do, the schools collectively will receive more than $412,000 annually of the estimated $14.5 million. The largest amounts would go to Indiana Math and Science Academy (roughly $81,000) and Herron Charter (roughly $71,000).

The average assessed value for a homeowner in the school district is $237,200, which means the referendum’s average tax increase would be $295.20 annually.

Property owners can also use this calculator on the Pike Township Schools website to see how much their taxes would change if the ballot measure passes.

Reviving career education, theater in Brown County Schools

Rate: $0.10 per $100 of assessed property value for eight years

Estimated annual revenue: $1,879,051

Brown County schools is seeking a renewal of its 2016 operating referendum, but at a slightly higher rate than before — 10 cents per $100 of assessed property value for eight years, rather than eight cents.

The referendum would generate around $1.9 million in annual revenue for the district, with the bulk of the funding earmarked for salaries, benefits, and programs, according to the district’s spending plan. Around $188,000 will be set aside for programming at a Career Resource Center.

One of the largest expenditures — around $650,000 — is a plan to increase teacher salaries by $5,000 in order to make the district compensation more competitive, according to a district presentation. Their salaries in Brown County schools start at just over $40,000 a year.

Another $255,000 is earmarked for a 5% pay bump for non-certified staff to increase retention, and $356,000 would go to sustaining current and future salary levels.

The remaining $423,000 would fund new positions in special education, career and technical education, arts, and work-based learning. Some of this funding will allow Brown County schools to reinstate career and technical education classes, as well as theater at Brown County High School.

The district enrolled around 1,500 students in 2024 — a drop of over 300 students since 2018. A presentation from the district says that the enrollment drop has meant a loss of $2.3 million in funding, but that costs don’t necessarily decrease when the number of students decreases.

Brown County voters rejected the district’s most recent operating referendum proposal in 2022.

Blue River Valley seeks increase in teacher pay

Property tax rate: $0.19 per $100 of assessed value for eight years

Estimated annual revenue: $359,594

Blue River Valley Schools, which serves a portion of Henry County, plans to make its teacher pay more competitive if the first ballot measure for operating costs it’s ever put to voters gets approved.

Declining student enrollment and a state-mandated limit on property tax revenue has created a financial strain on the district — particularly in its quest to attract and retain high-quality teachers, the district said in a presentation to voters. Recent enrollment figures from Superintendent Trend McCormick indicate about 570 students, compared to the nearly 700 students it had in 2018-19.

Meanwhile, the $40,000 starting salary for teachers is the lowest among school districts in Henry County and neighboring Wayne County, according to the district.

The district’s average salary of $49,995 is also below the state’s average of $58,531 for 2023.

The district plans to use the additional revenue to increase pay for its roughly 41 teachers by at least $5,000 over two years; it would increase starting salaries to $45,000, McCormick said. The district hopes to offer a $2,500 raise in the fall of 2025 and another $2,500 raise in 2026.

The referendum would be an annual tax increase of $111.27 for a property valued at $138,100, the average residential value for homes in the district, according to the district’s referendum calculator.

Fremont Schools want to attract, retain teachers

Rate: $0.15 per $100 of assessed property value for eight years

Estimated annual revenue: $2,384,719

After voters narrowly rejected the district’s attempt to renew its referendum in 2023, the Fremont Community Schools in Steuben County is trying again with a lower rate.

The district received enough signatures from voters to hold another referendum without the waiting period required by Indiana law.

Due to the district’s debt reduction efforts, many voters may actually see a decrease in their property taxes earmarked for schools, said Superintendent William Stitt, who added that his own taxes would decrease by $60 annually.

The bulk of the 2024 referendum — around $1.66 million — is earmarked for retaining and attracting teachers and staff.

That’s the district’s top priority, Stitt said. While many districts have struggled with labor shortages, Stitt said Fremont schools started the last two years with every position, from teachers to bus drivers, filled.

Without those funds, teachers may face layoffs leading to larger class sizes, according to the district’s referendum materials. Science, special education, and English as a second language positions would be at risk, and programs for at-risk students and gifted and talented students would be reduced.

“We want to keep those people, and that means being competitive and having competitive salaries,” Stitt said.

The district enrolls just under 1,000 students and has 158 teachers and staff, according to its website.

Referendum funds will also help the district maintain its after-school and extracurricular programs, and allow schools to hire new teachers.

Approximately $424,000 will go to academic programming, while the remaining $300,000 is needed to enhance school security according to the district’s spending plan and other materials.

Stitt said this may include an emergency alert system for teachers and staff that does not depend on cell service, which can be spotty in Fremont, he said.

Correction May 7, 2024: A previous version of this story gave an incorrect figure for the annual revenue that Brown County schools’ referendum would raise. It would raise around $1.9 million.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Want to finish the FAFSA before a key Indiana deadline? Here’s what you should know.

2024-04-02T11:00:00+00:00

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With a key deadline for Indiana students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, less than two weeks away, roughly one-third of the Class of 2024 had finished the form as of late March.

The National College Attainment Network’s tracker shows that 32.6% of the class had submitted the form as of March 22, or roughly 29,000 Indiana high school seniors. That’s more than 6,000 fewer Indiana students than at the same time last year, and slightly below the submission rate of 33.7% for this year’s high school class nationwide.

Filling out the FAFSA is considered an indicator of college-going, and Indiana leaders are pushing ways to increase the number of students going to some form of postsecondary education. Students who submit the FAFSA by April 15 get priority for state financial aid.

This year, the FAFSA has changed in multiple ways and has been completed at lower rates across the U.S.. The federal rollout of the new FAFSA has been marked by delays and glitches, including for students who have undocumented parents.

Colleges have also pushed back enrollment deadlines and expressed concern over the amount of time needed to process delayed data from students to award aid packages.

And at the same time, a new state law requires students, with some exceptions, to fill out the financial aid form starting with this year’s graduating class. The Indiana Commission for Higher Education set a goal of 60% completion for the Class of 2024. Last year, nearly 48% of students in Indiana’s high school Class of 2023 completed the form, per a state dashboard.

But McKalaih Legault, director for postsecondary program implementation at the commission, said she’s still feeling optimistic about reaching the 60% goal as the state’s deadline approaches.

The state, schools, and nonprofits are working together to share resources with students and help, she said.

Still planning to fill out the FAFSA? Here’s what to know:

Why should I fill out the FAFSA?

The form is a “key that unlocks all different opportunities,” Legault said.

Filling it out is how students are considered for federal financial aid like grants, loans, and scholarships, as well as some state aid and aid from individual colleges. Plus, students can also access a Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant for a short- or long-term credential.

More than $400 million in state aid is available to students, per the commission. Higher education advocates have stressed that students are leaving money on the table by not filling out the form and seeing their financial options.

What do I need to fill out the new form?

While students and families continue to struggle with the new form, commission leaders said they’ve also heard the opposite: that the new form can take 10 minutes to fill out.

One big change from last year is that students and parents need to create their Federal Student Aid ID, which serves as a digital signature needed for the FAFSA, in advance.

What happens if I miss the April 15 deadline?

State financial aid is on a first-come, first-served basis after that deadline, per the commission. However, it’s still possible to fill out and submit the FAFSA after that deadline, and there is an appeals process for those who missed the deadline and still want to be considered for state aid, Legault said.

Where can I go for help to fill out the FAFSA?

Community organizations and schools have ramped up efforts to help with the form.

Indianapolis Public Schools has two upcoming FAFSA Family Filing Nights from 5 to 7 p.m. April 3 and 10 in the cafeteria of Arsenal Tech High School.

Legault also recommended contacting the commission’s outreach coordinator in your area. You can find yours and send them a message here.

Additionally, InvestED helps students and families across the state with FAFSA. You can also reach out directly for free, expert help. Call 317-715-9007 or email outreach@investedindiana.org. InvestED also hosts FAFSA events at high schools around Indiana. See a full schedule here.

And the U.S. Department of Education has email and live chat help, as well as a helpline: 1-800-4-FED-AID.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How this school social worker helps students inside and outside of the classroom

2024-03-21T21:04:10+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The more caring and loving adults in a child’s life, the better.

That’s the approach Michele Whaley carries into her job as a school social worker at Eleanor Skillen School 34 in Indianapolis.

“At school, I can provide someone that will nonjudgmentally listen and provide support, skills, and perspective which they can then take into other aspects of life,” she said.

And while her role can impact a student’s life in many ways, it’s also impacted her own life. Whaley has been a school social worker for 15 years and was named Indiana School Social Worker of the Year in July by the Indiana School Social Work Association.

“At this point, it is an integral part to who I am,” she said of being a school social worker. “It has made me a better parent to my 10-year-old son and, quite frankly, taught me how to parent. It has allowed me to see the impact a caring, safe, and positive role model can have on the life of a child, which drives me to continue this work despite how difficult it can be.”

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

What led you to become a school social worker?

I have to give most of that credit to Jane Zobel, who was the first school social worker I ever met. I took a job working as a contract employee at an IPS school prior to receiving my Master of Social Work. While in that job, I got to spend time seeing the work Jane got to do with students, families, and the community.

She was just so caring and loving towards students, staff, families, and the community. She provided a safe space for students to feel cared for and just did so much for the school community. It allowed me to see how much difference someone can make in a school environment where you see and work with all students.

It inspired me to return to finish my master’s degree, and the rest is really history.

Michele Whaley (center) poses for a photo on the day she was named school social worker of the year. On the left is principal Krista Douglass and Erica Robinson, IPS executive director of schools, is on the right.

What does a typical day look like for you?

My days can vary so much depending on the needs of the students and the school as a whole. My work spans the spectrum from whole group instruction on character education and development (social/emotional learning) to individual services such as counseling and crisis support. On any given day, I might be teaching in a classroom, intervening with behavior, supporting a student that is grieving, providing a family with food resources, helping plan school events, or conducting conflict resolution. Also, I’m also a part of various leadership teams and community engagement opportunities. One of the best parts of the job is the variety.

School social work has a strong basis in advocacy, justice, and respecting the voice of those you work alongside. For me, it is important to advocate for and enhance the voices of students and families to make sure they have all of the academic and non-academic support needed.

Conflict resolution and kindness are keys to anti-bullying because when children approach situations with kindness and how to resolve problems in a respectful manner, it reduces bullying behaviors.

What do you think is misunderstood about your role and wish more people knew?

I believe one of the common misunderstandings from a community perspective is that all social workers are linked to the Department of Child Services. Another is that people don’t realize that school social workers are dual-licensed professionals in the state of Indiana. I hold an Indiana Department of Education License and am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, or LCSW, through the Indiana Professional Licensing Agency. Due to this, I am a trained mental health professional that is able to support students and families in many ways because many other mental health professionals in schools can only work with their clients rather than the larger school population.

What would you do more of if time were no object?

Honestly, if time were not an object I would do more 1:1 student work, especially with older students. The work that can be done with children as they start to enter adolescence is amazing. It’s universally a difficult time because that’s when we start to navigate the world without as much help from our parents and guardians.

It is the beginning of us starting to figure out where we want to fit in the world and who we fit alongside and as the social dynamic becomes more complex … it’s a lot.

So it’s fulfilling to help students understand more about how their mental health, feelings, and coping skills function and can improve. I would also do more work with bringing community resources and partners into the school if time weren’t a barrier.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

I think the number one piece that’s impactful to me is make time for yourself. The social work career is very geared towards assisting others and it can take an emotional toll. School social workers interact with emotionally deep and difficult topics on a daily basis so knowing how to separate or at least compartmentalize that is so important. Another important thing is remembering you might never know the difference you are making in someone’s life just by being there for them.

You spend your days trying to help others. How do you wind down after a stressful day?

Over the years, I’ve worked hard to practice what I preach and understand the coping skills that work for me. After an emotionally difficult day, I usually need to vent to someone that cares about me, and I need to engage in physical activity such as a walk or exercise of some sort. I maintain a pretty solid boundary with work and do not bring work home, so that helps as well.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You’re invited: Hear local educators share their stories of when lessons don’t go to plan

2024-02-14T22:01:49+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Things don’t always go as planned - even when there’s a lesson plan. And now, you can hear directly from educators about the times they adjusted those plans, whether it was in the moment or after another experience changed their perspective.

Join us for the “From Lesson Plan to New Plan” teacher story slam from 7 to 9 p.m., Friday, March 1, at Fay Biccard Glick Neighborhood Center, 2990 W. 71st St., Indianapolis.

The event is hosted by Indy Kids Winning and Chalkbeat Indiana, and supported by Teach Indy.

This story slam is a continuation of story slams hosted by Teachers Lounge Indy that were a place for teachers to share their stories, spend time together, and learn from each other. This time, it’s also the night before the Teach Indy Educators Conference.

Come to hear the stories, meet other educators, and try handcrafted vegan wines from Sip & Share Wines.

To attend, register here for a free ticket on Eventbrite: https://ckbe.at/indystoryslam

Also, if you’re an educator and want to tell your story, please let us know here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s what the Indiana AG said about making changes to the ‘Eyes on Education’ tip line

2024-02-09T22:20:17+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Attorney General Todd Rokita’s office said Friday it will not remove materials from a website it launched earlier this week publicizing complaints about schools’ materials on race, gender and politics.

The office said it would, however, post responses from school districts challenging the validity of those complaints. But in order to dispute the materials, Rokita’s office told districts they had to prove the materials were not used by or made available in their schools.

Rokita’s “Eyes on Education” portal aims to compile and display complaints about “potentially inappropriate” material in schools that are “real examples of socialist indoctrination from classrooms across the state,” along with the purported material.

Districts responded by challenging the veracity of the materials labeled as theirs, saying the site’s characterizations of the content were inaccurate or misleading. Some of the posted material dates back to 2018.

The website’s launch triggered the latest confrontation between the state attorney general and schools over how educators handle controversial social and political topics, a fight also taken up by state lawmakers.

A spokesperson for Rokita’s office said the materials on the portal support the premise that there has been “indoctrination” in Indiana’s schools, even if policies have changed. Others, however, say it could have a chilling effect on teachers and schools.

The portal, which launched Tuesday, names 13 school districts and one university, and includes complaints with links to photos, screenshots, or presentation materials.

Rokita’s office said what’s posted are “exact documents provided to our office” and many were “from teachers directly and were easily verified.” A spokesperson said the office will reach out to those who submitted to the portal as well as schools if necessary. However, a vast majority of the districts on the portal previously told Chalkbeat that they were not asked in advance about the portal materials.

Rokita’s office also said it will conduct investigations to see if schools are breaking any state laws by using those materials. A spokesperson added that the portal is a tool for parents to “stop indoctrination more quickly and can ensure bad history doesn’t repeat itself in districts where such policies are claimed to be retired.”

Districts ask for updates to ‘Eyes on Education’

Multiple districts have asked Rokita for updates or changes. Four districts each shared with Chalkbeat the same email response to their concerns from the Rokita’s office that set a high bar to dispute the posted materials.

“Please provide documentation that the contents are not, or were not, provided to a student, communicated to a student or parent, or part of any curriculum, program, or activity made available to the school community by a teacher, school district, or school corporation,” the email from Corrine L. Youngs, policy director and legislative counsel in Rokita’s office, reads.

It also says that if the materials contain something that is outdated, the district needs to provide documentation that it was repealed or no longer used, as well as the new policy.

But the office will not remove materials in the portal, a spokesperson for Rokita’s office said Friday, adding that the complaints from schools indicated that the material had once been taught, even if it had subsequently been removed or updated.

Having the complaints and the districts’ responses on the portal “will actually help teachers and school administrators because it will expose misinformation that can naturally exist amongst the public,” the spokesperson argued.

As of Friday evening, the portal had been updated for two districts. It now labels a “gender policy” from Clark-Pleasant Community School Corporation as “retired” in 2023 and says a gender support plan from New Prairie United School Corporation was revised in November 2022.

Power of Rokita’s office may leave schools stranded

The spokesperson for Rokita’s office pointed to the previous outcry over critical race theory in schools and said the portal supported Rokita’s position.

“The types of people complaining now are the same ones who said there was no indoctrination going on in Indiana schools at all,” the spokesperson said. “Now these same types are saying – ‘well, the items on the Portal are no LONGER being taught, or we fired that teacher, or we fired that vendor, or we retired that policy.’ They just proved our point and elevated even further the value of the office in education matters.”

A legal theory, critical race theory has become an umbrella term for discussions of race and identity.

And there’s likely little recourse for schools unhappy with what Rokita’s done, one expert said.

The power of the attorney general’s office has increased over the years. Many attorneys general have gone on to run for higher office, which can incentivize partisan actions, said Michael Wolf, acting director of the Mike Downs Center for Indiana Politics at Purdue University.

Wolf added that as elected officials, attorneys general have wide latitude to act and little oversight. A governor does not oversee an elected attorney general’s office, for example (Rokita was elected to his office in 2020). And the Indiana Department of Education, which also has no authority over Rokita, said it is not involved with the portal.

Plus, Wolf said the portal could fall under the scope of the attorney general’s responsibility to advise other government officials, like those at the state education department or local prosecutors, who could then take action.

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana’s AG launched a tip line for controversial classroom material. It’s already raising concerns about accuracy and privacy.

2024-02-06T22:40:27+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The Indiana Attorney General has unveiled an online portal for complaints about the teaching of race, gender, and political ideology in schools — an aggressive move that raises concerns about privacy and the veracity of the material made public.

The new website, which was announced Tuesday by state Attorney General Todd Rokita, is called “Eyes on Education” and includes complaints dating back to 2018. The website launched with material already posted, but the included school districts and state department of education didn’t know about it.

It lists 13 school districts around Indiana and the Indiana University School of Medicine with links to photos, screenshots, or presentation materials that the office describes as “potentially inappropriate.” In some cases, the portal also includes the addresses, phone numbers, and emails of people identified in the materials. Schools have characterized these materials as incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate.

Molly Williams, a representative for the Indiana Department of Education, said the agency was not made aware of the portal when it was under construction or when it launched.

The portal represents an escalation of a longstanding fight between Rokita and Indiana school districts over how lessons on race and gender are taught in schools. In establishing and promoting the website, Rokita has taken a similar approach to a controversial tip line started by Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin for parents to report “divisive” teaching at their schools.

There appeared to be problems right off the bat.

A majority of the districts listed on the portal told Chalkbeat that they were not contacted by Rokita’s office and were unaware of the portal until Tuesday. A press release from the AG’s office was sent early Tuesday morning, but not publicly posted on the website until hours later.

Rokita’s office did not respond to Chalkbeat’s questions about how and when submitted complaints are posted publicly; what an investigation and verification by his office into the complaints will entail; whether the office would pursue legal action; and whether the persons identified in the material gave permission for his office to post their contact information online.

After at least one district complained about the portal, Rokita’s office told that district that it would remove inaccurate material.

The ACLU of Indiana said in a Tuesday post on the site formerly known as Twitter that the website is “an effort to intimidate teachers” from discussing issues of racial equity and LGBTQ topics.

“Classroom inclusivity benefits everyone. Classroom censorship does nothing but harm,” the group said.

What the website for ‘potentially inappropriate’ materials shows

The materials posted on the Indiana portal take the form of photos of online quizzes and presentations, flags and lessons in the classroom, and overviews of complaints about districts’ materials.

They cover a range of topics, from copies of school districts’ policies on supporting transgender students, to an email announcing a college presentation for Black students, to a list of sexually sensitive content identified in a school’s required reading.

Most of the materials posted online are undated and many others are from 2020 to 2021, when fury over the teaching of race in K-12 schools peaked in Indiana and nationwide and culminated in a bill that attempted to ban “divisive concepts” from K-12 classrooms.

Metadata for the website indicates the link for the portal, which ends in “education-liberty” was started in 2022.

Rokita, a Republican, has waded into this fight before. In 2021, he released his “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” which took aim at social-emotional learning and critical race theory, terms commonly used as shorthand for broader lessons on gender, sexuality, and race. (A former member of Congress, Rokita served on the U.S. House education committee.)

In a press release, Rokita said his office would investigate complaints submitted to the portal.

“Our kids need to focus on fundamental educational building blocks, NOT ideology that divides kids from their parents and normal society,” Rokita said in the release, which describes the website as a transparency portal for parents and educators.

The portal does not include responses from the 13 school districts and one university. It’s not clear how or if Rokita’s office verified that the submissions are from the school districts that are named.

And while names are redacted in some of the materials, the portal makes other names public.

One entry reviewed by Chalkbeat appears to be a screenshot of an online form submitted to Rokita’s office with concerns about a school’s bathroom policy, with the complainant’s name, address, email address, and phone number visible.

Rokita’s office did not say whether this person or others gave permission for their information to be posted publicly.

What school districts listed on Rokita’s portal say

Chalkbeat contacted all 13 districts and one university listed on the portal — all 11 that responded objected to the information on the portal in some way.

Those 11 districts — Brownsburg, Carmel Clay, Center Grove, Clark-Pleasant, Franklin Community, Hamilton Southeastern, New Prairie, Noblesville, Penn-Harris-Madison, Mooresville, and Martinsville — also said they were not notified in advance about the portal or that they would be included. Several districts also stressed that families can bring their concerns and questions to school leaders, and at least two reached out to Rokita’s office to correct the information.

Some of the strongest words came from the superintendent of The Metropolitan School District of Martinsville, which said the documents on the portal do not reflect what the district teaches students.

“The posting suggests that the District endorses radical gender identity curriculum, which is reckless and inaccurate. Furthermore, the posting lacks context and clarity,” Superintendent Eric Bowlen said in a statement. “We invite Attorney General Rokita and any of our legislators to visit our schools to observe as our students learn from the standards required by the Indiana Department of Education.”

Carmel Clay Schools spokesperson Emily Bauer said that the district “was not previously notified regarding the website or asked to confirm the validity of submitted screenshots.”

Bauer also said several documents “originated from a now-defunct outside special interest group, and others appear to be online quizzes with no additional context provided.” Bauer added that it is “irresponsible to portray these screenshots as curriculum.”

Clark-Pleasant Schools said a hyperlink to a board policy document about transgender students “is outdated, retired, and no longer exists here at CPCSC!”

“We are disappointed in the release of this incorrect information and the fact that no one from the Attorney General’s office reached out to verify this information,” the district said.

The New Prairie United School Corporation said a plan listed on the portal is not in active use by the district, said Superintendent Paul White.

“The support plan was changed after community meetings in which we received input from parents, the community, and our school attorney,” White said in an email. “Parents are informed in ALL instances when a student comes forward to declare transgender status.”

The portal’s materials listed for Noblesville Schools are all old and not in use, said spokesperson Marnie Cooke. The site listed a screenshot of a presentation that the document claims was on white privilege, featuring a link that does not work.

The portal also listed screenshots of assignment details for an English course detailing the meaning of privilege, and a screenshot of an assignment on dominant and subordinated groups of people that the office labeled “CRT” (which is shorthand for critical race theory).

“For example, one document shows someone who was a volunteer community speaker in 2018. He presented content that was not appropriately vetted by us and we apologized to families at the time,” Cooke said in an email. “Another item is from an employee who is no longer with Noblesville Schools and the third example is also not in use.”

The Penn-Harris-Madison School Corporation said the “minority scholarship” document listed for the district in the portal is from a one-day conference that the district did not sponsor, host, or plan, and was not a district minority scholarship as implied, according to the district.

Another document portraying an email sent to students about a representative from Goshen College available to speak to Black students was not a “Black Only College Fair” as it was labeled on the portal, Penn-Harris-Madison also countered.

And a third document labeled “diversity activities” was used in 2021 with students who were enrolled in a Preparing for College and Careers course and an Ivy Tech course, the district said. The Penn High School teacher obtained the diversity activities from the course framework provided by Ivy Tech faculty and made adaptations using professional judgment.

“After teaching this lesson and receiving parental/guardian feedback, Penn High School made changes to the courses while also maintaining state standards,” the district said. “The diversity activities shared have not been used at Penn High School since 2021.”

Indiana teachers ‘feeling under surveillance’

Analysts say the website could potentially have a chilling effect on classroom lessons and educators.

John Rogers, director of UCLA’s Institute for Democracy, Education, and Access, said it’s important for teachers to feel comfortable enough to lead their students through historical lessons and discussions about different experiences within a multiracial democracy. But they’re less likely to do so under the threat of being reported to the state.

“It’s very hard to lean into those conversations when you are feeling like you might be attacked, publicly and in bad faith,” Rogers said.

Existing democratic processes allow parents and educators to share concerns with governing bodies that can then make decisions about what should be allowed in schools — building mutual respect and trust, he said.

But the website takes a “name and shame” approach, Rogers said, that ultimately foments conflict for the sake of conflict and heightens a sense of ill-will and mistrust in education.

Christopher Lubienski, director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at Indiana University, said it’s not clear how the investigations will work and whether they’ll be fair, whether complaints reflect real concerns, and what kind due process is available for individuals accused in the materials, he said.

Posting personal information also creates concerns about doxxing, a term that refers to publishing people’s personally identifiable information without their consent.

Many Republican-led states have adopted measures like the tip line or a parents’ bill of rights, he said, though parents already have the right to view and challenge curriculum, as well as attend school board meetings and run for office.

He said anecdotal evidence suggests the measures have likely negatively impacted teacher recruiting and retention.

“They don’t have the autonomy they expected. They’re feeling under surveillance,” he said. “They’ve likened it to McCarthyism.”

Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Bill would require charter school leaders to disclose family, business ties with building owners

2024-01-31T19:55:37+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Update: The Indiana legislative session ended on March 8, 2024. Here are the education bills that did and didn’t pass.

Charter school leaders would have to publicly disclose if they have a family or business connection to the owners of their school building under a new proposal in the Indiana Statehouse.

It’s the latest call for charter school oversight and transparency following federal charges that could mean decades in prison for the former leaders of the Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy.

The operators of the now-closed schools allegedly inflated the enrollment by thousands of students and accepted more than $44 million in state funding, according to a federal indictment filed earlier this month. The state money was allegedly funneled through several for-profit companies owned by the schools’ founder, Thomas Stoughton, and then paid out to himself, his family, former IVS and IVPA Superintendent Percy Clark, and others, the indictment said.

A Chalkbeat Indiana investigation in 2017 found ballooning enrollment and conflicts of interest at the two schools, among other problems. A lawsuit from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita to recoup $154 million in state funds from school leaders and others is ongoing as well.

The proposal to beef up charter oversight is an amendment to House Bill 1243, which addresses various education topics. The amendment says that a charter school shall annually post on its website “information for the immediately preceding school year regarding whether there is a familial or business relationship between the organizer, owner, or operator of the charter school and the owner of the charter school’s building.”

The amendment was authored by Democratic state Rep. Ed DeLaney, who represents Indianapolis. The bill — which includes DeLaney’s amendment — passed the House Wednesday and now goes to the Senate.

“It is clear that we need to tighten reporting requirements on the financial activities of charter schools,” DeLaney said in a statement Tuesday after his amendment was added to the bill.

He said the amendment is part of his “step-by-step” approach to require more oversight of charter schools, especially as they grow, and to fight against misuse of public money.

He pointed out that if a school district rented a school building from or contracted with the family member of the superintendent, that would be wrong, and the same goes for charters, given that they are public schools and use public funds.

“We must require transparency so the public knows who is benefitting from rent for the buildings that charter schools are using,” DeLaney said in his statement.

DeLaney is one of several lawmakers who’ve called for more oversight and transparency from charter schools and their leaders.

Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat who represents parts of Indianapolis, filed a bill about charter authorizers, which approve or reject applications for new charter schools. They are also tasked with providing the kind of oversight that elected school boards handle for traditional public schools.

Hunley’s bill would restrict the power to approve and oversee new charter schools in Indianapolis to two government authorizers: the Indiana Charter School Board and the Indianapolis Charter School Board. That would halt charter authorizing in the city by other groups, including authorizers housed at Ball State University and Trine University.

Hunley’s bill follows a Chalkbeat Indiana report on charter school accountability that found roughly a third of brick-and-mortar or blended-model charter schools in Marion County have closed since 2001.

However, the bill, SB 173, is unlikely to advance. It was referred to the Senate education committee, but is not on the agenda for the committee’s last scheduled meeting before the deadlines for bills to advance out of their respective chambers.

You can track HB 1243 and SB 173 on the General Assembly’s website.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Former virtual school leaders face decades in prison if found guilty in alleged enrollment scam

2024-01-25T20:49:34+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The federal investigation into alleged fraud at two virtual charter schools required a complex review that included interviews of falsely enrolled students and their parents — including the family of one student who was enrolled even after their death, federal investigators said Thursday.

The former virtual charter school leaders of Indiana Virtual School (IVS) and Indiana Virtual Pathway (IVPA) could face decades in federal prison if convicted of charges that they allegedly defrauded the Indiana Department of Education, officials said.

The operators of the now-closed schools allegedly inflated the enrollment by thousands of students and accepted more than $44 million in state funding, per a federal indictment from last week.

That funding was then allegedly funneled through several for-profit companies and used for personal expenses, including tuition at Park Tudor and a purchase at a boat dealership.

The founder of the schools, Thomas Stoughton Sr., 74, of Carmel, faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud, and 57 counts of money laundering. Director of IVS Phillip Holden, 62, of Middletown faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 16 counts of wire fraud. The superintendent of both schools, Percy Clark, 81, of Carmel, faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud, and 11 counts of money laundering.

Additionally, school operations manager Christopher King, 61, of Green Fork, entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Attorneys for Stoughton, Holden, and Clark did not immediately return a request for comment.

“Taxpayers rightfully expect that their hard earned money is being used to educate our children as intended,” Zachary Myers, the U.S. District Attorney for Southern Indiana, said in a press conference Thursday. “Stealing public money from our educational system deprives Hoosier students of the services and opportunities that are vital to all of our futures.”

An unnamed individual described as a manager of student services representatives is also listed in the indictment as a defendant, but Myers did not comment on why they are unidentified. It’s unclear if that person is also charged in the case.

Each defendant faces between 10 and 20 years in federal prison per count, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.

If convicted, the government could recoup that money directly or seize assets to recover the loss, officials said.

Federal indictment comes six years after Chalkbeat investigation

Chalkbeat Indiana originally investigated the school in 2017, noting ballooning enrollment, few teachers, and multiple companies affiliated with Stoughton that received funding from the school.

At the time of the investigation, state education officials said they could not intervene.

A state audit released in 2020 found the two schools inappropriately spent more than $85 million in public funding on companies connected to school officials. Of that amount, more than $68 million was improperly collected by the schools, the audit reported.

Additionally, the state attorney general sued the charter schools in 2021 to recoup $154 million in state funds. That case is still ongoing per court records.

Myers said the state and federal lawsuits are two different actions working under different laws and periods of time, which may lead to the discrepancy in damages.

In a statement, a spokesperson for the Office of Attorney General Todd Rokita said the office will continue its civil lawsuit to recoup damages.

“While we are pleased to see that there will be potential criminal repercussions for at least some of those involved in the diversion of public funds, the criminal charges do not encompass all of the loss or involved parties,” the spokesperson said.

Herb Stapleton, special agent in charge of the Indianapolis FBI field office, said the case was a complex one involving reviews of hundreds of bank accounts and interviews with falsely enrolled students or their parents.

“In this particular case it was the State Board of Accounts of Indiana who put a significant amount of effort into identifying that there was potential fraud here, and then did the right thing by referring it to law enforcement,” he said.

A trial for Stoughton, Holden and Clark has not been scheduled.

Indictment spurs calls for stronger charter oversight

The indictment has spurred charter opponents to call for stronger oversight in a state with a legislature that fully embraces all forms of school choice.

“Instead of depending upon elected school officials, the state has decided to depend on charter schools that use outside contractors who are not under close supervision and lack public accountability,” Democratic State Rep. Ed DeLaney, who represents Indianapolis, said in a statement on Tuesday. “We export our management and oversight responsibilities to people who choose not to perform the function. In the end, the taxpayers lose out.”

The indictment also raises questions about whether charter school authorizers, which are responsible for overseeing charter schools in lieu of a publicly elected school board, are adequately monitoring their portfolio of schools.

“Charter school authorizers do not always monitor the conduct of the schools they are authorizing,” DeLaney said. “Our current charter school management system, or lack thereof, not only creates the opportunity for fraud but has reportedly cost the state at least $85 million of taxpayer money in this one case.”

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

Former virtual charter school leaders face federal charges tied to alleged enrollment scam

2024-01-23T22:52:41+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Several former charter school operators were indicted last week for their alleged roles in conspiring to defraud the state of Indiana by padding student enrollment at virtual charter schools.

The operators of Indiana Virtual School (IVS) and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy (IVPA) are accused of inflating the number of students who attended the institutions by thousands of students and accepting more than $44 million from the state, according to the 24-page federal indictment.

The defendants face a combined 76 charges including wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and money laundering.

A state audit in 2020 said the two schools inappropriately spent more than $85 million in public funding on companies connected to school officials. Of that amount, more than $68 million was improperly collected by the schools, the audit reported.

The state funding was allegedly funneled through several for-profit companies owned by the schools’ founder, Thomas Stoughton, and then paid out to himself, his family, former IVS and IVPA Superintendent Percy Clark, and others, the indictment said. Federal prosecutors allege the money was then spent on extravagant purchases ranging from a Cadillac and jewelry from Tiffany & Co. to private school tuition.

The federal indictment, filed by the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, comes several years after the state attorney general sued the charter schools — which folded in 2019 — to recoup the state funds. That case is still ongoing per court records.

A 2017 Chalkbeat investigation into Indiana Virtual School and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy uncovered inflated enrollment, conflicts of interest, and dismal academic results.

The former virtual school officials and their attorneys didn’t respond to requests for comment, but officials with the schools have previously denied wrongdoing. Online court records show that Clark submitted a not guilty plea. A person who answered a phone number listed for Clark said “no comment” and hung up.

The indictment also raises questions about charter school authorizers, which are government- or university-related entities that essentially provide the same oversight an elected school board exercises over traditional public schools. But observers have asked if warning signs were missed by the authorizer in this case, and if the state is too lax on the authorizers themselves.

The indictment spelled out a complicated scheme to inflate enrollment in exchange for state money. According to the indictment, the virtual schools were required under state law in 2017 to monitor attendance and withdraw students who didn’t log in for online classes.

According to the indictment, Stoughton, along with Clark, Director of IVS Phillip Holden, school operations manager Christopher King, a manager of student services representatives listed as “individual 2,” and others “conspired to defraud the State of Indiana through their operation of two online charter schools.”

They allegedly did this in part by counting partially completed application forms from students. “Most of these ‘students’ never participated in any way,” the indictment stated.

The defendants are also accused of falsely re-enrolling students who in fact left, as well as telling teachers not to disenroll any students, according to the indictment. (One teacher was allegedly fired for trying to blow the whistle on the arrangement.) These numbers were turned over to the Indiana Department of Education by the schools’ leaders and used by the state to calculate funds sent to the schools.

Teachers at the schools, though, were only paid for the students who were legitimately enrolled, the indictment noted.

Millions of dollars were then transferred to several companies and bank accounts under the control of the defendants, according to the indictment. Money was then drawn from the accounts by the defendants to make purchases that include a Cadillac sedan costing more than $58,000, private school tuition at Park Tudor, and about $11,000 at Tiffany & Co.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Lawrence Township schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat Managing Editor Carrie Melago contributed to this article.

Literacy, vouchers, and IPS: Indiana education issues we’re watching in 2024

2023-12-21T12:00:00+00:00

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It may be a new year on the calendar, but January marks the halfway point of the school year and the start of the legislative session in Indiana. And there’s no shortage of education news and issues to watch.

Here’s five topics we’re watching in 2024:

How students learn to read

No surprise here, but reading will likely get a lot of attention, just like in 2023.

Lawmakers passed a new state law in 2023 that requires school districts to adopt a curriculum that’s aligned with the science of reading. The law also specifies that districts are no longer allowed to use literacy curriculum that rely mostly on the three-cueing model, in which students use context clues and pictures.

The new law grew out of concerns held by lawmakers and education officials about students’ reading ability, and our story about what it means for students, teachers and schools was our most-read story of 2023.

When discussing next year’s legislative session, lawmakers said they want to continue to address literacy by looking into Indiana’s third grade retention laws for students who don’t pass the state reading exam, the IREAD-3.

2024 elections feature gubernatorial, IPS school board races

The new year means that it’s a big election year — and not just because there’s a race for the White House.

Here in Indiana, there’s an election for governor with no incumbent, since term limits prohibit Gov. Eric Holcomb from running again. There are multiple candidates on the Republican side and former Indiana Superintendent of Education Jennifer McCormick on the Democratic side.

At the local level, four of the seven seats on the IPS Board of Commissioners are up for election in November, plus there will be school board elections across the state.

Rebuilding Stronger becomes reality for IPS

Approved by the Indianapolis Public Schools board in fall of 2022, Rebuilding Stronger is the district’s sweeping overhaul that aims to address pressing challenges of declining enrollment and educational inequities for students of color.

The Rebuilding Stronger rollout started this school year with the closure of several schools. But the bigger piece begins in the 2024-25 school year, when grade reconfigurations at the elementary and middle schools start, along with expanded academic programs and enrollment zones.

The district is working hard to make sure families know their options for the coming year with an invitation for families to “Choose your IPS.”

The enrollment period is underway, and IPS reported in early December that applications were up from the same time last year by about 470 families.

The future of old IPS school buildings

Per state law, school districts must offer closed school buildings to charter schools to buy or lease for $1. But the law comes with exemptions, including one added this year for districts that share funds from voter-approved property tax increases for operating or safety expenses with an “applicable charter school.”

What that new exemption means is the focus of a legal dispute between IPS and the state that will likely continue into the new year. The outcome will determine whether the district can sell the buildings or must essentially give them to charter schools that could enroll former IPS students.

IPS filed a lawsuit in August against Attorney General Todd Rokita and state board of education officials, arguing that the school district is exempt from the state law. A Marion County judge sided with the district, and Rokita appealed the ruling. In the meantime, the IPS has paused the sale of closed buildings, but the district plans to lease one of the facilities (which it previously voted to sell to a nonprofit) while the court battle plays out.

More students using vouchers

Earlier this year, lawmakers expanded the state’s voucher program to make nearly all students eligible to receive public money to attend private school. Indiana was one of several Republican-led states to do so recently.

Roughly 97% of students now qualify, and state projections show that participation could increase by nearly 42,000 students within two years. And in November, we had our first glimpse into what the participation looks like.

More than 69,000 Choice Scholarship applications were approved during the first round of the program for the 2023-24 school year, per the Indiana Department of Education. That’s a record number. And it’s likely to rise after the second application period, which closes in January.

Chalkbeat Indiana reporters Amelia Pak-Harvey and Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this article.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

How the delayed FAFSA is impacting a new mandate for Indiana students

2023-12-07T11:00:00+00:00

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It’s the first school year that Indiana students are required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as FAFSA. But they still don’t have access to the form.

The FAFSA is typically released in October. But this year, its release has been delayed as the federal government works on a new version that’s supposed to be easier and quicker to fill out. It’s now expected to be out by the end of the month.

All that change means it’s even more important for resources to reach every student individually, school leaders said.

The FAFSA is how students are considered for federal financial aid such as grants, loans and scholarships as well as some aid from states and individual colleges. Students can also access funds for a Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant for a short- or long-term credential by filling out the form.

The new statewide requirement, which has some exceptions, is part of an effort by state leaders to boost Indiana’s college-going rate, which stood at about 53% for the Class of 2021, the latest data available. That’s roughly the same percentage as for the Class of 2020, although it declined for several years before that.

Filling out the FAFSA is considered an indicator of college-going, and nearly 48% of students in Indiana’s high school Class of 2023 completed the form, per a state dashboard. But the FAFSA delay could create a time crunch; of those students who completed the FAFSA, roughly 60% filled out the form by Dec. 31.

What families need to prepare for the FAFSA

One big change is when students and parents create their Federal Student Aid ID, which serves as a digital signature students need for the FAFSA

As part of creating the ID, they submit personal information to be verified, and the ID can take one to three days, said Bill Wozniak, vice president of communications and student services for INvestEd, which provides free FAFSA help in-person and via phone.

In the past, students and parents could create their FSA ID before sitting down to fill out the FAFSA or at the same time, but the latter is no longer an option, Wozniak said. So families need to have the ID ready before they start the form.

“It really launches the whole process,” said Rebecca Daugherty-Saunders, director of college and career readiness for the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township.

School leaders and others are telling students to create their FSA IDs now. Otherwise, for example, families might come to a FAFSA event in the spring expecting to complete the FAFSA there with experts to help them, but won’t be able to because they don’t have an ID ready to go.

How sports and free dinners help schools boost FAFSA completion

In years past, Wozniak said INvestEd would hold roughly half of its FAFSA events before the new year, in part because there’s typically a group of students who wanted to fill out the form around the time when college applications are due.

Plus, College Goal Sunday, a free event to help families fill out the FAFSA at locations across the state, is typically in October and in February. But this school year, it’s only on Feb. 25, 2024, said Wozniak, who serves as the event’s co-chairperson.

Still, INvestED has more than 900 events scheduled this year at high schools across the state, including ones this semester about the FSA ID and general information.

And districts including Warren and Wayne townships received the College Matters grant to increase college enrollment in Marion County; they are using it to help students fill out the FAFSA.

Both Ben Davis and Warren Central have added experts and support staff from universities and community groups to answer questions and work with students and families on the FAFSA. District leaders said they are looking for ways to make it as easy as possible for families.

At Warren, that means having people available to help before and during the school day at the district’s community resource center, in addition to the evening sessions for filling out the FAFSA.

It also means ensuring there is FAFSA information at events families attend, such as athletic competitions, said Laura Butgereit, coordinator for college and career readiness, school counseling, and family engagement for the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township.

At Ben Davis, the Indianapolis Urban League is providing hot meals for families during the FAFSA nights. That makes it easier for families to attend, Daugherty-Saunders said: “We’re taking time away from families outside of school. It’s their dinner time.”

Reaching all students can be difficult in a high school as big as Ben Davis, but it’s crucial, Daugherty-Saunders said. She added that teachers and counselors both work to reach seniors about their postsecondary plans.

Butgereit agreed that reaching each student is crucial to the new FAFSA mandate’s success.

“It’s going to come down to our counselors [and] support people working through all the seniors,” she said.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Butler University launches two-year college with degrees free to most students

2023-11-03T17:16:48+00:00

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Students can earn an associate degree from Butler University at no cost to them, and continue on to earn a bachelor’s degree for $10,000, thanks to a new program.

On Friday, Butler announced it is opening a new two-year college on campus that will offer associate degrees in business and allied health. The program will start enrolling students in fall 2025.

The program is focused on Indianapolis-area students from low-income backgrounds, including students who are undocumented. The university said in its Friday announcement that it wants to make college more accessible and affordable for previously underserved students, and help them navigate the college-going process.

The program is designed as a commuter school, and its students will have access to the same resources and amenities as other Butler students, officials said Friday. However, students in the two-year program will also have additional support, including small classes, dedicated faculty advisors, mental health services, and financial aid, per a news release.

A majority of qualifying students will also qualify for Federal Pell Grants and the state’s Frank O’Bannon Scholarship. Those two sources of aid will cover the cost of the two-year degree, the university said.

Students who earn a 3.0 or higher GPA in their two-year program automatically qualify to continue at Butler to earn a four-year degree. Students with a lower GPA will be considered on a case-by-case basis, per the university.

If students continue work towards their bachelor’s degree, the Pell and O’Bannon funds will — along with aid from Butler — keep costs to the student to a maximum of $10,000, according to Butler.

Butler’s announcement is the latest effort from Indiana’s institutions of higher education to improve the state’s college-going rate. For the Class of 2021, the latest data available, the college-going rate was about 53%. That’s roughly the same rate as for the Class of 2020; the rate fell for several years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education released this fall showed enrollment in higher education increased by roughly 4,700 students from a year ago. That increase included a roughly 3,200-student increase in two-year schools.

Butler is launching its new college in partnership with the national nonprofit organization Come to Believe Network. The organization works to help colleges and universities start two-year programs as a pathway for students to earn associate and bachelor’s degrees, per a news release.

Butler will be Come to Believe Network’s third partner, joining Loyola University Chicago and University of St. Thomas – Minnesota. More than 80% of graduates from this model transfer to a four-year college or university, and 75% earn a bachelor’s degree in addition to their two-year degree, Butler University said.

Come to Believe credits that success in part to the mix of students having access to the amenities of the four-year campus with added support.

Across the state, Ivy Tech Community College and Vincennes University, which are two-year campuses, offer students the most options for two-year degrees.

However, several other universities and colleges offer a smaller number of associate degrees, per the Commission for Higher Education: Ball State University, Indiana University, IUPUI, Indiana Wesleyan University, Purdue University, the University of Saint Francis, and the University of Southern Indiana.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Growth in Indiana college enrollment marks largest increase in 13 years

2023-10-18T18:29:57+00:00

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More students are going to Indiana’s colleges and universities this fall, and the share of students earning degrees on schedule has also grown in the last few years, the state announced Wednesday.

Data released by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education showed that enrollment this fall increased by roughly 4,700 students from a year ago. That marks the largest year-over-year increase in 13 years, per the state. The commission reported that there are about 244,600 students enrolled in Indiana institutions of higher education this fall.

The new state data shows a move in a positive direction for state leaders, who are aiming to increase the state’s college attainment after years of declining college-going rates. That includes several efforts aimed at college access enacted earlier this year by state lawmakers.

Per the state, the number of undergraduate students increased by nearly 3% over last year; the number of graduate students declined by less than 1%.

The enrollment increase includes roughly 2,500 students from Indiana, a nearly 2% bump for in-state enrollment.

Enrollment increased at both two-year and four-year institutions. For students from Indiana, enrollment in two-year schools is up by roughly 3,200, and enrollment in four-year institutions is down by roughly 700.

The commission also said that more students are completing degrees on time, with a 9% increase over the last five years.

Earlier this year, the state also reported that Indiana’s college-going rate is about 53% for the Class of 2021, the latest data available. That’s about the same as the rate for the Class of 2020; the college-going percentage fell for several years before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The changes approved by state lawmakers this year to improve college access include automatically enrolling students into 21st Century Scholars, which covers tuition for qualifying students; requiring all students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to access more funds; and preventing state and for-profit private colleges and universities from refusing transcripts to current or former students who still owe money to the institution.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

A career switch led this teacher to helping students build businesses of their own

2023-10-18T11:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

Meredith Bryant wanted a change.

It was 2020, and she was working from home due to the pandemic. Bryant had been in marketing for eight years but felt like she was missing her sense of purpose.

So she decided to become a teacher.

For the past three years, she’s worked as a business teacher at Walker Career Center at Warren Central High School. This year, she’s teaching and leading a new program centered on entrepreneurship.

Interest in entrepreneurship was growing among high schoolers at Warren Central, so the school created a new pathway where students can launch their own businesses. Plus, they earn up to 16 college credits — roughly a full semester of classes.

Indiana education leaders are pushing to improve access to postsecondary education as the state’s college-going rate for high school seniors hovered at roughly 53% for the class of 2021, the latest data available, after years of decline. That includes efforts to reduce the cost and time it takes to earn a degree. Dual enrollment programs, where students can earn high school and college credits at the same time, are among those efforts.

For Bryant, leaving marketing for teaching proved to be an exciting decision. Her days now are filled with hands-on activities and helping students apply business lessons as they create their own companies and start to build their futures.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher?

I decided to become a teacher during 2020, during the pandemic, when I was working in marketing for a local credit union in the investment department. I wanted some way I could be helpful and decided to go back to school, which turned into me doing a transition-to-teaching program.

I needed more of a challenge and something that was going to give a better-served outcome. Now that I’m three years in, I absolutely love what I do and couldn’t imagine being anywhere else. I just wish I would have done it sooner.

Why start the new entrepreneurship program at Warren Central High School? How will it impact students?

Entrepreneurship used to be an elective, but when students started showing more of interest in the topic, they wanted to try it as its own pathway. This program will help students launch a potential business so they can graduate owning something of their own. I have four seniors who will hopefully be ready to launch their business ideas into the community by May. The other students, juniors, will have me for another year to finalize and work on their budgets, investments, and financial planning.

A “pathway” is essentially an area of expertise, like declaring a major in college. We have over 30-plus pathways that the students can choose from, and entrepreneurship is the most recent one.

As of right now, the classes are all taught by me and students have to pass with a C or better to pass the class. If they pass the Principles of Entrepreneurship, they will move on to the next class, Small Business Operations, and then the capstone.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

Every Wednesday, we do “workshop stations,” where the students go around to different areas of the room and complete an activity.

Recently, we did “Adult Day” where the students learned how to tie a tie, sew on a button, read paychecks, and write professional emails. These are not only fun for the students but for me as well because I get to engage with them on a different level than just a teacher-student relationship.

Overall, my favorite lessons to teach are hands-on activities. I learn better when I see it visually so doing hands-on projects is where I really shine as a teacher.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

Job loss has hit some of my students and even their families. It has been hard to keep their motivation when they see their community laying people off.

When circumstances like this happen, there are a lot of resources we can offer students, but I think with having this class, they have come to realize they can break that barrier. They can use this class to change their environment and better their situation.

What has been surprising about the program so far?

The ideas that the students have come up with so far has really shocked me. I’ve had students that have already launched their apparel business, and they’ve started gaining that experience.

This year as part of the new pathway, students are still in the brainstorming phase of the process but have come up with amazing ideas so far.

One student didn’t want to wait around and jumped into his business and is already making sales. He wants to start his own apparel line but, for now, is working with a manufacturer to design and distribute zip-up hoodies. He’s done very well so far.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

I was a three-sport athlete and a good student academically. I think having that discipline at an early age has carried over to me as an adult and how I run my classroom.

For example, every week we do a Mindful Monday exercise where students watch a motivational YouTube clip and reflect on it in their journals. After they are done, we talk about it and allow some to share their experiences.

I had a high school teacher do this and being the student I was, it helped pick me up and remind me why I was there, and what I’m working towards. I hope to do the same for my students with these reflection days.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The struggles and challenges that are given to you are put in your way to see how you will react to them. Will you overcome them or let them tear you down? It’s always your choice!

I tell my students every day that their attitude when they walk through the door will determine how class will go.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You’re invited: Hear true stories told by local teachers at this storytelling event

2023-10-12T11:30:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools, Marion County’s township districts, and statewide education news.

The infamous “teacher voice” — we all know it, and now you can hear directly from local educators about the times they may have needed to use it.

Join us for the “Don’t Make Me Use My Teacher Voice” teacher story slam from 6 to 8 p.m Thursday, Nov. 16, at Ash & Elm Cider Company, 1301 E Washington Street in Indianapolis. The event will be hosted by Teachers Lounge Indy along with Chalkbeat Indiana and Indy Kids Winning.

Teachers Lounge Indy was formed to help early-career teachers build community, said organizer Ronak Shah. The group last hosted a story slam in 2019. Since then, many in the group have moved on and are no longer early in their careers.

However, Shah said a current teacher encouraged him to bring the event back, so he revived it.

To attend, register here for a free ticket on Eventbrite: https://ckbe.at/3FSCr6z.

Also, if you’re an educator and want to tell your story, contact: teachersloungeindy@gmail.com.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief. She also covers access to higher education and Warren Township Schools. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Voter guide: Indianapolis mayoral candidates’ views on education

2023-10-06T13:09:27+00:00

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Incumbent Joe Hogsett and challenger Jefferson Shreve are vying to be Indianapolis mayor in the Nov. 7 election.

Hogsett, a Democrat, is running for a third term against Shreve, a Republican, who is a businessman and former Indianapolis city-county councilor. Both candidates won their respective May primary elections with more than half of the vote.

Throughout the campaign, public safety has been in the spotlight, and the two candidates shared a stage for the first time during this year’s race at a forum hosted by Historic Urban Neighborhoods of Indianapolis and Indiana Landmarks at the end of September.

They went back-and-forth about public safety, infrastructure, housing, and more in response to audience questions. But outside of one question regarding the upcoming split of IUPUI into Indiana University Indianapolis and Purdue University in Indianapolis, education wasn’t mentioned during the forum.

The two candidates are scheduled to debate several more times this month.

The mayor’s leadership of Indianapolis and the townships impacts the educators, students and families who live in and attend school in Marion County. Additionally, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation which includes the Indianapolis Charter School Board, approves and oversees charter schools.

So to better understand each candidates’ views and priorities on education, we asked each of them the same seven questions on topics including charter schools and authorizers, youth gun violence and more.

Here is what they said, in their own words:

Answers are as candidates submitted them and were not edited.

How to vote in the November elections

In addition to Indianapolis mayor, elections for city-county council are also on the ballot. And outside of Marion County, multiple school districts are asking voters to approve referendums.

Voter registration ends Oct. 10. Register to vote and/or check your registration at indianavoters.in.gov.

Early voting starts Oct. 11 at the Indianapolis City-County Building. Additional early voting sites are open from October 28 to November 5.

On Election Day, Nov. 7, polls are open 6 a.m to 6 p.m., and Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers.

To find voting center locations for early voting and Election Day, apply for an absentee ballot and to see a sample ballot, visit vote.indy.gov.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

You can apply to college for free in Indiana from Sept. 25-29. Here’s how.

2023-09-22T11:00:00+00:00

Indiana students can apply to 36 colleges in the state for free next week, saving them hundreds of dollars in fees.

The fee is waived during College Application Week, which runs from Sept. 25 to 29. The effort is part of a push to increase college-going in the state, which stagnated at 53% of high school graduates from the class of 2021, and was declining before the COVID-19 pandemic.

While some Indiana colleges have no application fee, those that do range from about $25 to $65 per application, so the cost can add up quickly, said Michelle Ashcraft, senior associate commissioner and chief programs officer for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, who leads the commission’s K-12 outreach team.

The commission has several initiatives aimed at increasing the college-going rate after high school, including automatic enrollment into 21st Century Scholars, which covers tuition for qualifying students; requiring all students fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to access more funds; and pre-admissions, where students at participating schools receive a letter telling them which of the participating Indiana colleges they’d be admitted to if they apply.

The application fee waiver next week not only reduces the cost of applying for college, it also means students are researching colleges and applying earlier in the year, Ashcraft said. She added that increases their chances at merit scholarships and helps to meet early deadlines.

If a student hasn’t yet started an application or decided where to apply, Ashcraft said it’s still “very feasible” for students to apply to multiple colleges during College Application Week.

Colleges in the state have worked to streamline their application process, and in some cases, have one-page applications, she said, adding that if a student is undecided about college, this means they have the option for free.

However, Ashcraft said that if students have concerns about affording the application fee after this coming week, they should contact that school’s admissions office and ask if waivers are available.

How to apply to college in Indiana for free:

Below is a list of Indiana colleges and universities participating in College Application Week.

Students should go to the institution-specific application (not the Common App) on that school’s website and fill it out as usual. If a code is listed below, enter that when prompted, otherwise the fee should be automatically waived, Ashcraft said.

List of participating colleges

Anderson University
Bethel University
Caris College
DePauw University
Earlham College
Franklin College
Grace College
Hanover College
Huntington University
Indiana Tech
Indiana State University (Fee waived until Oct. 1)
Indiana University East
Indiana University Fort Wayne (Fee waived from Sept. 15 to Oct. 1. Use code: FWCOLLGO)
Indiana University Indianapolis (Use Code: INCOLLGO)
Indiana University Kokomo
Indiana University Northwest
Indiana University South Bend
Indiana University Southeast
Indiana Wesleyan University
Ivy Tech Community College
Manchester University
Marian University
Martin University
Oakland City University
Purdue University Fort Wayne (Fee waived from Sept. 25 to Oct 8. Use Code: CollegeGo2023)
Purdue University Northwest (Fee waived all of September)
Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
Saint Mary’s College
Trine University
University of Evansville
University of Indianapolis
University of Saint Francis
University of Southern Indiana
Valparaiso University
Vincennes University
Wabash College

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

IPS superintendent highlights ‘excellent choices for everyone’ in State of the District speech

2023-09-21T01:20:55+00:00

Aleesia Johnson, superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, said she’s never been as excited for the State of the District speech as she was on Wednesday, when she invited all Indianapolis families to see the options IPS offers.

Her speech touted options available to students, largely through Rebuilding Stronger, the district’s overhaul plan, as the district aims to attract students and families.

The plan was unveiled at the State of the District last year, and this year’s speech is about keeping those promises, she said.

Johnson expressed her gratitude to the Indianapolis community for answering requests from the district including passing a capital referendum, sharing ideas, and giving the district grace and patience as changes were implemented, which included closing and merging some schools.

Johnson called the offerings now available to students “historic.”

“For as long as I can remember, our most exciting and comprehensive offerings were concentrated in neighborhoods that were whiter and wealthier,” she said. “Now, for the first time, every family in our city can access our best stuff. What was once a privilege is now a right.”

Here’s what to know from Johnson’s speech:

IPS is ‘making up ground’

Johnson highlighted the district’s recent academic gains. In 2023, a greater share of the district’s students scored proficient on both the reading and math sections of the state ILEARN test than before the pandemic in 2019. (Passing rates on IREAD declined from 62.8% last year to 60.6% this year.)

“While much of the country is still experiencing major academic setbacks, we at IPS are already making up ground. We now have a greater share of students at or above pre-pandemic performance in both reading and math, and we’re the only district in Marion County that can make that claim,” she said. “This is a nationally significant achievement.”

Additionally, Johnson said the graduation rate has grown to 80%, which cut in half the gap between IPS and the state graduation rate, which was 86.61% in 2022.

That is “a direct reflection of the work our team began in 2018 to reinvent our high schools and transition to college and career pathways,” she said.

District extends an invite to ‘every family in Indianapolis’

Every family with school-age children will receive an invitation in the mail, Johnson said. That invitation, expected in two weeks, asks families to “choose your IPS” that is “tailored to your child’s needs, interests, and hopes.”

In addition to the mailer, Johnson said IPS will have a “showcase of schools” in early November where all schools will be open for families to visit. Plus, school staff will reach out to current families to answer questions; there will also be open houses and information sessions.

This “whole new chapter” is the payoff for doing hard things as part of the district’s reorganization, she said. And it’s ending ways that “reinforced old patterns of haves and have-nots, of segregation, of intentional disinvestment.”

“Every family in Indianapolis is invited,” she said. “Every family.”

Offerings reflect that students’ ‘talent is everywhere’

Johnson said options available to students previously varied from neighborhood to neighborhood, meaning some students and families were left out.

“The way we did it before would have made perfect sense — if all the future violinists were born in one neighborhood, and all the computer coders in another,” she said. “But I’m pretty sure talent is everywhere so we need to make sure opportunity is as well.”

The new approach includes more pre-K options and more high-demand instructional models for elementary school such as Montessori, dual language immersion, and others. For older kids, all middle school students now have access to band and orchestra, world language, algebra I, computer science, and music, she said. This is a change from the past, when not all schools offered these programs.

At the high school level, options continue, Johnson said, listing choices from “Law and Public Safety to Media Arts and Design to Computer Science and Advanced Manufacturing.”

Plus, she said programs in health care, IT and cybersecurity set students up for internships, industry certifications, and dual credit programs.

Beyond academics, Johnson said athletic offerings are expanding, including girls flag football at all four district-managed high schools as well as more elementary and middle school sports camps and clinics next year.

Investments also include updated buildings – by the end of September, 30 schools will have updated HVAC systems and design work is underway for other buildings, she said.

Nearly $100 million of capital referendum projects will be facilitated by a minority-, women-, or veteran-owned business, she added.

Johnson looks to the future needs

While Wednesday’s speech largely centered on touting exciting parts of the future, Johnson said she knows she’ll likely have speeches where she’ll have to make tough asks.

She also acknowledged that she’d likely have to make more tough requests of the community. And she called for the community to come together more for students.

She noted that resources are needed for students who are non-native English-speaking learners, students with disabilities, and 3- and 4-year-old early learners.

“We can invest in solutions that make it possible for working parents to support their families while their children learn,” she said, adding that investing in students is also investing in a strong economy of the future.

“It’ll take all of us, fighting for what our students need. But there are solutions and, together, we have them,” Johnson said. “Indianapolis has shown me that time and time again.”

Chalkbeat reporter Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this article.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Stay updated on the Indianapolis Public Schools board with Chalkbeat texts

2023-09-07T16:44:13+00:00

Want to stay up to date on the latest news from the Indianapolis Public Schools board while also having a way to text your school board questions to Chalkbeat’s journalists? Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s texting service.

Each month, Amelia Pak-Harvey, who writes about IPS for us, sifts through agendas and documents, attends board meetings, and interviews IPS leaders, attendees, and others before and after the meetings. She reports the decisions made by the school board, and tells the stories of the people who will be affected by those decisions.

And with our texting service, you’ll stay in the loop on the latest IPS school board news, regardless of whether you’re able to attend board meetings.

Here’s how it works:

Sign up by texting SCHOOL to 317-458-9205 or enter your phone number into the box below.

Once you sign up, you’ll get a reminder text before each meeting, as well as a text after the meeting to tell you the news, and a text on occasion when there is additional IPS school board news.

Plus, the texts are a direct line to Amelia, so if you have questions you don’t see the answers to, you can text back and ask her.

This is one more way our team works to inform the community, spark conversation, and inspire you to take action. Our team wants to hold district officials accountable for doing right by their students while also sharing what’s important to students, parents, and teachers.

The IPS school board typically meets at 6 p.m. on the last Thursday of the month at the John Morton-Finney Center for Educational Services, 120 E. Walnut St. The meetings are also livestreamed here.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Township schools in Marion County: Tell us what you want to read about them

2023-07-26T11:00:00+00:00

Roughly 100, 000 students attend township school districts across Marion County, and we want to tell their stories.

What challenges do they face? What successes are they celebrating? How are schools providing for them?

This year, Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI are partnering to expand coverage of the township school districts in Marion County.

As small newsrooms, it can be challenging to cover all of the school districts and charter schools in Marion County. But we know there are important stories going uncovered, and we know you want to read those stories — you’ve told us.

So Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI will be co-publishing coverage of Marion County township school districts, as a way to increase the number and quality of stories we can tell about the students and educators in those districts. We plan to start by focusing on these townships: Lawrence, Perry, Pike, Warren, Washington, and Wayne.

That means we want to know your thoughts on our plans and your story ideas. Let us know what you think in the form below. And if you can’t see the form, click here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Eric Weddle is editor of the WFYI education desk. Contact Eric at eweddle@wfyi.org or text at 317-426-7386.

Indiana’s newest college-going rate holds to previous year

2023-07-13T15:52:17+00:00

The newest college-going rate for Indiana high school graduates is about the same as it was for the graduating class the year before.

Last year, data from the Indiana Commission for Higher Education showed the high school class of 2020 had a 53% college-going rate, which was a significant drop even with years of declining enrollment, prompting concern from state leaders.

This year, the commission’s data showed that the college-going rate for Indiana high school graduates in the class of 2021 was a “mild decline,” the smallest decline in a decade, according to Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery.

The class of 2021 went to college at a rate of 52.9%, a half of a percentage point down from 53.4% for the class of 2020. That meant that about 400 fewer high school graduates went to college. This rate is the percentage of students going directly from high school to some form of college — which ranged from less than one-year certificates to four-year degrees.

The 2023 College Readiness Report, which includes data about the class of 2021, has not been released yet, but Lowery previewed the data as part of his report at the Indiana Commission for Higher Education meeting Thursday.

Lowery said he’s hopeful initiatives underway will boost the rate in coming years.

Also included in the preview of the data were college-going rates for several groups of students.

The college-going rate for Black high school graduates in the class of 2021 was 45%, an increase of two percentage points from the previous year, and it was 43% for Hispanic and Latino high school graduates, a drop of one percentage point.

Among 21st Century Scholars in the class of 2021, 80.8% went to college compared with 30.1% of students from low-income backgrounds who didn’t use the scholarship and 59.2% of students from high-income backgrounds.

The 21st Century Scholars program offers up to the equivalent of four years tuition and regular fees at an in-state public university or college to students who meet income and residency eligibility. Students must pledge to follow requirements like maintaining a minimum GPA.

Previously, students had to opt into the scholarship before high school, but a change in state law now means that all students who qualify will be automatically enrolled in the scholarship, but have the option to opt out.

Students in the high school class of 2021 had their junior and senior years of high school, the time when college decisions are made, interrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Lowery said the full 2023 College Readiness Report is expected within a few weeks.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat Indiana partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

What the Supreme Court ruling on race-conscious admissions means for Indiana students

2023-06-29T17:19:08+00:00

Colleges and universities in Indiana and across the country can essentially no longer consider race in the admissions process, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Thursday.

The practice, known as race-conscious admissions, is used most often at the most selective colleges and universities in the country. It’s commonly known as affirmative action, but it is a distinct concept: Race-conscious admissions aims to increase diversity, while affirmative action was used to address historic inequities, something courts no longer allow in admissions.

The court ruled that race-conscious admissions programs at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina are unconstitutional and violate the equal protection clause of the U.S. Constitution, which bars discrimination.

However, Chief Justice John Roberts also wrote the court’s ruling does not mean that universities are prohibited from “considering an applicant’s discussion of how race affected his or her life, be it through discrimination, inspiration, or otherwise.”

In dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor described this as a meaningless concession — “nothing but an attempt to put lipstick on a pig.”

The ruling overturns roughly 40 years of precedent and removes what many colleges and advocates of the practice consider to be an important tool aimed at racial equity in higher education.

In Indiana, state leaders and others are already worried about the declining college-going rate, which is especially low for Black and Hispanic and Latino students. The Supreme Court’s decision could impact students’ college plans and whether they see themselves as college material at all. It could also directly affect several of the state’s largest, most influential institutions of higher education.

Here’s what to know about how the ruling impacts Indiana students:

Which colleges in Indiana consider race in admissions?

Chalkbeat examined common data sets for Indiana’s roughly 40 four-year colleges and universities to determine what factors they consider in admissions. If the data sets weren’t available, Chalkbeat reached out to the institutions directly.

About three dozen had data available or responded. A majority said they didn’t consider race in admissions. Additionally, Ivy Tech Community College, the state’s largest postsecondary institution, doesn’t consider race in admissions.

However, nine colleges and universities do, most notably the University of Notre Dame, as well as the main campuses for Indiana University and Purdue University. At those three schools, students of color make up a minority of enrollment, data shows. (The smaller regional campuses of IU and Purdue do not consider race in admissions.)

At Notre Dame, about 13% of undergraduates are Hispanic or Latino, about 4% are Black, and 6% are Asian. Students who are two or more races are also 6% of the undergraduates.

At Purdue, 7% of undergraduates are Hispanic or Latino, 2% are Black, 13% are Asian, and 5% are two or more races. And at IU, 8% of undergraduate students are Hispanic or Latino, 4% are Black, 9% are Asian, and 5% are two or more races.

The other schools that consider race are: Bethel University, Franklin College, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Saint Mary’s College, Taylor University, and Wabash College.

What’s the racial breakdown of Indiana students in college?

The share of Indiana students who go to college began falling before the pandemic and is causing concern among state leaders.

The latest data available on the college-going rate showed that 53% of the high school class of 2020 went to college, per a report released last summer by the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

In the Class of 2020, Asian students had a college going rate of 71% and white students had a rate of 56%. But Black students had just a 43% college-going rate. Hispanic and Latino students had a college going rate of 44%.

Boosting the college-going rate has been a priority for many state leaders, including Indiana Higher Education Commissioner Chris Lowery.

Ahead of the ruling, Lowery stressed that the commission will continue to call out “educational attainment gaps” for Indiana, and respond with initiatives including the 21st Century Scholars program, which provides full in-state tuition to students who qualify based on financial need, and more.

“We have a responsibility to not only highlight the challenges that persist but to also ensure all Hoosiers can access the opportunity education and training beyond high school can provide,” Lowery said in a statement to Chalkbeat Indiana.

What does ending race-conscious admissions mean for students?

The Supreme Court decision removes a way for students who are from underrepresented populations to reach campuses, said John Kuykendall, dean of the College of Education and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Indianapolis.

However, it also could have ripple effects on the way students look at colleges.

Joe Zachery, director of the College Prep Institute at the Center for Leadership Development, an Indianapolis-based organization that aims “to foster the advancement of minority youth in Central Indiana,” said that students could see this ruling and wonder if they’ll be admitted to a college, and if they are, whether they’d be accepted and welcomed on campus.

It is yet another reason that students might think college isn’t for them or that college isn’t affordable, Kuykendall added. He said their perception could be “they don’t want me there.”

Additionally, experts and others have worried about the impact on scholarships and programs that are based on race, as well as what students write about in their college essays.

Plus, it puts a spotlight on the inequities in K-12 education, Zachery said. He said if students go to K-12 schools that lack resources and funding, have fewer counselors, and have fewer Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate classes, then they are already at a deficit when it comes to applying to college, especially the most selective institutions.

It doesn’t mean that they can’t do it, but they’ll have to work to overcome those deficits, he said.

What will colleges do now?

Following the Supreme Court’s decision, both IU and Purdue University stressed they will follow the law.

IU leaders told students, faculty and staff in a message that they will work to understand the ruling in the coming weeks, while also continuing “principles and values” that shape IU’s campus.

The university also said in a separate statement that it “reaffirms our commitment to fostering a learning environment that is enriched by students, faculty and staff with a broad range of backgrounds and by robust discourse that draws on various perspectives and beliefs.”

Similarly, Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins said in a statement that university leaders will study what the ruling means for admissions, while also stressing the university’s mission “to build a class reflecting the diversity of experiences and gifts of the human family” and its aim to “provide opportunities for a wide range of young people.”

Rose-Hulman also reiterated its commitment to access “for all students in STEM careers and education — especially those who have been historically underrepresented.”

In light of the Supreme Court’s decision, it will be even more important for schools to deliver on their promises of being welcoming and inclusive, Zachery said. He added that admissions is one thing, but student retention is another.

Students have to feel like they belong and have a community, or they will be in survival mode, instead of being actively engaged in campus and their education, he said.

This goes for all Indiana colleges and universities, not just the ones that are highly selective, experts agreed.

Kuykendall said students who don’t get into the more selective schools now might go more to the local and regional colleges, so those institutions need to be prepared for — and have appropriate resources for — those students.

“I see it becoming a bigger problem,” Zachery said.

One way that students can find that community is through first-year experience programs and offices, he said. These initiatives can set students up for success from activities to get them engaged and involved, find a community, as well as academic advising, mentoring and mental health, he said.

The reason students leave is that what was pitched to them wasn’t truthful, Zachery said. So in order to keep students and ensure they graduate, not only do schools have to say it, he added, they must “back it up and back it up in spades.”

Chalkbeat national education reporter Kalyn Belsha contributed to this article.

Scholarships, FAFSA, and transcripts: Three new laws aim to help Hoosier students reach college

2023-05-15T20:15:27+00:00

With an eye to addressing Indiana’s low college-going rate and the perception that college is too expensive, Indiana leaders approved three new laws aimed at improving college access.

The new laws aim to strengthen a state scholarship program, provide more information about financial aid, and limit colleges’ power to withhold transcripts from those who still owe money to institutions.

In 2020, the most recent year for which data is available, the state’s college-going rate dropped to 53%, a decline of 12 percentage points from five years before. And there’s been a similar decline in adults who are looking for postsecondary opportunities, per the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

Improving college-going is about the “removal of barriers,” said Alison Bell, chancellor at Western Governors University Indiana. “There are a lot of complicated reasons why the college going rate is low.”

Plus, the state is coming up on its 2025 deadline to have at least 60% of Hoosiers with a credential beyond high school. When state leaders set that goal in 2009, that number was 33%, said Indiana Higher Education Commissioner Chris Lowery in his 2023 State of Higher Education address. It now sits at 54%, but that includes the addition of certificates that were not originally counted, according to the commission.

Higher education leaders and advocates for these bills stressed that finances are a particularly big barrier for students when they don’t know what’s available to them to help them pay for college.

Here what you need to know about three new laws:

21st Century Scholars program expands

The 21s Century Scholars program offers up to the equivalent of four years tuition and regular fees at an in-state public university or college to students who meet income and residency eligibility, and follow requirements outlined in a scholar pledge.

Previously, students had to sign up for the scholarship in middle school, before a no-exceptions deadline of June 30 after eighth grade.

But with the new law, eligible students will automatically become part of the program. After that, students and their families can decide if they want to continue to meet requirements to stay in it. State data showed that 48% of eligible students enrolled.

“It expedites the process,” said Vincent Isom, director of 21st Century Scholars at Indiana University Bloomington, referring to the new law. He said that students and their parents are no longer dependent on finding out about an application and submitting it.

Students required to seek out financial aid options

Indiana students, with some exceptions, are now required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA.

Advocates of the change said that millions of dollars in aid were being left on the table. Requiring the form would allow students to see their school funding options, they argued, and perhaps convince more students to enroll in postsecondary education.

The form is what students need to be considered for federal financial aid such as grants, loans, and scholarships. Completing the form is also considered a leading indicator of college-going.

States and colleges also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their respective aid programs.

Colleges can’t withhold transcripts

State and for-profit private colleges and universities can no longer refuse to provide transcripts to current or former students who still owe money — including fees and student loans — to the institution. They also can’t can’t charge a higher fee for the document for those who owe money.

This change removes a barrier for adult learners who want to finish their degrees, but still have payments to make. It often takes months for someone who is thinking about going back to school to make a decision, and not having access to a transcript can derail them, Bell said.

“When a student learns something, they’ve learned it,” said Bell, who advocated in favor of the change. “Withholding a transcript only removes the university’s verification that they’ve learned it.”

Improvements in college access, but more needed

While higher education experts agree these changes are a big step forward, they said that having the money to go to college is only one piece of access.

Access means having information and resources, not only as students are entering college, but also as a college student, said Maurice Shirley, an assistant professor in higher education and student affairs at IU.

He said that includes knowing things like what applications to fill out and where to find them, housing options, and what is needed for a major or to switch majors. And the information to students needs to be targeted and easy to find, said Shirley, given that there can be an information overload.

The change to automatically sign up students for 21st Century Scholars, the change isn’t a “magic wand,” Isom noted. But he said the new law will allow him and others to work with students to spend more time on benchmarks and staying successful in college, instead of on the scholarship application.

And the information to students needs to be targeted and direct, said Shirley who said there is information overload, so the easier it is to find answers to questions, the better.

Both Isom and Shirley agreed finances is an area that they want to see more improvement.

Isom said that students need to be prepared to handle their finances both during and after college.

Shirley said costs of college still need to be lower. One option is addressing tuition costs. But a second way, he said, is decreasing or providing aid for the fees that come with the tuition bill, from activity fees and housing to general living expenses like groceries, health care and so on, he said.

Gone are the days that a student could afford to pay their way through college by working a summer job and using that money during the school year, he added.

More students, steeper costs: Indiana, South Carolina are latest states to vastly expand school vouchers

2023-05-10T16:24:57+00:00

On private school choice, more states are going big and bold.

In Indiana, the Republican-controlled legislature last month approved a massive expansion of the state’s voucher program, making nearly every student eligible to receive public money to attend private school. Just days later, South Carolina followed suit, creating a taxpayer-funded program to cover private school tuition and expenses for thousands of students.

They join four other Republican-led states — Arkansas, Florida, Iowa, and Utah — that have established or expanded private school choice programs just this year. Now, more than 30 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, give students public money to attend private school — a number that could keep growing as state lawmakers push dozens more bills to subsidize the cost of private education.

But it isn’t just the number of bills that’s ballooning — it’s also their scope. Unlike past programs, which often targeted low-income families or students with disabilities, the newest ones are open to almost everyone and often allow parents to use the tax dollars for private school or home-school expenses.

Indiana’s newly expanded program is a prime example. Higher-income families can now participate, and students no longer must meet other need-based criteria. As a result, roughly 97% of students will now qualify for private school subsidies, and the state projects that participation could soar by nearly 42,000 additional students within two years.

Bigger programs mean steeper costs. In Indiana, the program’s price tag is expected to nearly double over the next two years.

Private school choice laws surged during the pandemic as conservative lawmakers seized on many parents’ frustration with school shutdowns and mask mandates. Republicans have also used “parents’ rights” rhetoric to justify the laws, arguing that they empower families who are dissatisfied with the public school system to opt out.

Critics have been alarmed by the wave of legislation, which they say deprives public schools of much-needed resources and could promote discrimination against LGBTQ students or those with disabilities, who have fewer protections in private schools, the majority of which are religious. Plus, experts said they wonder about the segregation that could occur among students when it comes to race, income levels, and academic ability.

But school choice advocates are celebrating the bills as the culmination of a decades-long campaign to give every student the option of a publicly funded private education.

“We hailed 2021 as the year of educational choice,” Robert Enlow, CEO of the Indianapolis-based EdChoice, a school choice advocacy group, said in a statement. “Now we are celebrating 2023 as the year of universal choice.”

As these programs proliferate, here’s what to know about eligibility and costs:

New school choice laws vastly expand voucher eligibility

The latest voucher programs are open to nearly every student.

The move toward universal eligibility reflects a sweeping new rationale for private school choice. Once pitched as a lifeline for students whose needs weren’t being met by traditional schools or whose families couldn’t afford private tuition, proponents increasingly argue that every parent should decide how to spend the tax dollars allotted for their children’s education.

It becomes a “universal entitlement program,” said Joseph Waddington, an associate professor at the University of Kentucky at College of Education and Martin School Public Policy and Administration. Rather than target the neediest students, he added, the new programs are “just putting the money in kids’ backpacks” and letting parents decide how to spend it.

John Elcesser, executive director of the Indiana Non-Public Education Association, argued that the shift is part of a “re-thinking of how we fund education in general.”

“For the first time in the history of American education policy, states are embracing the ‘money follows the child’ model of education funding that has long been the dream of parental-choice advocates,” Nicole Stelle Garnett and Richard W. Garnett wrote in an article in the right-leaning City Journal this year.

Arizona put this new philosophy into practice last year when it made every parent eligible to receive about $7,000 in state funds, or 90% of the cost to educate a student without disabilities in a public school, to use for private school tuition, tutoring, or homeschooling.

This year, six more states made all or most students eligible to attend private school at taxpayer expense. (West Virginia established a near-universal program in 2021.)

In Indiana, a family of four with an income of up to $220,000 now will qualify for taxpayer-funded tuition assistance. Lawmakers also eliminated other restrictions, including rules that voucher recipients have a disability or are in foster care.

But it’s hard to say if the voucher expansion will lead to large numbers of new students enrolling in private schools. In both Iowa and Indiana, analysts expect that nearly 90% of voucher recipients will be current private school students or kindergarteners entering private school.

“I don’t know if we are going to see a rapid expansion,” said Christopher Lubienski, professor at the Indiana University School of Education and director of the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy.

Plus there are limitations on enrollment, such as the capacity of non-public schools and tuition that exceeds the stipends parents receive, as well as students’ access to private schools in rural areas.

Critics, including many Democrats and teachers unions, say the new universal voucher programs amount to a giveaway for families who already can afford private school.

Costs will soar as the programs expand

As newly eligible families apply for vouchers, costs will surge. But by how much, no one knows.

One reason for the uncertainty: Universal vouchers are, in effect, a grand experiment states are conducting in real time. Budget analysts have scrambled to predict the programs’ eventual price tags, but they can only guess at how many freshly eligible families will participate.

Another complication is that lawmakers in some states scrapped enrollment caps when they expanded eligibility, turning the cost ceiling into a question mark.

The uncertainty has led to wildly divergent estimates. In Florida, the Republican lawmaker who sponsored the universal voucher bill pegged the program’s expected cost at about $210 million, while the left-leaning Florida Policy Institute put it at $4 billion. Later, the Florida Senate came up with its own cost estimate: $646 million.

One big point of contention is what percentage of families who currently pay for private school will start using vouchers to cover tuition. The bill’s sponsor guessed that only 50% will apply, which critics called a wild under-estimate. By contrast, the Florida Policy Institute assumed that 100% of eligible private school families will apply.

In Arizona, participation — and price — have far exceeded expectations.

Last June, the legislature estimated that the expanded voucher program would cost about $33 million this school year. But six months later, after applications from newly eligible families flooded in, the expected cost had soared to $276 million — more than eight times the original estimate. The cost has continued to rise as even more students enroll.

As in other states, a large share of the voucher recipients already attend private school or home-school. (When Arizona expanded access last year, 75% of the first wave of applicants had never attended a public school.) For those students, the state cannot simply transfer funds from public to private schools — it must find a whole new pot of money to cover tuition that parents previously paid for.

Now, Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs is looking to scale back the program, which she warned “will likely bankrupt this state.”

In Indiana, the state previously set aside $240 million annually for private school vouchers. But with the move to near-universal eligibility, the cost is expected to swell to more than $600 million by 2025.

That amount is eye-opening, said Lubienski, who added that it also follows a pattern of shifting costs to taxpayers. While Indiana lawmakers did increase funding for traditional public schools in this year’s legislative session, the lion’s share of attention and largest funding increases went to voucher and charter programs, he said.

School choice advocates stressed that the cost depends on how many students enroll, but others argued that the money allocated to vouchers amounts to the state endorsing private education.

In the wake of her state’s voucher expansion, Indiana state Sen. Andrea Hunley, a Democrat, said she worries about having enough money for the majority of Indiana’s students who attend public schools, especially those who are English language learners, in special education, and from low-income backgrounds.

“Our kids can’t wait to be properly resourced,” she said.

Patrick Wall is a senior reporter covering national education issues. Contact him at pwall@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

2023 election results: Democratic and Republican primary elections for Indianapolis mayor

2023-05-03T02:10:49+00:00

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news organization covering public education in communities across America. Sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free daily newsletter to keep up with Indianapolis Public Schools and statewide education news.

Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett, a Democrat, will face Republican challenger Jefferson Shreve in the November general election.

Both candidates had more than half of the vote in their respective primary elections, despite multiple challengers. Per unofficial election results, Hogsett had 58.37% of the votes in the Democratic primary and Shreve had 65.89% in the GOP primary.

Tonight’s election results are unofficial until the Marion County Election Board certifies results on May 15.

Joe Hogsett

The winners of each of the primary elections will be on the Nov. 7 ballot for the general election. (Independent candidates and minor party candidates have until the summer to declare their candidacy for the general election.)

Voter turnout on Tuesday was around 13% of registered voters. More than 78,000 voters cast ballots in the municipal primary election, an increase of 45% from 2019, per the Marion County Election Board. There were also more than triple the number of early votes.

In the Democratic primary, Hogsett’s closest opponent was state Rep. Robin Shackleford, who had 37.87% of the vote.

The remaining four candidates, including two who stopped campaigning ahead of primary Election Day, each had no more than 1.5% of the vote.

Jefferson Shreve

Similarly in the GOP primary, Abdul Hakim-Shabazz had 26.25% of the vote, while James Jackson and John Couch each had around 4% of the vote.

Mayor has impact on schools in Marion County

The biggest way that the mayor impacts education in the city and its townships is through the Office of Education Innovation, which is a charter school authorizer.

That means the office is responsible for overseeing charter schools and making sure the schools meet the promises in their charters.

Currently, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation is the authorizer for nearly 50 charter schools, including roughly a dozen schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools Innovation Network.

The mayor also selects six of the nine members of the Indianapolis Charter School Board, which reviews charter school applications and approves or rejects them. The board can also make recommendations on renewals.

Plus, the mayor has a significant impact on crime, the economy, and housing in Indianapolis — all of which affect the educators and students who go to school here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

A college degree starts with housing help at this program for single mothers in Anderson

2023-04-27T12:54:41+00:00

Amanda Lowery was driving to school last summer when her phone rang. A few weeks earlier, the 32-year-old had started classes to earn her high school diploma. But what she really wanted was to go to college.

A single mother who dropped out of high school at 16, Lowery was working two jobs when she decided to go back to school. She struggled to balance going to class with working to pay bills and not having child care in the evenings or on weekends.

When she answered her phone, Lowery learned she was one step closer to moving into the Anderson Scholar House in Anderson, Ind. And when a second phone call during her history class made it official, she cried. She had a new beginning.

Anderson Scholar House helps single mothers who want a college degree but need housing and extra support. It doesn’t eliminate bills and other pressures of life, but creates a support system that stops those pressures from derailing college careers.

Participants can attend any college, as long as a majority of classes are in-person, and they have transportation to campus. The scholar house provides stable housing for the women — known as scholars — and their children — known as junior scholars — while also teaching life skills and providing guidance.

The aim is for scholars to leave as college graduates who no longer need the housing vouchers, food stamps, or other government assistance they previously have relied on.

It’s a simple concept, and it’s proven successful elsewhere. Plus it’s slated to grow, with two locations possible in Indianapolis.

Rosemary Baker, the family advocate who helps the scholars navigate day-to-day challenges, said it’s the first program she has seen that “did not put a Band-Aid” on people’s problems, leaving them no better off once it ends.

Instead, she said, once it ends, “you’re a new person.”

Anderson Scholar House provides stable housing for single mothers who are looking to earn a college degree.

Giving scholars the support and privacy they need

Last fall, Lowery was one of the first to move into the scholar house, which is actually a pair of apartment buildings. Four of the apartments are occupied. Renovations are wrapping up on four more, and there are several more to be renovated in the future.

Lowery lives in a two-bedroom apartment with her two-year-old daughter, Aaliyah. It’s a space they’ve made their own, from the jungle-themed bedroom for Aaliyah to the “perfect” two-seat kitchen table Lowery gushes about.

In the mornings, they get ready for school together before Lowery heads to classes and Aaliyah goes to day care.

“I’m like, ‘OK baby, mommy’s got to go to school and you got to go to school, we got to get ready, we got to put clean clothes on, brush our teeth, we’re gonna have a good day, learn new things,’” Lowery said.

In the evenings, they make and eat dinner together before Lowery does homework.

Challenges still happen: Aaliyah gets sick and needs to stay home, or Lowery’s car needs repairs. She balances school with working at Cracker Barrel. She still has bills to pay.

Lowery and the other scholars aren’t entirely on their own when it comes to living expenses. The program uses housing vouchers, so they pay a reduced rent. Many also use other assistance programs such as food stamps, and they have scholarships and grants for their education.

Aaliyah points to her toy box crafted by Doug Eckerty, the executive director of JobSource, which runs Anderson Scholar House.

The scholar house staff and providers help with applications and navigating paperwork. Scholars are urged not just to earn college degrees, but to do so in fields that are in demand and offer high wages.

Lowery said Baker — who works out of the scholar house — is her first point of contact when she wants to talk through a challenge and doesn’t know what to do.

“She can either tell me what I need to do, how to do it, or make a phone call to think it out,” Lowery said.

Baker is quick to say that she doesn’t make decisions for the scholars, and she respects their privacy. But what she won’t do is let them ignore their problems and hope they disappear.

“Sometimes, the decisions [the women] make are not good, but we have to allow them to make that [decision] and fall,” Baker said. “But we won’t allow you to lay there, we’re going to get back up.”

She added that each scholar needs support with different things, and the path isn’t always easy. There are lots of tears, but many are happy ones.

Last week, Lowery completed her Core 40 high school degree at The Excel Center, a free public school for adults. While the scholar house typically requires a high school degree to start, Lowery was taking dual credit courses from Ivy Tech Community College at the same time, which meant she qualified.

On the same day as her high school finals, Lowery registered for classes at Ivy Tech, where she has a full scholarship and plans to earn a degree in medical imaging. She’ll start with one class this summer before attending full time in the fall.

Scholars get help with academics, finances, mental health

Anderson Scholar House is modeled after Family Scholar House, which started nearly three decades ago in Louisville, Ky. But the idea of bringing it to Anderson started three years ago.

In early 2020, Doug Eckerty, executive director of the community action agency JobSource, wanted to expand social services in Madison County with something new to the area.

So Eckerty looked for ideas, and that’s when he learned about Family Scholar House.

It started in the 1990s, but opened its first residential campus in 2008. Since then, those living at the now five Family Scholar House campuses have earned nearly 780 college degrees for a graduation rate of 86%, said Cathe Dykstra, chief possibility officer, president, and CEO of Family Scholar House.

She added that of the residential scholars, 99% have exited to stable housing, 81% have exited with stable employment, and 66% have been able to move out while continuing their education, usually graduate school.

“When I first came across them, it seemed too good to be true,” Eckerty said.

After doing his research, Eckerty worked to bring the program to Anderson, which is now one of multiple affiliates of the Family Scholar House across the country. JobSource purchased a pair of apartment buildings in early 2021, and uses the Family Scholar House programming, but adjusts it as needed.

Anderson Scholar House has a staff of four as well as a slew of providers and volunteers who work with the scholars. They work with other community organizations for services like mental health, financial aid programming, and academic coaching. with other community organizations for services like mental health, financial aid programming, and academic coaching.

Volunteers provide babysitting and help with painting and furnishing apartments. Scholars have guidance and workshops on meal planning, appliance maintenance, and tax preparation. Financial classes help them prepare for housing after graduation.

There are monthly financial check-ins, midterm grade reports, and apartment checks. Not because the staff is nosy, but to make sure scholars are staying on track, Baker said.

Rosemary Baker, the family advocate for Anderson Scholar House, says the program changes lives and isn’t just a Band-Aid.

“Our goal is that if we see you slipping, sliding, or something going on, we address it with you,” Baker said.

As long as they are enrolled in college full-time and attend 75% of classes in person, participants can stay in their apartments. They also must have passing grades, attend workshops, and help out around the scholar house. Their children must go to child care or school. No other adults are allowed to stay the night or move in.

Potential residents can make progress towards living in the scholar house by enrolling in school, attending online workshops, meeting with financial advisers, and providing updates to Baker.

There’s a waiting list of nearly three dozen to move in. And Eckerty has plans to grow the program even more.

The biggest challenge is acquiring the housing and doing the renovations, he said. So when the opportunity to partner with Glick Philanthropies came up to help with a future Indianapolis expansion, it just made sense.

Staff at two locations owned by Glick Housing Foundation are currently training at pilot programs before they start working with potential scholars, said Ceceily Brickley, director of resident success with Glick Philanthropies. (Glick Philanthropies includes the Glick Fund, a fund of the Central Indiana Community Foundation which also funds Chalkbeat Indiana.)

College registration is just the next step

Finishing high school and registering for college on the same day felt empowering and exciting, Lowery said.

When Lowery learned last year that she and Aaliyah would be able to move into Anderson Scholar House, she cried. Now she has long-term plans that include a master’s degree.

When Lowery registered for college, Baker ended up crying, just like Lowery did when she got into the scholar house.

“She’s just our first success story,” Baker said.

A year ago, Lowery wasn’t taking high school classes yet, and she wasn’t living in the scholar house. Now, it’s her village. Lowery said Anderson Scholar House has taught her that big dreams are possible, a sentiment that she wants to pass to her daughter.

Lowery’s ultimate goal is to get a master’s degree in clinical social work and open her own rehab facility for those who are pregnant and mothers of young children with mental health and substance challenges.

“The scholar house has given me a future, it’s given me hope, it has given me a home, stability, a community of people that care about me and that care about my success,” she said.

Learn more or volunteer here: Anderson Scholar House.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.Chalkbeat Indiana partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

Where Indianapolis mayoral candidates stand on education issues: an election guide

2023-04-26T17:20:46+00:00

Update May 3: Here are the election results for the Indianapolis mayoral primary elections.

Update April 26: Since this guide first published, Democrat Clif Marsiglio ended his campaign and will support Democrat Robin Shackleford. The deadline to officially withdraw had passed when Marsiglio ended his campaign, so his name will still be on the ballot.

Eight candidates are vying to be on the November ballot for Indianapolis mayor.

In the May 2 primary election, four Democrats, including current Mayor Joe Hogsett, and four Republicans are running to be the top elected official in Indianapolis.

The biggest way that the mayor impacts education in the city and its townships is through the Office of Education Innovation, which is a charter school authorizer. That means it is responsible for overseeing nearly 50 charter schools and making sure the schools meet the promises in their charters.

Plus, the mayor has a significant impact on crime, the economy, and housing in Indianapolis — all of which affect the educators and students who go to school here.

The winners of the Democratic and Republican primary elections will be on the Nov. 7 ballot. (Independent candidates and minor party candidates have until the summer to declare their candidacy for the general election.)

To better understand each candidate’s views on charter schools, test scores, staff shortages, and more, Chalkbeat Indiana asked the same ten questions — some of which were inspired by readers — to each one.

Seven candidates responded. Democrats Bob Kern and Larry Vaughn did not. Gregory Meriweather, also a Democrat, will still be on the ballot, but has ended his campaign to support fellow Democratic candidate Robin Shackleford.

Here, in their own words, is what they said:

Early voting starts April 4 at the Indianapolis City-County Building. Additional early voting sites open April 22.

On Election Day, May 2, polls are open 6 a.m to 6 p.m., and Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers.

To find voting center locations for early voting and Election Day, apply for an absentee ballot and to see a sample ballot, visit vote.indy.gov.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

FAFSA will be required for Indiana students starting next school year

2023-04-20T17:52:54+00:00

Indiana’s 2023 legislative session is under way, and state legislators have introduced more than 100 new education bills and bills impacting schools and students. For the latest Indiana education news, sign up for Chalkbeat Indiana’s free newsletter here.

Starting next school year, Indiana students will be required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

The requirement was approved by both the Indiana Senate and House and signed by Gov. Eric Holcomb on Thursday. It applies to all students, with some exceptions, but is not a requirement for high school graduation.

The new law makes filling out the form, known as the FAFSA, a conscious choice instead of happenstance, advocates said. They added that students would also have a better picture of the money available to them for college, and perhaps convince more students to enroll in postsecondary education, at a time when Indiana officials are concerned about the number of students who enroll in college. In the Class of 2020, 53% of students went on to college, according to state data.

The FAFSA is the form that students need to file to be considered for federal financial aid such as grants, loans, and scholarships, and completion is also considered a leading indicator of college-going.

States and colleges also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their respective aid programs. The new law would require students to submit the FAFSA by April 15 of their senior year, which is the deadline to be eligible for state aid in addition to federal aid.

And the money isn’t just for two- and four-year institutions. Filling out the FAFSA can also provide funds for students who want to use a Next Level Jobs Workforce Ready Grant for a short- or long-term credential.

The new law comes at a time when officials said students are leaving nearly $70 million in Pell Grants on the table, amid perceptions that higher education is unaffordable.

A state dashboard of FAFSA completion shows that about 44% of this year’s high school seniors in Indiana have completed a FAFSA.

Lawmakers have tried for years to pass this FAFSA requirement, and it was increasing the number of exceptions that got the bill the widespread support it needed to pass.

The exceptions are for students at certain nonpublic schools, and for students who have a parent sign a waiver (emancipated minors can also sign it for themselves) to decline to complete the form. A school principal or counselor can also waive the requirement if they are unable to reach the student’s parent or guardian by April 15 after “at least two reasonable attempts.”

Additionally, the requirement expires in 10 years, so lawmakers can reevaluate it. Indiana joined at least eight other states who have such a law.

This year, the deadline for state aid was extended to May 15 for students in the seven counties under a disaster emergency declaration due to recent storms: Benton, Johnson, Monroe, Morgan, Owen, Sullian, and White.

‘I need a plan.’ As NRA convention begins, Indianapolis teens share fears about gun violence.

2023-04-14T16:59:48+00:00

Raina Maiga looked out her school’s windows from the second floor on Thursday, trying to imagine what she would do in a school shooting.

“I’m hopeless. I can’t jump out the window,” said Maiga, a sophomore at Purdue Polytechnic High School’s Englewood campus on Indianapolis’ east side. “There’s nothing to do. Our school is exposed with windows. If someone walked in here with a gun, I mean, it’s over.”

These are the conversations that Raina and her classmates have on an almost weekly basis.

But this week, those conversations are happening with the backdrop of the National Rifle Association’s three-day annual convention, which is expected to bring tens of thousands of attendees to downtown Indianapolis beginning Friday.

The convention for the powerful lobbying organization — and the warm reception from some Indiana lawmakers — feels tone deaf to Indianapolis-area teens who say gun violence in their schools and communities is their reality and fills them with anxiety on a regular basis.

Ryan Evans, a Purdue Polytechnic junior, remembers the day in 2013 that his sister survived the Arapahoe High School shooting in Colorado. His classmate Huma Moghul recalls the night she heard gunfire in her neighborhood and woke up to a bullet hole in her living room wall. And they all remember the lockdowns they have experienced this year — anxious moments that they try to ease with dark humor about whether they’d survive if a shooter was outside their door.

So far this year, eight people age 18 and under in Indianapolis have been killed by a firearm, per the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Sixteen people age 18 and under in the city died by firearms in 2022, up from 14 in 2021.

Among those who died was a 17-year-old Purdue Polytechnic High School student James Johnson III, who was killed in February.

“Nobody ever thinks that it’s going to happen to them,” said Evans. “And I definitely think that James Johnson didn’t think that as well. Because it’s not a thought that somebody should have.”

Students prepare for school shootings

The NRA annual meeting comes roughly three weeks after a person shot and killed three children and three adults at a private Christian school in Nashville. Their deaths sparked outrage during Tennessee’s legislative session, and students rallied for tougher gun laws at the Tennessee State Capitol.

Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill to provide state funding for firearms training for teachers. Rep. Jim Lucas, a Republican from Seymour and the bill’s author, said in February his legislation is a response to mass school shootings across the U.S., according to the Indiana Capital Chronicle.

But to students like Evans and Maiga, that legislation is not the solution. Instead, they say, legislators should stop and think about how the situation is affecting students in schools.

And the onus should not be on schools to arm teachers, or transform buildings into iron fortresses, some students argue.

“We shouldn’t have to be wanding children into schools to prevent guns from entering schools or teaching them how to evacuate to mobile bomb shelters that can be built in schools,” said Evans.

(The convention also starts on the same day that dozens of Indiana school districts received a bomb threat, prompting the closure of school buildings.)

Katie Bolduc, a freshman at Westfield High School, said she’s only known a world with gun violence in schools, where active shooter drills are as commonplace as fire and tornado drills.

“There’s a lot of complacency, it’s something that’s normal and accepted that you have to prepare for,” she said.

But it leaves her feeling unsafe.

“There are weapons that can cause mass casualties in a few minutes, and all I have is a pencil pouch or a water bottle to throw at the shooter, best-case scenario,” Bolduc said.

Lucy Rutter, a junior at Burris Laboratory School in Muncie, said she first started to hear about school shootings in middle school. At that time, it seemed like it wouldn’t happen to her. That’s changed.

“The more I see it, the more I feel like it is going to happen to me, and I need a plan,” she said. “It’s so hard to hear about it in the news every day and feel like I can’t do anything about it.”

NRA convention in town prompts disappointment from students

Having the NRA convention in their backyard only exacerbates the disconnect between lawmakers and the students who spoke to us.

“I do wonder what the conversations are like when talking about actually caring about the lives of people, but then choosing to be a public face at this convention,” said Maiga, who lamented the scheduled presence of Gov. Eric Holcomb and former Vice President Mike Pence at the convention.

Students said that having the convention so close to home is a reminder of how tense and politically charged the topic of gun violence prevention is — and of the sway of organizations like the NRA.

Salsabil Qaddoura, a North Central High School sophomore, leads her school’s chapter of Students Demand Action, a national group of high school and college students that aims to end gun violence and is affiliated with Everytown for Gun Safety and Moms Demand Action.

She said the NRA convention has her thinking about gun industry accountability, and how it can profit off of young people. The access to guns is there, she said.

“It’s disgusting and insensitive,” she said of the NRA coming to Indianapolis.

The NRA did not respond to a request for comment.

Students consider how to change views on guns

Being a high schooler means having pressures to fit a certain standard, Qaddoura said. That means students are influenced by what they surround themselves with, and there’s a thought of “if you have guns you have that tough-person persona,” she said.

Students said they want to shift the narrative around guns with their classmates to make having a gun less of a status symbol, and to know that it’s OK to ask for help and to talk about gun-violence prevention.

In all the years of doing active shooter drills, “I don’t think I’ve ever had a teacher or school officer talk about how we feel, get under the desk and find what you’re going to throw and prepare,” Bolduc said.

She hopes to start a Students Demand Action chapter to change that.

As leaders of their own Students Demand Action chapters, Qaddoura and Rutter have worked to start a discussion about gun violence. They’ve registered voters, signed petitions, and attended protests and other events.

“A lot of people assume that my only goal is to ban guns, but there are so many other solutions besides banning guns outright,” Rutter said, listing gun safety education, safe storage, background checks, and red flag laws.

Students at Purdue Polytechnic, meanwhile, are organizing a walkout for April 20, the 24th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting.

Students said they know change can be slow.

“I always hear that change is gradual,” Qaddoura said. But she added that when it comes to gun violence prevention, “We can’t wait.”

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Your guide to 2023 school tax referendums in Marion County

2023-03-31T11:00:00+00:00

Update May 3: Here are the election results for the IPS, Warren Township and Speedway Schools school tax referendums.

Voters in three school districts in Marion County will decide if their schools will get property tax funds through ballot questions on the May primary election ballot.

If approved, Indianapolis Public Schools will use the funds for construction and renovation projects, while the Metropolitan School District of Warren Township and the School Town of Speedway will use the funds for operating expenses.

For Speedway schools, the referendum would renew an existing property tax, and in Warren, the ballot question amount replaces the rate from 2018. For IPS, the capital referendum is new.

Indianapolis Public Schools seeks funding for building upgrades

IPS will ask voters for $410 million to fund athletic fields, new windows, fresh sidewalks, and a new 650-student elementary school. Twenty-three schools will get improvements, which vary based on the building’s need.

This referendum is in addition to the district’s 2018 capital referendum which was for safety and security upgrades. The 2023 ballot question is part of the district’s Rebuilding Stronger reorganization, a sweeping overhaul that aims to address declining enrollment, looming financial instability, and educational inequities for students of color. In January, the school board delayed a vote on a separate referendum for operating expenses that would pay for Rebuilding Stronger’s academic programming changes.

The referendum is projected to increase property tax rates by up to about 21 cents per $100 of assessed value.

Speedway schools seek tax renewal for staffing

The School Town of Speedway is asking voters to renew an existing property tax for operating expenses that would help the small district continue funding its staff, including teachers, paraprofessionals, and custodians.

The referendum would renew the previous tax rate of 59 cents per $100 of assessed value, which voters passed in 2010 and again in 2016.

Warren Township seeks tax increase

The Metropolitan School District of Warren Township is asking voters for an $88 million property tax increase over eight years, in part to continue efforts funded with federal COVID stimulus dollars, which the state says must be spent by the end of 2024.

The money would fund the district’s police department, school counselors, bus drivers, support staff, and family engagement liaisons, as well as teacher training programs.

The ballot question would replace the rate voters approved in a 2018 referendum for operating expenses by increasing it from 21 cents per $100 of assessed property value to 30 cents.

When and where to vote

Early voting starts April 4 at the Indianapolis City-County Building. Additional early voting sites open April 22.

On Election Day, May 2, polls are open 6 a.m to 6 p.m., and Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers.

To find voting center locations for early voting and Election Day, apply for an absentee ballot and to see a sample ballot, visit vote.indy.gov.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

To improve college scholarship program’s impact, Indiana might enroll students automatically

2023-03-24T11:00:00+00:00

The tables were covered in Creston Middle School green, and topped with neat rows of snacks and cans of pop.

Another table was covered in brochures and paper applications. Laptops were scattered on tables around the room.

Because of the pandemic, it had been four years since an information session about 21st Century Scholars was in person at Creston Intermediate and Middle School, and organizers were doing all they could to entice families to attend the early March session and apply before their students reach high school and the deadline has passed.

The scholarship program offers up to the equivalent of four years tuition and regular fees at an in-state public university or college to students who meet income and residency eligibility, and follow requirements outlined in a scholar pledge.

Despite success with enrollees and its more than 30-year track record, the scholarship program has struggled to attract students to enroll in the program that has helped more than 50,000 Hoosiers earn college degrees. There’s also a no-exceptions deadline of June 30 after eighth grade for students to sign up.

But legislation at the statehouse aims to change that by auto-enrolling all eligible students into the scholarship program. This move is yet another effort to increase awareness of postsecondary options at a time when Indiana’s college-going rate is low, and higher education has the perception of being too expensive.

The bill, House Bill 1449, was approved by the Indiana House and has since advanced out of the Senate Education and Career Development Committee. But even with support from lawmakers, educators, and business leaders, the legislation still faces several votes before it could become law.

Talking to families about qualifying for scholarships

Berenice Tenorio travels Marion County, meeting with students and families to talk about postsecondary options as an outreach coordinator for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education.

“My goal isn’t that everyone goes to a four-year school,” she said.

21st Century Scholars

Who is eligible?

Students who:

are a resident of Indiana.
enrolled in 7th or 8th grade.
are U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens.
meet the income eligibility criteria.

What are the income guidelines for 2022-23?

For a household of two, a maximum annual income of $33,874.
For a household of three, a maximum annual income of $42,606.
For a household of four, a maximum annual income of $51,338.
For a household of five, a maximum annual income of $60,070.
For a household of six, a maximum annual income of $68,802.

For each additional person, add $8,732.

What do families need to apply?

Student’s Social Security number, birth date, and address.
Parent’s or guardian’s Social Security number or individual taxpayer identification number (if applicable).
2022 gross income amounts for all members of the household.
A valid email address.

Apply here.

Source: learnmoreindiana.org

She likened postsecondary options to a door, saying that students can avoid the door and asking questions about it if the path is dark. So, her goal is to light up the door and allow students to feel comfortable asking questions to help them make informed decisions about higher education.

One way she does that is through sessions for families about 21st Century Scholars, like the one at Creston.

The first challenge is making sure parents know about the scholarship and see it as worthwhile to attend the session she said. Once they are there, she said it’s about filling out the application to see if they qualify.

“I know that middle school students, they don’t see the price tag for college every single day like I do,” Tenorio said, adding that college can feel “so far away” to students and families.

In her presentation at Creston, she speaks in English and then in Spanish for each slide, going over what the scholarship is and isn’t and the requirements.

Yes, she tells people, the scholarship is usable for both public and private schools, but only covers up to the cost of tuition at public schools. Yes, students can take a gap year and still use the funds. Yes, students would need to complete the FAFSA as well as not drink alcohol before 21 and not do drugs.

Tenorio urges families who are unsure if they qualify to just apply, and tells them the income verification that’s part of the process may take a while.

Eventually, nearly three dozen people filled the room to listen and talk to Tenorio, who walked around to each family to answer questions and pick up applications.

Several families attended because the scholarship had become a family tradition after their older children enrolled. That was the case for Erika Rodriguenz, who said she learned about the program from a family member and thought it was a good opportunity for her middle school daughters.

She said she stresses to them the importance of studying now so they’ll be prepared for college down the road.

“The first time was hard, but this time not so much,” she said of the application.

Scholars see success, but graduation rates are low

Created in 1990, 21st Century Scholars can point to multiple successes.

More than 80% of students in the program enroll in college – that’s compared to 53% of all students statewide and 30% of students in the state from low-income backgrounds who are not in the program. And 75% of scholars stay in Indiana after graduating.

Despite these stats, the program has struggled to get the word out.

Although four in 10 Indiana students are eligible for 21st Century Scholars, only half of the eligible students apply. And a recent survey from the Indiana Department of Education shows that awareness of the scholarship is inconsistent: Just 64%of parents know about the program.

Berenice Tenorio speaks to families at a 21st Century Scholars enrollment night at Creston Intermediate and Middle School. More than three dozen people including students and their families attended the event.

There’s also widespread pessimism about higher education’s price tag in general. Only 27% of parents think education beyond high school is affordable for Indiana students, the department’s survey found.

And not all of the data about 21st Century Scholars looks rosy. Just 37% of 21st Century Scholars graduate on time, compared to 44% of students statewide. However, their on-time graduation rate is still higher than the 27% for students from low-income backgrounds.

Indiana’s Commissioner for Higher Education Chris Lowery said the scholars’ graduation rate is something the commission is aware of and working on, in part by meeting with university and college presidents to share best practices and services they provide for scholars.

But that relatively low graduation rate for the program could harm efforts to expand it for the foreseeable future.

During an Indiana Commission for Higher Education presentation to the Senate Appropriations Committee about the state budget, lawmakers pressed Lowery about the program’s graduation rate. Some noted that students need to be ready for college when they attend, not just attend because it’s paid for.

That committee is where a Senate bill that was the same as the advancing House bill died earlier this legislative session. It’s also the House bill’s next step.

Auto-enrollment could make the program more effective

If the bill passes, the commission for higher education would work with IDOE to notify eligible students and their parents or guardians. To participate, students would still have to agree to the conditions of the scholar pledge, and they could opt out of the program at any time. Students would be identified before starting high school as they are now. And other key programming details wouldn’t change.

“It continues the momentum and removes barriers to the program,” Lowery told lawmakers during a Senate committee meeting this month.

In addition to support from the commission for higher education, the bill has backing from multiple education and economic groups including associations representing school principals and superintendents, the Indiana State Teachers Association, and the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.

Lowery added that if 21st Century Scholars enrolls students automatically, the commission would be able to shift program resources from a focus on scholarship enrollment to student success.

That possibility is what excites Tenorio, who would have more time to check in with students.

“Right now, the responsibility is on the parents to be all knowing, and this takes the pressure and responsibility off of them,” she said. “It allows us to say, ‘You’re already eligible, all you have to do is say yes and take advantage of this.’”

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat Indiana partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

A FAFSA requirement for Indiana students is one step closer to becoming law

2023-03-15T19:04:03+00:00

Indiana students could soon be required to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, a shift that supporters say could give students more money to go to college and convince more of them to enroll in higher education in the first place.

The Indiana House Education Committee voted 11-1 Wednesday to advance Senate Bill 167, which would create the requirement starting with the 2023-24 school year, although there would be several exceptions. Lawmakers also amended the bill Wednesday to have the requirement expire in 10 years.

“This money is going to be spent somewhere, when we have a chance to put our hand out, let’s take advantage of it,” state Sen. Jean Leising, a Republican and one of the bill’s authors, told fellow lawmakers last week.

If the bill becomes law, Indiana would join at least eight other states who have this law.

The FAFSA is the form that students need to file to be considered for federal financial aid such as grants, loans and scholarships. States and colleges also use the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their respective aid programs.

By not filing out the form, students in Indiana are leaving $69 million in Pell Grants on the table, Leising said last week.

“That doesn’t even count the [other] scholarships, we don’t even have an idea of that money that’s lost,” she added. “We have got to do something about this.”

The legislation would require all high schoolers to complete and submit the FAFSA by April 15 of their senior year, which is the deadline to be eligible for state aid in addition to federal aid.

The bill includes exceptions for students at certain nonpublic schools, and for students who have a parent sign a waiver (emancipated minors can also sign it for themselves) to decline to complete the form. A school principal or counselor can also waive the requirement if they are unable to reach the student’s parent or guardian by April 15 after “at least two reasonable attempts.”

There was some concern about the bill during committee meetings. Rep. Tonya Pfaff, a Democrat, said during the vote that while she was supporting the bill, she still had concerns about the burdens on school counselors and wanted to work on that.

However, the exception in the bill to limit the attempts to reach families has eased that concern for others. And it could give the bill crucial support, after years of unsuccessful attempts to require students to fill out the FAFSA.

What FAFSA says about Indiana’s college attendance

Completion of the FAFSA is considered a leading indicator of college-going.

Just 53% of students in Indiana’s Class of 2020 went on to college, and many Hoosiers see college as too expensive. In a statewide survey by the Indiana Department of Education, only 27% of parents said postsecondary education is affordable.

A state dashboard of FAFSA completion shows that about 36% of Indiana’s high school seniors have completed a FAFSA.

It’s not that there aren’t efforts to get the word out from the state and other groups. Indiana has had College Goal Sunday, an in-person event to help families sign up, for more than 30 years.

But that doesn’t mean every student or family knows about the form or if it’s for them. And schools with higher rates of students receiving free and reduced-price lunch tend to have the lower completion rates, said Josh Garrison, associate commissioner for public policy for the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, in a previous House education committee meeting.

The legislation would make sure that filing out or not filling out the FAFSA is a choice, not happenstance of who found out about it, advocates of the bill said.

They added that filling out the form can also help reduce student debt. FAFSA qualifies students for government loans that have lower interest rates than the private loans that they would get without the form, Garrison said.

The committee meeting last week about the bill featured a show of support from organizations representing school boards, principals, and counselors, as well as public, private and community colleges in the state, and the Indiana and Indy chambers.

Will higher FAFSA completion mean more Hoosier students go to college? Officials hope so

2023-02-23T22:13:47+00:00

As higher education battles low enrollment and perceptions that it is too expensive, lawmakers and others are working to make sure more Indiana students know about the financial aid available to them.

This Sunday is College Goal Sunday, a free in-person event at locations around the state, to help families fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA. And earlier this week, lawmakers advanced a bill that would require most students to fill out the form.

The legislation and the College Goal event highlight arguments from public officials that millions of dollars in aid is being left on the table, money that could change a student’s decision about postsecondary education.

A new survey released earlier this month by the Indiana Department of Education shows that roughly 70% of high schoolers in Indiana plan to pursue education after high school.

But just 53% of students in Indiana’s Class of 2020 went on to college, state data released last summer showed. And only 27% of parents say it’s affordable, per the new survey.

Filling out the FAFSA would show Hoosier families more aid options and potentially change that, in turn, improve Indiana’s college going rate, leaders argue.

As of Feb. 10, roughly a third of Indiana’s Class of 2023 had completed the FAFSA, per Form Your Future, a national tracker of FAFSA completion.

College Goal Sunday offers FAFSA help

Students need to fill out the FAFSA to be considered for federal financial aid, such as Pell Grants. But the form is also used by many states and colleges as well as private aid providers to determine eligibility for state and school grants, scholarships, and more.

In Indiana, the deadline to file the FAFSA for state aid is April 15.

Senate Bill 167 would require all students, with certain exceptions like for those at some nonpublic schools and for students whose parents sign a waiver, to complete the FAFSA by that state deadline during their senior year. The Indiana Senate passed the bill earlier this week and it now awaits action from the Indiana House.

College Goal Sunday started more than 30 years ago and is now a model used in other states.

The event comes around like clockwork, and families can count on it as a way to get the form off their to-do list, said Bill Wozniak, co-chair of the event.

“The FAFSA is so critical and the most important form,” he said.

But he knows that despite strong interest in education after high school, many Hoosiers are uncomfortable with the financial aid process.

He’s heard it in his role leading College Goal Sunday, and as he’s traveled the state leading an advisory team from INvestED, a nonprofit that provides free financial aid advising to students and families. And a survey from INvestED shows the same.

Nearly 90% of Hoosiers see a value in education beyond high school, but 62% say understanding the process of paying for college is not easy, per the survey results released earlier this month. And of people who don’t enroll, 28% said it was because of the cost.

When it comes to FAFSA, families and students are often worried that they are on the hook for student loans just by filling out the form, or that they make too much money or it’s too difficult to fill out, he said.

But Wozniak stressed that the FAFSA doesn’t require people to take out loans and is a way for many people to qualify for aid beyond what’s earmarked for students from low-income backgrounds.

And events like College Goal Sunday can help not just by answering questions, but by calming nerves, he said.

What education questions should we ask Indy mayor candidates? Help us make Chalkbeat’s voter guide.

2023-02-15T16:05:05+00:00

As a charter school authorizer and the leader of the city where students and educators live, work, and learn, the Indianapolis mayor has a significant impact on education in the city and its townships.

The primary election for the office is May 2, and ten candidates, including Mayor Joe Hogsett, are slated to be on ballots for Indianapolis mayor — four in the Republican contest and six in the Democratic race.

Winners of each will be on the Nov. 7 ballot to lead the city. (Independent candidates and minor party candidates have until the summer to declare their candidacy for the general election.)

But first, we want to create a Chalkbeat voter guide for the mayoral primary, and we want to know what’s on your mind. Let us know what questions and issues to ask the candidates about using the form below.

Who is running for Indy mayor?

The ten candidates running in mayoral primary races include current elected officials, community leaders, and more. They are:

Democratic primary

Republican primary

What’s the mayor’s impact on education?

The biggest way that the mayor impacts education in the city is as a charter authorizer.

Charter authorizers are responsible for overseeing charter schools and making sure the schools meet the promises in their charters.

Currently, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation is the authorizer for nearly 50 charter schools, including roughly a dozen schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools innovation network. The Indianapolis Charter School Board reviews charter school applications and approves or rejects them. The board can also make recommendations on renewals. And it’s the mayor who appoints six of the nine members of that board.

Additionally, the mayor also has an impact through initiatives for postsecondary education and youth leadership and job opportunities. And of course as the city’s leader, what happens in Indianapolis — from crime and housing to the economy — all has an impact on the educators and students who go to school here.

Tell us what questions you have for the mayoral candidates:

If you are having trouble viewing this form, go here.

MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

From teaching about race to COVID and Rebuilding Stronger, here are our 5 most-read stories of 2022

2022-12-21T13:00:00+00:00

From Indiana Statehouse bills grabbing the national spotlight and a sweeping overhaul of Indianapolis Public Schools, to a high-stakes midterm election, 2022 was a full year for education news.

So as we look ahead to 2023, we’re also looking back at our top stories from 2022 to find the five topics that Chalkbeat Indiana readers were most interested in this year.

Below is a list of our most-read articles this year, plus a few related stories that you should check out too.

Statehouse debate on teaching about race

Several of our most popular stories were articles about bills in the 2022 legislative session, especially those that addressed how teachers approach race and racial issues in the classroom.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

What happens to my school under Rebuilding Stronger?

Rebuilding Stronger is an overhaul of IPS that aims to address pressing issues of enrollment, finances, and inequities for students of color. The school board approved the plan in November, and now district leaders are turning to a pair of referendums to help fund the overhaul’s changes.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

Election 2022: Voters chose school board members

For this year’s school board elections, Chalkbeat Indiana collaborated with WFYI to create voter guides for districts across Marion County, and also co-hosted a candidate forum for IPS candidates. Victorious candidates will start their terms in January.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

COVID learning recovery and virtual attendance changes

Nearly three years after COVID shuttered school buildings, data is showing the impact the pandemic has had on students and their learning. Plus, a state law changed how often students can learn virtually and guidance on COVID exposures continued to change.

Most- read stories:

If you liked those, read:

Accountability for state lawmakers

Aside from the legislation they proposed, lawmakers themselves made news too as they discussed race and education.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

How Indiana’s curriculum bill about racism motivated a new wave of statehouse candidates

Bonus: Charter troubles, special education staffing, and more

While the above topics were the most popular this year, there were a few more prominent stories that didn’t fit into a category. Read those and a few more below.

Most-read stories:

If you liked those, read:

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis school board updates map of districts that members represent

2022-12-21T11:00:00+00:00

Update, Oct 7, 2024: The map of districts for IPS school board has since been updated after Mirror Indy found an error. See the corrected map here.

The districts that Indianapolis Public Schools commissioners represent have changed ahead of the 2024 elections.

The IPS Board of Commissioners approved a new district map at their December meeting, ensuring that the populations of those districts are as equal as possible as required by state law. Per a presentation to the board, no school building switched districts and no commissioners were displaced from their districts.

The IPS school board has seven members, with five representing specific geographic districts and two occupying at-large seats. In 2024, District 1, District 2, District 4, and an at-large seat are on the ballot.

The changes are largely in the middle of the city and include a portion of downtown shifting to District 4, parts of Martindale-Brightwood moving to District 3, and changes along the boundary between Districts 1 and 2 on the east side of the city.

The now approved new map of Indiana Public Schools board member districts.

Throughout the process, the aim was to minimize changes for voters and to keep neighborhood boundaries as intact as possible, said Tim Moriarty of the law firm Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath, who was part of the team that worked on the new district map. (While it is up to the board to establish the boundaries, the IPS board members did not directly participate in adjusting the boundaries.)

Changing the district map keeps IPS in compliance with state law that says it is up to school boards to establish the boundaries of the districts members represent, and those districts are evaluated after each federal decennial census to make sure the largest district is no more than 5% bigger than the smallest.

Under the previous district map, that gap was nearly 13,000 residents, or a 21% difference, Moriarty told the school board. That disparity prompted the changes to the map.

Normally, IPS would have changed its district map in 2021. But due to “administrative delays caused by the pandemic,” lawmakers extended the deadline for redistricting to Dec. 31, 2022, according to Moriarty’s presentation.

Not every school board goes through this process, only those that have seats where a member lives in and represents a specific district. Some boards have all at-large members who represent everyone, or have members who are required to live in a specific district even though all voters can vote for them.

The board will file the new districts with the Marion County Clerk and Marion County Election Board by Dec. 23.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Improving community college retention rates: Ivy Tech launches program with 10 ‘high-impact’ habits

2022-12-14T15:37:43+00:00

With Indiana’s college-going rate at a historic low, Ivy Tech Community College is piloting a new program to keep students on campus by making sure they have 10 specific habits.

The program — called Ivy Achieves – aims to ensure that once students go to college, they complete their degrees.

Retention is top of mind for those in higher education, especially coming out of the pandemic, said Dean McCurdy, provost for Ivy Tech Community College, which has 19 campuses and 25 satellite locations across the state, serving 157,000 students and a retention rate of 47% from last fall to fall 2022.

With Indiana’s college-going rate of just 53% — the lowest in recent history — and shifts in learning due to the pandemic, Ivy Tech leaders changed the way they think about what students need and want.

Ivy Achieves is one result of that mindset shift. Ivy Tech leaders created the 10 “high impact habits” by looking for what habits make a student more likely to stay. And the pilot program has promising signs as early data shows that the more habits students keep, the more likely they are to be registered for the spring classes.

Ivy Achieves program outlines 10 habits for student success

Looking at data and consulting with students, faculty, and staff, Ivy Tech considered more than 60 different student habits, McCurdy said.

One data point they considered, for example, was that first-time students are less likely to pass their courses than other types of students. And if they do fail in their first term, they are less likely to keep going to the next term or will enroll in fewer credit hours.

Additionally, officials considered that having a C or higher in a class is a predictor of retention, and course success rates are lower for students who are Black, Latino, two or more races, or eligible for Pell Grants.

Using this data, leaders looked for what habits stood out as the “most important drivers of success,” McCurdy said, and Ivy Achieves was born.

The program connects students with a “Campus Lead” or staff member on each campus who helps the student work on the 10 habits that will help them succeed in their first semester, but also in college in general.

Ivy Achieves initially started last school year at all campuses for all students, but was refined for the current school year and now focuses on “first-time college students who have historically been underrepresented in higher education.”

Ivy Tech is now piloting the program with 1,840 students on 10 campuses. The goal is to expand it to all 19 campuses.

The students in this pilot are first-year, first-time students who are seeking a degree and meet certain demographic criteria, such as coming from a low-income family or being Black or Hispanic.

There’s no need to opt in; officials said students who fit the criteria are automatically part of the pilot, and their campus lead reaches out to them about the habits and resources available.

The habits are behaviors and practices around academic planning, finances, and campus life that can be tracked in real time and have helped other Ivy Tech students, officials said. For example, McCurdy said the habit of registering more than 30 days before a term starts gives students time to arrange child care and transportation.

While it’s still early to have more data on Ivy Achieves in its current form, there have been some positive initial data points.

Ivy Tech had a 5.4% increase in retention of Black male students from fall 2021 to fall 2022, which was a five-year high. Campus leaders said that’s likely due to the early version of Ivy Achieves, as well as other programs on campus that are student led.

And for the students in the pilot program, the more habits they’ve completed, the more likely they were to be registered for the spring term.

As of this week, 37% of the students in the pilot completed five or more habits and 63% have completed four or more, per Ivy Tech. For students who maintained five habits, 87% are registered for the spring, but that percentage jumps to 94% for six habits and 97% for seven habits – the highest amount for this point in the term.

Overall, 58% of students in the pilot program are registered for the spring, according to the community college.

“Our goal is to get them through those milestones as soon as we can because early momentum is key,” McCurdy said. “We know that these things are associated with success, so now we are very focused on making sure we can provide these things for students.”

Ivy Achieves aligns with a growing emphasis on the first-year onboarding process at many colleges, said Karen Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream, a national network of community colleges focused on transformation to address inequity.

And many of the habits of Ivy Achieves, like meeting with an advisor and having a roadmap, are “fairly consistent with what other schools say students need in the first semester.” If the initiative works, she said there could be potential national impact if other colleges apply these habits too, potentially for all students.

But she does see some room for additions in the habits. They could work in tandem with the well-regarded “early momentum metrics” linked to college success from the Community College Research Center – attempting at least 15 credits in the first semester, taking and passing college-level math and English in the first year, and taking and passing at least nine credits in the student’s field of study in the first year.

And Stout pointed out that some of the habits rely on factors outside of school. The ability to pay by the start of classes and register early depends on students’ financial situation and the college’s affordability, since students are balancing the costs of tuition with other expenses such as child care and books.

But that’s why supporting students throughout the college experience is so crucial, she said, whether they are struggling in a class or if they are looking for transportation because they have a flat tire or another issue with their car.

“By the time that grades come out, it is too late,” she said.

Giving students support with food, transportation, and more

Making sure students have the support to achieve the 10 habits is where the “Campus Lead” role comes in.

On the Evansville Campus, it’s Marcus Weatherford, the campus’s director of student experience. He works with students and staff to educate them about the 10 habits and guide them to resources.

He’s working with roughly 250 students, including Donny Payne, who came to Ivy Tech after graduating high school in spring 2022, and plans to one day transfer to University of Southern Indiana for an engineering degree.

After attending orientation, Payne went to the Lamkin Center on campus, where student resources are housed, and started talking with Weatherford.

At first, Payne thought resources like transportation help or the food pantry were for someone else, not him, Weatherford said.

But with Weatherford’s help, those resources kept Payne in school. A bus pass, for example, helped him get to campus this semester until he was able to get his own car.

“We were struggling at the house and didn’t have much for groceries… that’s helped a lot,” Payne said.

The barriers to staying in school are often greater for community college students than students at a four-year school, Weathersford said, and can be particularly discouraging to students in their first semester.

“Going to college can be an overwhelming process,” Weatherford said.

While older students might be proactive in asking for help, many will need time before bringing up their problems. So it’s important to have a point person invested in their success – like Weatherford and his colleagues – to ask students lots of questions, like if they’re eating well or whether any troubles at home are affecting their studying.

Before, Weatherford would wait for students to come with an issue and he’d direct them to the resources they need. Now, it’s about reaching students before that moment through email and texts as well as in person.

“If a student knows that there is a particular person who cares and is holding them accountable, it helps,” he said.

Payne agreed, saying he’s learned that if he doesn’t have what he needs, he can always go to Weatherford to ask for help. And Weatherford has watched Payne become a better advocate for himself.

Stout said she supports having a set meeting schedule between students and advisors or campus leads to create these relationships and set expectations.

“Students do not engage with those key support offices enough,” Stout said.

Colleges find ways to help students stay and feel belonging

Ivy Achieves is part of a larger effort to improve communication and in turn, retention with students throughout Ivy Tech, officials said. Colleges used to send all information to all students, said Jo Nahod-Carlin, Ivy Tech vice president for marketing, recruitment, and enrollment.

But now, she said information is more targeted and clear – removing higher education jargon and sharing information with the students who may need it.

If a student has said at any point that they need child care, they’ll keep receiving information about child care options, Nahod-Carlin said, adding students who haven’t filled out the FAFSA will get information about getting help with the financial aid documents.

Stout added that in an ideal situation, students don’t have to repeat themselves, but an advisor or campus lead or faculty member can look at student records to not only see their academics but a more holistic picture of the student’s experience to help pinpoint resources.

“Many are coming to college and have never had someone say they are ready for the college experience,” Stout said, adding that that holistic approach tells students that they belong and the staff is there to help.

And just like data helped inform the 10 Ivy Achieves habits, McCurdy said he’s excited to see the tools that will continue to be developed to help student success.

“Some of it is as simple as saying: in your program, if you were to take this course next, we would advise you to do that because students who’ve done that have been more successful or for you based on your own history, we would recommend that you take this course face-to-face,” he said.

Because ultimately, McCurdy said the goal isn’t just enrollment or retention or even graduation – it’s what college can do for the next step: a four-year university or a better job.

“Yes, we want to serve more students, but we also want to make sure that we are successful with the ones that we have and that success doesn’t just begin and end with us either,” he said. “College is not the destination.”

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org. Chalkbeat Indiana partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.

From virtual reality to careers: How Indiana’s Boys & Girls Clubs use VR for workforce development

2022-12-08T15:04:07+00:00

Alexis Fernung was ready to taxi the airplane from the runway to the hangar. Following the guidance of the signalman and staying in the lines on the runway, she did her best to move the airplane.

“I got this,” she said as the plane started moving.

Just a few minutes earlier, Lillian Green was examining a robot arm used for industrial painting. Up on a ladder, she searched for leaks and inspected the machine.

“Don’t fall off the ladder!” teased Ben Waterman, the teen coordinator at the Boys & Girls Club of Tipton County.

“It’s not real Ben, chill,” Lillian responded.

But it felt real.

Alexis and Lillian are in sixth and fifth grade, respectively. They weren’t on the job site, but rather in the Tipton Boys & Girls Club’s music room where, once a week, it’s transformed into a “hands-on” jobsite using Oculus headsets.

The Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs partnered with Transfr, a company that creates immersive virtual reality simulations for workforce development, training, and education, to bring oculus headsets loaded with VR simulations to help students explore potential careers to clubs across the state.

Tipton, about an hour north of Indianapolis, was one of 10 clubs that got the headsets in the summer and the program has recently expanded to include nearly two dozen more clubs.

“It’s opened up some of those types of conversations,” Waterman said of VR’s impact on his talks with students about careers. “Kids will gravitate toward careers that they see in their lives like teaching, nursing, or youth pastor.”

Listing jobs they’ve never seen means nothing to them, but with this, you can tell them that the skill they did in the simulation is important for one or more jobs, he said

“It’s a much more concrete way to talk about it,” Waterman said.

Multiple ‘hands-on’ career experiences in one place

Students come to the Boys & Girls Club looking for something different after the school day, said Lana Taylor, executive director for the Indiana Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs.

“They don’t want to do math and reading, they want to do something fun and engaging,” she said. And the virtual reality experience, she said, “is fun and engaging.”

It’s also part of a shift from career exploration to workforce development, Taylor said. It’s the difference between hearing about a career and trying it. Plus, she said it’s another way to supplement what students are learning about career choices in school and at home.

Hearing adults talk about a career isn’t always the best way to give students an understanding of it, she said.

So the Boys & Girls Club wanted to offer more hands-on experiences. One way was for students to work as junior staff at the clubs and learn what it’s like to be a staffer. But not all students want to work at a Boys & Girls Club, Taylor said.

So the club started more partnerships with companies, such as Old Navy, and the one with Transfr is perfect, Taylor said. It allows students to explore multiple industries without leaving the Boys & Girls Club.

The simulations build a path from classroom to career and “help young people understand the full range of options available to them in today’s fast-changing economy and workplace,” Bharani Rajakumar, founder and CEO of Transfr, said in a statement.

After the VR experience, students know if a career is“that’s what we thought it was” or “that’s not what I wanted to do,” Taylor added.

Students try multiple careers and find new ideas

Back in Tipton, the music and art rooms at the Boys & Girls Club transform into job sites on Wednesdays.

Students in fifth grade and older can use the headset programs, which include an option for students to level up and build skills in a specific field.

For fifth and sixth graders, the ideas of going to college and having a career can feel pretty abstract, Waterman said. But he said he knows how important it is to try out different things.

Before coming to the Boys & Girls Club, Waterman worked in student life at Grand Canyon University, where he said he saw students come to college with one major in mind, start taking classes and experiencing life on campus, and then change majors.

He tells the students he works with to be prepared to change their minds once they learn something new.

And that’s exactly what the simulations from Transfr offer: Be a pilot, be an engineer, work in construction or tourism — try it all out.

As the students are exploring, Transfr is collecting data about which simulations are popular and adding options like health care. Waterman said that information helps him think about which guest speakers and field trips the students would want.

Both Alexis and Lillian said the airplane experiences were their favorites, and Lillian liked the robots too.

The girls said they want to be teachers someday. But they also expressed interest in engineering, math, and STEM — all subjects that are covered in the VR simulations.

“That’s what happens. Kids find other options that they hadn’t thought of before,” Taylor said. “The more exposure they get, the more they think about it.”

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Midterm Elections 2022: Voting results for school boards in Marion County

2022-11-22T20:30:17+00:00

This story has been updated with certified election results from Nov. 21.

Most of the incumbents running in Marion County school board races won reelection on Tuesday, and newcomer Hope Hampton won the only contested race for the Indianapolis Public Schools board, per election results.

And in the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township, Steven Chase Lyday topped incumbent Jimmy Ray by one vote to join the board; Ray was the only incumbent on the Decatur school board who lost.

There were 47 candidates on ballots for 29 school board positions in Marion County on Tuesday. While 11 candidates, mostly incumbents, were running unopposed, a vast majority faced at least some opposition. Roughly half of the school board candidates were incumbents.

Indianapolis Public Schools was the only district where no incumbents were on the ballot.

The role of the school board is not day-to-day operations, but rather district oversight, creating and enforcing policy, making sure bills are paid and employing a superintendent. School board races are non-partisan.

Winning candidates will start four-year terms in January.

Below is a list of results by district. The Marion County Election Board certified results on Nov. 21 and no candidates sought a recount or contested the election by the Nov. 22 deadline, said Brent Stinson, the board’s deputy director, in an email to Chalkbeat Indiana.

Beech Grove

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Rob Challis (I) 33.15%

Jannis King (I) 32.52%

Rick Skirvin (I) 34.33%

Decatur Township

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Judith Collins (I) 27.27%

Dale Henson (I) 26.43%

Steven Chase Lyday 23.16%

Jimmy Ray (I) 23.15%

Franklin Township

Southeast district

Larry J. Walker (I) 100%

Northeast district

Andrew Filler 47.75%

Zach Smith Howard (I) 52.25%

At-large (Top candidate wins.)

Dawn Downer (I) 46.04%

Tim McVey 45.89%

Adrian D. Pettis Sr. 8.07%

IPS

District 3

Hope Hampton 55.17%

Kristen Phair 44.83%

District 5

Nicole Carey 100%

At-large

Angelia Moore 100%

Lawrence Township

District 2

Patricia Brenamen 17.39%

Janet Jacobs 34.3%

Marta Lawrence 35.06%

Nichole Sledge 13.25%

At-large (Top candidate wins.)

Morgan Bailey 13.7%

Jessica Dunn 42.18%

Reginald McGregor (I) 29.64%

Jennifer Tursi 14.47%

Perry Township

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Cameron Clark 14.98%

James Hernandez (I) 15.23%

Chris Lewis 15.77%

Hre Mang 18.37%

Lee Shively (I) 17.75%

Samuel Snideman (He ended his campaign and won’t serve if elected.) 6.97%

Astin Vick 10.93%

Pike Township

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Alonzo Anderson (I) 27.37%

Guy Lowry 17.66%

Wayne Moore 26.35%

Terry Webster (I) 28.62%

Warren Township

At-large (Top three candidates win.)

Terri L. Amos (I) 26.25%

Rachel Burke (I) 30.96%

Kevin Humphrey 25.1%

Dennis Orellana (I) 17.69%

Washington Township

District 2

Kristina Frey 56.12%

Donald Kite (I) 43.88%

At-large (Top candidate wins.)

William (Bill) Turner (I) 100%

Wayne Township

At-large (Top four candidates win)

Brandon Bowman (I) 26.1%

Raimeka Graham (I) 24.71%

Michael D. Nance (I) 25.12%

Benjamin Wakefield (I) 24.07%

*(I) indicates the incumbent candidate.

Speedway Schools is not included in this list because the school board is appointed by the town board, not elected.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Teaching ‘world changers:’ Indiana’s 2023 Teacher of the Year applies history to today

2022-11-16T12:00:00+00:00

To Tara Cocanower, her students are “world changers.”

“I want them to know I see them as people who can make a difference in the world and be a change for good,” said Cocanower, a world history teacher at Bluffton High School. “What’s the point in learning about the world if you’re not going to be an active participant in it?”

Every day, Cocanower said her students cheer her on and support her like she does for them.

“They’ve changed my world for the better,” she said.

Drawn to education as a way to make an impact on her community, Cocanower has taught at Bluffton High in her hometown just south of Fort Wayne, for nine years. She teaches world history, AP world history, and principles of teaching.

In October, she was named the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year. Cocanower talked to Chalkbeat Indiana about how she brings the world and the community into her classroom, her statewide honor, and advice from Grandma Phyllis.

This interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

How and when did you decide to become a teacher? Did you always want to teach in your hometown?

I didn’t think about pursuing education as a career until my sophomore year of college. I interned for an awesome eighth grade history teacher and cadet taught for my former first grade teacher during my senior year of high school, but I only did that to fill time in my schedule. People always told me I’d be a good teacher, but I didn’t think teaching was prestigious enough, lucrative enough, etc. I wanted to go into law, pursue the foreign service, or a Ph.D. in History. In college, I had a professor who showed me that teaching could be a calling and a profession full of purpose. That changed my trajectory. When I finished my time in Romania after my Peace Corps service, I prayed about where I should go next. Ultimately, my grandparents played a major role in me returning to Bluffton. I want to live a legacy of service and matter to our community the way that they did.

Tara Cocanower, a world history teacher at Bluffton High School, is the 2023 Indiana Teacher of the Year.

Congratulations on being the state’s teacher of the year for 2023. What does that award mean to you? How do you hope to use it?

To me, this award is affirmation of who I try to be and how I teach/coach. I’m not even the best teacher that I know, but I’m a good one and I’m honored to be given an opportunity to represent the amazing educators we have in Indiana. I hope to use this platform to promote civics education and social studies literacy. I want to empower and support other history teachers, and all teachers really, during these divisive times. I’d also like to support education-based athletics; as a three-sport athlete in high school, a collegiate golfer, and as a coach of two sports (golf and track and field), I know the value extracurricular activities have both inside and outside the classroom.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

Honestly, I think it changes depending on the personality of individual classes. When I taught middle school I would have said lessons on the decolonization of Africa, refugee camps throughout the world, or ancient Egypt. Now, as a high school teacher, I really enjoy teaching World War I. It encompasses so many different narratives globally that I think are valuable today. I also love discussing the technology of the time period and implementing some edtech into our lessons such as Sphero, digital Breakout Edu activities, and problem-based learning.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

In Bluffton, we have an organization called Forgotten Children Worldwide, or FCW, which works to protect children from poverty and human trafficking around the world. It was started by a friend of mine, and I try to support it in any way I can. Currently, I’m partnering with them to develop an educational activity about India. The founder of FCW is going to be traveling around India in a tuk tuk [a three-wheel vehicle] and documenting it; and we are currently trying to create an accessible curriculum for teachers and other organizations. We also are blessed at Bluffton to have welcomed several exchange students as well as Ukrainians who have been displaced by the war in their country. Our worlds have been brought together, and there is no better resource for me as a world history teacher than perspectives from other countries.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

Carefully. In my 13 years of teaching, it’s only gotten harder to navigate using current events, but I can’t shy away from them and still believe I’m serving students well.

I’d say I approach news events as a facilitator of information. News events bring about the best discussions, and reflecting on them reminds me of several times tears have been shed because our hearts were broken over tragedies in our nation and world. I try to diversify the media outlets students choose to gain information from, and we do a lot of work developing historical reading skills to prepare for researching. We try to corroborate different sources, and then I encourage them to form their personal opinions supported by evidence. They know they’re allowed to disagree with one another.

I work hard to model civil discourse through Socratic seminars, historical text analysis, etc. My opinion doesn’t really matter within the walls of my classroom, and it’s always a compliment when students aren’t able to easily identify my personal bias or point of view.

Finally, I always try to share ways students can get involved to make an impact or encourage them to take the conversation we started home to their families. It’s a privilege to partner with parents, and I love hearing that what I’m teaching overflows from the classroom to the dinner tables, couches, and patios of my students.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, and how have you put it into practice?

The best advice I’ve ever received was from my Grandma Phyllis. As a kid, I could sometimes be a little proud and arrogant in showing off my accomplishments. Without fail, every time, she would tell me “I’ll tell you; you don’t tell me.” To me, that means that the reward was in doing it — not for the praise I gained for it. The Bible recounts this many times, but for me, Matthew 6:1-2 has always been what I think about.

I don’t teach for awards, money, or fame; I teach because kids matter and I believe that serving others is the greatest thing you can do with your time. Social media has only made things worse. Many of us share our highlight reels with the world and we base our identity and worth on how many likes we receive. As a high school teacher, I have a front-row seat to the damage this is doing to our youth.

I try to celebrate and affirm my students’ accomplishments as much as possible, but I encourage them to do whatever it is because it’s the right thing to do — not because they’ll be praised for it or get a trophy for it.

What are you reading right now?

“The Splendid and the Vile” by Erik Larson.

I want my students to know that I don’t know everything and to be a reader is a superpower. During the school year, I mostly read nonfiction that supports my lessons and challenges me to keep learning.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Indiana’s NAEP scores show biggest decline in math as leaders weigh COVID’s fallout

2022-10-24T04:01:00+00:00

Indiana students’ math and reading scores on “the nation’s report card” declined from pre-pandemic results, with the state’s average math scores declining the most.

Scores released Monday from the most recent National Assessment Educational Progress — or NAEP — showed that 33% of fourth graders and 31% of eighth graders were proficient or better in reading, while 40% of fourth graders and 30% of eighth graders were proficient or better in math.

Those proficiency rates were lower than in 2019 except in fourth grade reading, where the rates are statistically about the same as in 2019.

Indiana’s average reading scores were around the national average this year, and math scores were higher than the national average scores.

However, nearly all demographic groups of Indiana students had an average score below NAEP’s proficiency benchmark, although the bar for achieving proficiency on NAEP tests is generally higher than it is for state exams.

Indiana’s results also reflect nationwide trends on NAEP following the pandemic’s disruptions to schools: unprecedented and not unexpected declines — affecting students in virtually every state and every region of the country.

While NAEP scores often attract attention and generate debate, this year’s results will be closely scrutinized by educators, public officials, and others trying to get a handle on how (and how much) COVID has disrupted student learning in different cities and states, as well as nationally.

The state has already launched multiple efforts aimed at academic recovery, such as Indiana Learns, a tutoring program funded through federal relief dollars that gives fourth and fifth grade students up to $1,000 for math and reading tutoring.

In August, the state announced its largest-ever targeted investment in literacy — $111 million — with many of the funds aimed at training teachers.

Charity Flores, the chief academic officer at the Indiana Department of Education, told the state board of education in July that this is year two of academic recovery from the pandemic that could take three to five years. The NAEP data supports that timeline, she said.

What is NAEP?

The main NAEP in reading and math is typically administered every two years. Students in the fourth and eighth grade last took the exam in 2019. Data comes from a representative set of students nationwide which allows for comparisons across states and some cities, although no cities in Indiana.

Unlike state exams or tests students might take for a regular class, these tests are low stakes for individual students, teachers, and schools. In other words, results aren’t used to, say, evaluate teachers or grade students.

Results are based on a sample of students, so there is a margin of error — or uncertainty — in the scores. This is particularly important for reading the state and city scores, which have higher margins of error than the country as a whole.

In addition to the impact they could have on national and state responses to the pandemic, the new NAEP results could also revive polarizing disputes about the precise impact of policies such as shutdowns of in-person learning.

While Indiana schools largely attempted to return to some form of in-person learning in the fall of 2020, the 2020-21 school year was characterized by abrupt switches between in-person and online learning, hybrid schedules, being quarantined, and precautions such as masking and social distancing. There were fewer such disruptions in the 2021-22 school year.

How Indiana’s NAEP scores stack up

This year’s NAEP results were released for students in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Department of Defense’s education agency.

In reading, Indiana had proficiency rates that were similar to 40 other states or jurisdictions, and just a few had proficiency percentages that were considered significantly higher than Indiana’s.

In math, Indiana’s scores were on par with roughly half the states or jurisdictions.

Among eighth graders, for instance, only Department of Defense schools and Massachusetts had significantly higher percentages of students who were proficient or better in math, while 23 states or jurisdictions had proficiency rates similar to Indiana’s.

Flores said the results from different states provide a way to look for strategies that were successful elsewhere and implement them in Indiana, she said.

For example, Flores said that following Mississippi’s success with instructional coaches in reading, Indiana announced up to $60 million for instructional coaches focused on literacy in elementary schools, as part of the state’s $111 million targeted investment in literacy.

Additionally, Indiana’s education department is working with the University of Indianapolis to provide instructional coaching in the STEM fields.

Different student groups struggle on NAEP

Indiana’s NAEP results can also be split into multiple subgroups of students by race, gender, economic status, geography, and more.

The vast majority of these subgroups had average scores that were below NAEP’s proficiency benchmarks.

No subgroups had significant improvement in their scores from 2019 across the reading and math exams. Among the subgroups whose scores declined significantly from 2019 to 2022, the group with the biggest score drop was eighth-grade English learners in reading followed by Black eighth graders in math, fourth-grade English learners in math, and Hispanic fourth graders in math.

English learners, students with disabilities, and Black students in both grades had some of the lowest average scores on all four tests in 2022, making those groups the furthest from being considered proficient in a subject.

Additionally, students who attend urban schools or are from low-income backgrounds had some of the lowest scores in fourth grade math and reading.

In three of the NAEP exams — fourth grade math, fourth grade reading, and eighth grade reading — boys did about the same in 2022 as they did in 2019, but girls’ average scores dropped.

Looking to the next NAEP results

While NAEP and other exams have shown that academic progress was derailed during the pandemic, the declines don’t mean that students didn’t learn anything or forgot things they already knew between 2019 and 2022. Rather, students did learn over that period, but progressed at slower rates than their peers had in prior years.

Some recent data has suggested that students nationwide have begun to recover lost ground.

Flores noted that the decline in student performance, especially in reading, is mirrored in results from Indiana’s state exams.

ILEARN results dropped sharply from 2019 to the next time students took the state test in 2021. Results then increased slightly from 2021 to this year, indicating that a rebound may be under way, but 2022 results were still below pre-pandemic scores.

Flores said she aims to see a similar pattern in about two years, when the next set of NAEP reading and math scores for fourth and eighth graders are due to be released.

“We’ll have a bit of time and utilize strategies to support academic recovery,” she said. “I hope that in two years, we’ll start to see the impact of those sustained efforts.”

Chalkbeat Indiana reporter Aleksandra Appleton and Chalkbeat national reporter Matt Barnum contributed to this story.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Candidates for IPS school board would vote no on Rebuilding Stronger

2022-10-06T20:35:09+00:00

This article was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI as part of a collaboration ahead of the 2022 school board elections.

All four candidates for the Indianapolis Public Schools board would vote against the district’s current Rebuilding Stronger proposal, they said during Wednesday’s candidate forum hosted by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI on Wednesday.

During the forum, candidates in the November election said they haven’t seen enough information about the plan to support it, and also expressed concern about the level of parent input.

Rebuilding Stronger is a proposed district overhaul that includes grade reconfigurations and some schools closing or merging as a way to address declining enrollment and financial challenges.

The school board is expected to vote on the plan in the fall, so those running for school board won’t be the ones to vote on the plan. However, if the plan is adopted, the winning candidates will be the ones to oversee it. None of the current board members with expiring terms are seeking reelection.

The majority of the changes in the plan would take place in the 2024-25 school year.

“We haven’t heard enough information, it’s not that anyone is opposed to plans per se, or people working hard to plan to better educate children. I think the issue is that we don’t know how many parents are at the table,” said Hope Hampton, a candidate for the District 3 seat, which encompasses the midtown area of Indianapolis and is the only contested race.

She added she wants to know if the programs that the district plans to replicate as part of the plan are the programs that parents want.

Kristen Elizabeth Phair, Hampton’s District 3 opponent, agreed that she wanted to know more from families.

“I want to hear what parents are worried about for their special needs kids,” she said. “I want to know what neighborhood (schools) families are worried about.”

Moderators Elizabeth Gabriel of WFYI and Amelia Pak-Harvey of Chalkbeat Indiana asked the four candidates for IPS school board questions during a forum on Oct. 5, 2022.

Phair added that with more information, families will either be satisfied or have concerns, and she hopes the district listens to those families with concerns.

Fellow candidates Nicole Carey and Angelia Moore also wanted to know more about the families’ thoughts on replicating programs. Carey and Moore are running unopposed for District 5, which includes the northwest part of the district, and an at-large seat, respectively.

Watch the IPS candidates forum

The roughly hour-long forum covered a wide range of topics, including facilities, district accountability and transparency, and how to support students.

Questions came from moderators Amelia Pak-Harvey and Elizabeth Gabriel, as well as from IPS students and attendees, who were both in person and online.

In a few days, a recording with Spanish subtitles will be on the WFYI YouTube channel. You can also watch the recording on Facebook.

All four candidates are newcomers, and IPS is the only Marion County district where no incumbents are on the ballot.

Read more about the candidates for IPS school board in our voter guide, and hear a recap of the forum on Twitter Spaces.

To learn more about all the school board elections in Marion County, check out our election previews here.

How to vote

Voter registration for Marion County residents ends Oct. 11.

Early voting begins on Oct. 12 at the Indianapolis City-County Building, and additional early voting sites open on Oct. 29.

On Nov. 8, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s vote centers.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Your guide to 2022 school board elections in Marion County

2022-10-05T12:00:00+00:00

This article was co-published by Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI as part of a collaboration ahead of the 2022 school board elections. Join Chalkbeat Indiana and WFYI to hear from candidates for IPS school board at a forum at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 5 at the Indianapolis Public Library, Central Branch. RSVP and submit questions here.

This November, 47 candidates are on ballots for 29 positions on school boards across Marion County.

While some of the elections are more competitive than others, a majority of candidates face at least some opposition.

The races with the most candidates are in the Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, where eight candidates are vying for two school board seats. In contrast, two districts — Beech Grove City Schools and the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township — have only incumbents running.

Winning candidates will start four-year terms in January. The role of the school board is not day-to-day operations, but rather district oversight, creating and enforcing policy, and making sure bills are paid. And one of a school board’s biggest jobs is to hire a superintendent.

Across the county, 23 of 29 board members with terms ending are running for reelection. In six school districts, all current board members who are up for reelection are running again. Indianapolis Public Schools is the only Marion County district where no current board members chose to run for reelection.

Of the 47 candidates, 11 are running unopposed. That includes nine incumbents: four in Wayne, three in Beech Grove, one in Franklin Township Community Schools, and one in the Metropolitan School District of Washington Township. The only unopposed newcomers are two IPS candidates.

Read about each school board election:

*Speedway Schools is not included in this list because the school board is appointed by the town board, not elected.

On the ballot

The structure of the school boards, and which voters elect which school board members, vary from district to district.

For the following districts, the elections are all for at-large seats and the top vote-getters will win the seats: Beech Grove, and Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township, Metropolitan School District of Perry Township, Metropolitan School District of Pike Township, Metropolitan School District of Warren Township, and Wayne township.

In Franklin, Lawrence and Washington townships, the open seats are a mix of at-large and district seats. There are specific candidates for each seat, but all voters vote for all the open seats. In IPS, there is one at-large seat where all voters cast ballots, and two district seats where only those living in that district vote.

While Lawrence has two races of four candidates each, Franklin has one race of three candidates and one race of two candidates. IPS and Washington have one race each of just two candidates.

How to vote

Voter registration for Marion County residents ends Oct. 11.

Early voting begins on Oct. 12 at the Indianapolis City-County Building, and additional early voting sites open on Oct. 29.

On Nov. 8, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s vote centers.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Six candidates vie for three seats on Franklin Township school board

2022-10-04T12:10:00+00:00

Six candidates are running for school board seats at Franklin Township Community Schools, a district of roughly 10,500 students in southeast Marion County.

During the primary election in May, Franklin Township asked voters to approve a capital referendum, largely to fund an addition at the district’s high school as well as to make improvements at the district’s elementary schools. But it failed, with 62% of voters rejecting it.

The latest ILEARN results showed that 35.2% of Franklin Township third to eighth graders are at or above proficiency in both English/language arts and math, the second-highest percentage in Marion County after Speedway, the Indianapolis Star reported.

The latest state data shows that roughly 64% of Franklin Township students are white, 10.5% are Asian, 9.7% are Black, 8.7% are Hispanic, and 6.5% are multiracial. Less than 0.5% of students are Native American or Hawaiian or Pacific Islander.

This election

This November, all three incumbents are running for reelection, but only two face challengers. Larry J. Walker, current board member, is the sole candidate for the seat representing the southeast portion of the school district.

Board president Zach Smith Howard faces challenger Andrew Filler in the northeast district, and at-large member Dawn Downer faces two opponents for her seat: Tim McVey and Adrian D. Pettis Sr.

Who votes and how to vote

All voters who are within the school district boundaries can vote for all three of the seats that are on the ballot this November.

Voter registration ends on Oct. 11. Marion County residents can register to vote at indianavoters.in.gov.

Early voting begins on Oct. 12 at the Indianapolis City-County Building at 200 E. Market St. Additional early voting sites, including one at the Franklin Township Government Center, open on Oct. 29 and can be found online at https://vote.indy.gov/early-voting/.

On Election Day on Nov. 8, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers, which can be found at https://vote.indy.gov/.

Meet the candidates

Larry J. Walker, southeast district

Walker is running for reelection on the school board. He is president and CEO of Timberwood Custom Homes.

Andrew Filler, northeast district

Filler is the parent of two students in the district and an engineer. If elected to the school board, he said his top priorities will be to make sure students, teachers and staff have the resources they need, increase transparency in the school board, and improve staff retention in the district.

Filler also has a small rescue farm with his family, where they give community tours to educate people about livestock.

Learn more at his campaign Facebook page.

Zach Smith Howard, northeast district

Smith Howard is the current board president and was first elected to the school board in 2018. Howard said he’s proud of the board’s efforts at transparency, such as livestreaming the board meetings and posting recordings, as well as their ability to raise pay for employees and manage student growth without raising property taxes.

If re-elected, his priorities are to make sure students are prepared for life after graduation, as well as continuing to manage student growth and building renovations without raising taxes.

Learn more at his campaign website, Facebook, and Twitter.

Dawn Downer, at large

Downer is the board vice president, an alumnae of the district, and the parent of a district graduate. She was the state’s First Steps director for more than ten years, and currently works as a consultant to support early education.

Her campaign Facebook page says her priorities include making sure there is community involvement and transparency in decisions, as well as school safety, academic growth, and fiscal responsibility.

Learn more at her campaign Facebook page.

Tim McVey, at large

McVey is a substitute bus driver for the district and a district manager for Simply Self Storage.

Adrian D. Pettis Sr., at large

Pettis is the chief of police for Warren Township schools. His campaign Facebook page states that he is striving for integrity, leadership, experience, and unity. He wrote that he wants to “enhance the culture and climate” of the district and listen to what the staff, students, and community need.

Learn more about him on his campaign Facebook page.

This article has been updated to include a Franklin Township early voting site.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

Beech Grove school board members run unopposed in upcoming election

2022-10-04T12:00:00+00:00

Three of the seven seats on the Beech Grove City Schools board are up for election in November — and only incumbents are running.

Beech Grove is southeast of Indianapolis, and the district has about 3,000 students.

The district is working to address the teacher shortage and challenges with staff retention, which is an issue for many area schools. In 2020, voters in Beech Grove approved an operating referendum that included giving teachers and staff raises as a way to keep them in the district.

Additionally, the district recently launched a grow-your-own-educator program as a way to get students experience in teaching before college and direct them back to Beech Grove after college, WISH-TV reported. This summer, the board also voted to increase substitute teacher pay.

Also in 2020, Beech Grove voters approved a construction referendum to pay for improvements to the district’s school buildings as well as a new early-childhood center. The Hornet Park Early Childhood Center opened this school year.

Beech Grove’s superintendent, Laura Hammack, started in the summer of 2021. All three of the board members running for reelection were members of the board that hired Hammack in a unanimous vote.

This election

Current board members Rob Challis, Jannis King, and Rick Skirvin are all running for reelection without opposition.

Who votes and how to vote

Voters who live within the Beech Grove school district will have all three at-large school board races on their ballot.

Voter registration ends on Oct. 11. Marion County residents can register to vote at indianavoters.in.gov.

Early voting begins on Oct. 12 at the Indianapolis City-County Building at 200 E. Market St. Additional early voting sites open on Oct. 29 and can be found online at https://vote.indy.gov/early-voting/.

On Election Day on Nov. 8, Marion County residents can vote at any of the county’s voting centers, which can be found at https://vote.indy.gov/.

Meet the candidates

Three candidates, all incumbents, are running for three at-large positions on the school board.

Rob Challis, at large

Challis was first elected to the Beech Grove school board in 2018 and is currently the board’s vice-president. He works for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department and owns RC Property Management. He’s also a nonvoting advisor on the Beech Grove Redevelopment Commission.

Jannis King, at large

King, the school board president, has been on the board for more than a decade. She works as a part-time substitute teacher with Kelly Services, a staffing company. King serves as an ex-officio member of the Beech Grove Parks and Recreation Board as the school board appointee.

Rick Skirvin, at large

A lifelong resident of Beech Grove, Skirvin is a graduate of Beech Grove High School and has four kids, according to an article from The Southside Times. He has been on the school board for 15 years. Per his candidate filing, he works at CryoVation, a cryogenic gas installation and service company.

Skirvin ran for Beech Grove mayor in 2019 but lost to Mayor Dennis Buckley.

This article has been updated with early voting sites.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.

What to know before IPS unveils Rebuilding Stronger plan

2022-09-12T20:06:12+00:00

It’s a big week for Indianapolis Public Schools.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson will deliver her annual State of the District speech Tuesday, unveiling the district’s long-awaited Rebuilding Stronger plan.

We’ll see the district’s answers to its most pressing problems: declining enrollment, competition with charter schools, and a lack of high-quality choice programs for students of color.

And at its most basic level, the plan will aim to stabilize declining enrollment by closing or consolidating schools while also expanding school choice. Enrollment zones could give school choice options to more students of color. Breaking up K-8 schools and creating standalone buildings might make better use of the district’s underutilized buildings.

You can watch the speech at 7 p.m. Tuesday at myips.org.

It could very well dictate the future of the entire district. To prepare, sign up for texting updates from Chalkbeat Indiana by texting “schools” to 317-932-3900. Also, sign up for our newsletter here.

And catch up by reading our previous coverage on what the plan could mean for students and families:

Indianapolis embarks on another middle school overhaul. Will this one work?: IPS has changed its middle school structure twice under the previous two superintendents. Is the third time a charm?
Parents criticize lack of information about IPS’ school consolidation plan: They asked for more details and worried the plan will bring more charter schools into the district.
As IPS considers closing schools, see what score your school building gets: Which school buildings close could depend on a facilities report showing each school’s usage and condition. Here’s the data.
In new school year, some Indianapolis charter schools grow: In turn, neighborhood, district-run schools are shrinking, and enrollment is a key component of Rebuilding Stronger.
Shuffling grades, closing school buildings: IPS proposes sweeping changes: District leaders outlined five potential solutions to the district’s financial challenges as it faces declining enrollment at neighborhood schools and unequal access to high-demand innovation programs.
Small IPS schools offer fewer extracurriculars. Is closing them the answer? The uneven distribution of extracurricular activities is especially acute for Black and Indigenous students, who have less access in middle school.
Enrollment losses in cities prompt talk of school closures: IPS isn’t the only district considering closing schools in response to declining enrollment and rising costs. School leaders across the country are grappling with this decision.

Amelia Pak-Harvey covers Indianapolis and Marion County schools for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact Amelia at apak-harvey@chalkbeat.org.

MJ Slaby is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Indiana. Contact MJ at mslaby@chalkbeat.org.