Chalkbeat

Former Tindley charter school network CEO, 2 others to pay nearly $1 million in restitution for fraud

2026-08-25T19:34:02+00:00

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The former CEO of the Tindley charter school network and two other individuals must pay nearly one million dollars in restitution to the school system after pleading guilty to wire fraud.

Brian Metcalf will also serve over a year in prison. His fraud began just months after the Tindley network consolidated its five Indianapolis schools into three in 2019 amid financial struggles and low enrollment. The network enrolled 1,000 students in the city last year.

The judgment against Metcalf in federal court last week ends a fraud case based on Metcalf’s time leading the charter network, as well as his time as a Chicago Public Schools principal and as an employee for the nonprofit City Year Chicago.

Federal prosecutors claimed Metcalf used his positions in these organizations to defraud them with the help of two other defendants, Kimberly Maddox and James Darnell Campbell. Campbell and Maddox submitted invoices for services that were never delivered, and in turn would give Metcalf a portion of the funds, prosecutors alleged.

Metcalf was CEO of Tindley from July 2019 to December 2022. The fraudulent activity concerning the charter network took place from October 2019 to August 2022, according to court documents. The grand jury indictment against Metcalf, Maddox, and Campbell was unsealed in December 2023.

Metcalf pleaded guilty to two of the nine counts of wire fraud counts against him. He admitted in a plea agreement last year that he used some of that money to pay his credit card bills, mortgage provider, car loan, a casino that hosted his family reunion, and a company that fixed his roof.

Maddox pleaded guilty to one of the four counts of wire fraud against her and was sentenced to two years in prison last month. Campbell also pleaded guilty to one of the five counts against him and was sentenced to a year and one day in prison.

An attorney for Metcalf declined to comment. An attorney for Campbell and Maddox also declined to comment.

The Tindley network is due a total of $939,800 in restitution.

Metcalf and Maddox must collectively pay $539,800 in restitution to the Tindley network. Metcalf and Campbell must collectively pay the network another $400,000, according to court documents.

Metcalf and Maddox must also collectively pay $88,500 to Chicago Public Schools and $70,900 to City Year.

Restitution is due immediately, according to a spokesperson for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District Court of Illinois.

Tindley leaders did not respond to requests for comment on how it plans to spend the restitution.

Prior to leading the Tindley network in 2019, Metcalf served as an interim principal and later as a chief of schools in Chicago Public Schools, according to CPS. He was also the managing director of impact at City Year Chicago, according to court documents.

The Tindley network has since adopted new vendor policies and procedures, CFO Sandra Tresselt told Mayor Joe Hogsett’s charter school office in December 2024 as the charter for the Charles A. Tindley Accelerated School was up for renewal.

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

Indiana charter schools could receive over $49 million in new revenue from proposed tax increases

2026-08-18T11:00:00+00:00

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Indiana charter schools have tens of millions of dollars at stake in the upcoming ballot questions this November. But it’s unclear in many instances how they officially plan to spend that potential influx of revenue.

State law requires districts in four counties to share revenue from property tax increases approved by voters with charters enrolling students who live within those districts’ boundaries. This year, only districts in two of those counties, Marion and Lake, are seeking those tax increases in November. Nearly all the revenue would go to charters in Marion.

Eight school districts running referendums have reported to the state that they will share that revenue with about 60 charter schools. Altogether, the referendums have a maximum annual total of nearly $200 million, and an estimated $49.5 million of that would go to charter schools.

The potential funding represents the largest amount charters could receive from ballot questions in state history. And one charter can benefit from multiple ballot measures.

Yet only four of the eight districts have included referendum spending plans for individual charter schools in documents submitted to the state. And of the $49.5 million, nearly all of it — $48.7 million — is not accounted for in those official spending plans, although several charters did discuss their plans for the money with Chalkbeat.

Generally, funds from these ballot measures can be spent on day-to-day operations, such as staff salaries, academic programs, and transportation.

State law requires districts to submit spending plans from charter schools that would benefit from the tax increase to state government, alongside their own plans.

Yet there is little oversight of this process. Some charter officials say districts did not ask them to submit a spending plan, while some districts have said certain charter schools failed to provide them when asked.

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which is floating a ballot question for Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools that could provide the most money, did not include charter school spending plans in its documents submitted to the state. But the corporation plans to track spending of future potential referendum dollars, its acting director Michael O’Connor said.

The estimated funding for individual charters is tied to the number of a school’s students who live in the district asking for a tax increase.

Christel House Academy South stands to gain an estimated $2.5 million — the highest amount for a single charter school — if voters approve all three referendums it’s participating in. Most of that funding would come from the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation’s ballot question. Over 90 percent of its 975 students lived within IPS borders last spring, according to state data.

Christel House Indianapolis CEO Emily Masengale anticipates spending much of that funding on staffing and transportation. Christel House Academy South provides transportation to over 450 students, and in recent years its transportation costs have increased by 28%. Transportation costs for both the South and West campuses within the Christel House Indianapolis charter network amount to over $1 million annually, according to the network.

“Transportation and staffing are always really big expenses,” she said. “We wanted the best teachers in front of our students, so we always strive to ensure that we have comparable pay to districts.”

The charter networks with the most to gain include Phalen Leadership Academies, which has six schools eligible for ballot measure funding through IPEC and the Metropolitan School District of Wayne Township. Phalen could receive up to nearly $6 million. And Paramount Schools of Excellence, which has four schools eligible for funding across four districts, could gain $4.1 million.

KIPP Indy could get up to $3.6 million in new revenue if voters approve referendums for IPEC and the Metropolitan School District of Decatur Township pass. The charter network plans to use funding for professional development and initiatives to increase student attendance, among other things.

“Because the referendum funding would represent a significant new investment in our schools, we want to be thoughtful about aligning those dollars with the strategies we believe will have the greatest impact on students,” the charter network said in a statement.

At Purdue Polytechnic High School, which has two Indianapolis campuses that could gain roughly $2 million, CEO Keanna Warren said the network would use the money on “competitive teacher compensation, transportation, and student support,” she said in an email.

The general election is Nov. 3. Early voting starts on Oct. 6.

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

Newark charter school’s new $51 million facility to join wave of South Ward development

2026-08-17T18:33:13+00:00

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A charter school organization’s plans to transform the South Ward’s Clinton Hill corridor are moving forward.

The BRICK network’s new K-8 building for the Gateway Academy was approved by Newark’s Central Planning Board in May. In addition, the network’s wellness center is set to open in 2027 that will offer prenatal care among other services. BRICK is also planning on building 70 units of affordable housing for residents.

The charter network says its $51 million project to replace its old elementary and middle school campus will benefit the entire community, not just its students, and that its work will help create an “ecosystem” of care and housing for families. The new building will have the capacity to grow Gateway’s current student population at a time when Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger León has fought to slow charter school enrollment growth citywide. Meanwhile, advocates for schools that provide wraparound services for students and their families say the charter network’s growing footprint in the South Ward should serve the entire community.

BRICK’s new building is also part of a broader wave of redevelopment happening in the South Ward.

Gateway Academy’s nearly 470 elementary and middle school students currently attend classes at a rented Clinton Avenue building with no windows, gym, or playground, according to charter school officials.

Students and staff have been in that building ever since the 2024 merger of People’s Preparatory and Achieve Community charter schools established Gateway Academy. People’s Prep left the previous space it rented from the district that same year, following a tense four-year legal battle with Newark Public Schools over contract and rent issues. That departure has allowed León to reclaim the space for district students, one of his top priorities.

The future Gateway is slated for a 2028-29 school year opening and will house 810 kindergarten through eighth grade students on Jelliff Avenue. It will include a full working kitchen, a community room, and a gym that BRICK officials say will be open to South Ward sports leagues and nonprofits.

Shavon Harris, managing director of housing and real estate for BRICK, said the new facility will be “more than a school” and will act as a community hub in several ways, while also improving opportunities for its students.

“We’re not trying to take on more than we can,” Harris said. “We need this for our babies. Our students deserve it. Our staff deserves it.”

Yet state advocates who provide academic and social services to families say all Newark students, not just those in the South Ward, also deserve and need what BRICK is promising to provide.

“I think that these community-based things are needed, are necessary, and as long as the entire public has access to these things then [that’s] fantastic,” said Julie Borst, co-founder and co-director of the New Jersey Institute for Community Schools.

The new Gateway Academy is just one notable project underway in the South Ward, where a $125 million Lionsgate film and TV studio is under construction and scheduled to open in 2027. The district is also expanding its presence in the area: New Media High School, which will focus on content creation and entertainment, will move its students to a building next to the studio in the 2027-28 school year.

Khaatim Sherrer El, executive director for Clinton Hill Community Action, a local advocacy group, declined to comment on the future Gateway Academy facility specifically, since it is outside the area his group focuses on. But he said all developers in the South Ward should think broadly about their projects’ impact.

“The South Ward deserves the investment, and all of these developers must answer to today’s residents — for whom are these projects intended?” he said. “This must include conversations about access to opportunity, good-paying jobs, and respect for the rich culture and history that is already here.”

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@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.

The fight for control over New York’s charter schools is escalating

2026-07-23T20:28:15+00:00

This story originally appeared in New York Focus, a nonprofit news publication investigating power in New York.Sign up for their newsletter here.

This September, a new elementary school is set to open in the South Bronx that will operate year-round, seven days a week, and 12 hours a day to accommodate working parents. But the state teachers union is suing to block it.

Strive Charter School was proposed by Eva Moskowitz, CEO of Success Academy, the state’s largest charter school network, and her husband Eric Grannis. The union contends that opening it would violate a state law that limits the number of charter schools statewide; Moskowitz and Grannis argue it would instead be transforming an existing charter school.

The dispute is the latest salvo in a long-running battle in Albany over who should approve and regulate charter schools: the legislature-elected Board of Regents, which is housed under the state education agency, or the governor-appointed State University of New York trustees.

State law allows both bodies to approve new charter schools, but it also gives SUNY the power to overrule objections by the Board of Regents — as it did with Strive.

SUNY approved the Bronx school even though state education officials warned it could violate state law and recommended abandoning the project. A New York Focus analysis of state charter school decisions found that since 2017, the Board of Regents has rejected 58 SUNY-approved charter actions. In at least 51 of those cases, SUNY resubmitted the application without making any modifications, permitting dozens of charter schools to open, expand, relocate, merge, or receive early renewal against the guidance of the state’s top education policymaking body.

To advocates for traditional public schools, including teachers unions, that discrepancy indicates that SUNY simply rubber-stamps charter school proposals, even those that the state education officials find lacking.

Charter school proponents say the system is working as intended. “It’s a feature, not a bug,” wrote Grannis, Strive’s executive director, in an op-ed for the New York Post about the lawsuit.

Funding caps and the core charter debate

Charter schools, funded with tax dollars but run by independent organizations, have been the source of fierce debate since New York enacted its first charter school law in 1998.

New York law requires school districts to pay charter schools for every local student enrolled — on average, about $16,600 per student — which decreases the budget available for traditional schools. Public school districts also pay for charter school transportation, along with health and welfare services. This past school year, for example, Buffalo Public Schools budgeted $195 million for payments to 22 area charter schools educating over 10,000 local students.

State law limits the number of charters to maintain quality control, to manage the financial burden on local school districts, and to allow public school administrators to have some predictability in their budgets.

Proponents see charter schools as a free, high-quality alternative to low-performing schools, particularly in low-income neighborhoods. But opponents say they drain resources from traditional public schools without the same level of oversight and accountability as public schools.

Teachers unions have traditionally opposed charter schools because they are not typically unionized and receive public funding while operating under different rules than traditional public school districts, with greater autonomy over staffing and governance. In New York, the teachers union has opposed efforts to lift the state’s charter cap, while pushing for bills to tighten oversight, increase transparency, require community engagement, and ultimately eliminate SUNY’s charter-authorizing power.

The conflict between SUNY and the Board of Regents is an extension of that debate. Under state law, proposals for charter schools may be submitted to either the Board of Regents or SUNY. The Board of Regents must review charter proposals submitted to SUNY, but SUNY has the final word on whether they are approved. Of the roughly 352 operating charter schools statewide, 220 were authorized by SUNY, while 92 were authorized by the Board of Regents. (The remaining were granted by NYC DOE or the Buffalo Board of Education.)

Under state law, New York City is at its charter school cap, with around 285 currently in operation. To create a new school without exceeding the cap, Success Academy asked SUNY to transfer the charter of one of its existing schools to a newly created entity led by Grannis, Moskowitz’s husband. In the application, Moskowitz wrote that the school would operate independently of Success Academy with a separate board and distinct mission.

Last October, SUNY approved the transfer and forwarded it to the Board of Regents for review. In January, the Board of Regents voted to send the request back to SUNY and urged trustees to withdraw the approval, warning that it could violate state law. They argued that the request amounted to the creation of a new school without going through the proper approval process, circumventing the state’s charter cap.

“It seems like they just ignore what we have to say,” said Shino Tanikawa, a member of the Board of Regents. “We have educators and school leaders on the board, we are the educational management entity for the state, we know what we’re doing and we know when something isn’t right.”

Joseph Belluck, chair of SUNY’s Charter Schools Committee, said the committee always reviews the board’s comment, “but most of the time, it’s completely lacking in merit.”

He and Grannis maintain that Strive does not violate the law because they are not increasing the number of charter schools in the city; they are simply taking over an existing charter school and operating in the same building.

“We are trying to make it easier for people who want a good quality charter school education to get it by being more flexible,” he told New York Focus.

The school will open this fall with grades K–4. Grannis said the school has received about 270 applications and plans eventually to serve 540 students. It will operate on a year-round, flexible schedule from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week, with classes from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays from September to June and the extended hours offered as an option for families who want them.

Grannis said the school is already fully staffed with lead teachers, who will work weekdays year-round, and teaching assistants, who are not required to have a bachelor’s degree and will work roughly 50 hours per week to cover the extended schedule. The program is free for students, supported by funds from the city Department of Education for the school day and private philanthropy for the extended hours.

Union lawsuits and heated exchanges

In its lawsuit, filed last month, New York State United Teachers argues that SUNY’s approval of Strive Charter “disregards the plain purpose of the cap” and “wreaks havoc” on the city’s budget for traditional public schools. “We’ve tried to change the law, and now we’re going to the courts,” said NYSUT President Melinda Person.

Belluck, the SUNY Charter Schools Committee chair, said the lawsuit and the union’s push to take away SUNY’s authority over charter schools are an attempt to put “charter schools in New York out of business.”

“I don’t know if charter schools can save the educational system, but what I do know is that it’s grossly unfair to say to families and kids who have a shot at a free education that might be transformative for them and their families that they’re now not going to get that opportunity,” Belluck said.

Last month, a coalition of the state’s most powerful charter school founders and CEOs, including Moskowitz, sent a letter to State Education Commissioner Betty Rosa expressing concern about “the increasingly adversarial posture NYSED and the Board of Regents have taken” toward SUNY’s role as an independent charter school authorizer.

The letter boasted that SUNY-authorized schools consistently outperform both traditional public schools and charter schools authorized by the Board of Regents, and urged the state to recognize its “extraordinary record.”

In a June 29 response, NYSED counsel Daniel Morton-Bentley said the Regents only return applications for reconsideration when they raise concerns about potential legal issues. He also attached an appendix outlining concerns about the charter schools and networks that signed the letter, including high rates of student suspensions, persistent under-enrollment, a lack of certified teachers, and inadequate services for children with disabilities and English language learners.

Local school officials in the Hudson Valley and Long Island have also weighed in.

The Lower Hudson Council of School Superintendents, which represents leaders of 78 school districts, has proposed an amendment to the state education law that would give the Board of Regents final authority to approve charter schools. It would also ensure that the fiscal impact on affected school districts is a critical consideration.

“Public schools are the absolute engine of a thriving democracy,” said Louis Wool, president of the organization and superintendent of Westchester County’s Harrison Central School District.

On Long Island, some local officials complain the growth of charters has strained the budget of traditional public schools.

In January, the teacher’s union joined local education and community partners in suing over SUNY’s approval of three new charter schools that the Board of Regents had objected to: The Academy Charter School Brentwood Elementary, The Academy Charter School Brentwood Middle, and the Academy Charter School Central Islip Regional High. The lawsuit, which is pending in Albany County Supreme Court, claims applications failed to address strong community opposition.

At a town hall last June hosted by Brentwood Union Free School District to discuss the new schools, former Hempstead school board president Victor Pratt said the district’s payments to charter schools grew from $9 million in 2009, when the area’s first Academy Charter School opened, to more than $107 million during the 2024–25 school year. The funding loss has left the district unable to address needs like air conditioning upgrades, he said. (Charter school advocates contend that per-pupil funding should follow the student rather than stay with the institution the student is no longer enrolled in.)

“Charter schools do not coexist with public schools, they operate at the expense of public schools” said Pratt.

State Assemblymember Phil Ramos, who represents Brentwood and Central Islip, called SUNY a “backdoor approval system” for charter schools that ignores overwhelming community opposition. He previously sponsored unsuccessful legislation that would have removed SUNY as an authorizer. This year, he introduced a bill that would require hearings and, outside New York City, a local vote before a charter school can be established, expanded, or renewed.

NYSUT supports the bill, which was also sponsored by Senate Education Chair Shelley Mayer but failed to advance out of committee in either chamber. Despite previous challenges passing charter school reform legislation, Mayer said she is optimistic that the state will heed public educators’ calls to strengthen communities’ ability to challenge charter school proposals because “there’s a serious movement of legislators who are very troubled by this process.”

“I think the pressure is on, and we’re moving toward some meaningful change,” she said.

IPEC board member Edward Rangel joins The Mind Trust as chief program officer

2026-07-23T15:00:49+00:00

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Edward Rangel, a charter school founder and board member of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, will join The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based charter incubator, the organization announced Thursday morning.

Rangel will be chief program officer, overseeing several programs such as the tutoring initiatives Indiana Learns and the Indy Summer Learning Labs, according to a Mind Trust news release.

The hire solidifies IPEC’s ties to the charter school sector in Indianapolis. The founder of The Mind Trust, David Harris, chairs IPEC’s board. Rangel serves as one of three community members on the board, along with three district and three charter school representatives. IPEC members were appointed by Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett.

Rangel will serve out his term on IPEC’s board, according to Kateri Whitley, vice president of communications at The Mind Trust. Board members have staggered term lengths from two to four years, and Rangel’s is two years.

Rangel, the founder and CEO of the charter operator Adelante Schools, also leads the IPEC working group tasked with creating a school accountability system. IPEC will use that system to determine whether to reassign school buildings when they’re underenrolled, as part of its work overseeing buildings, transportation, some finances, and accountability for Indianapolis Public Schools and charters.

On Wednesday night, IPEC voted unanimously to confirm a new executive director, Karega Rausch, who currently serves as president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers. The Mind Trust applauded the move.

The Mind Trust also announced the hire of Cold Spring School CEO Cody Stipes as chief administrative officer on Thursday.

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

This closed Denver school building is the new home of a French immersion charter school

2026-07-16T20:52:27+00:00

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A French immersion charter school and two community arts organizations will move into an elementary school building that Denver Public Schools shuttered last year.

This fall, the French American School of Denver will occupy the northeast Denver building that once housed the International Academy of Denver at Harrington, which was one of 10 schools that closed or partially closed in spring 2025 due to low enrollment.

“We feel a great sense of pride and a great sense of being humbled by this opportunity to have a building where we can truly thrive,” said Principal Kathy Durán.

The Art Students League of Denver and New Cottage Arts, two local organizations that offer art classes and more, will also move into the Harrington building in 2027.

How to repurpose vacant school buildings is a hot topic that’s expected to heat up as Denver grapples with continued declining enrollment and the likelihood of more school closures. The Denver school board has been debating a new facility usage policy for more than a year.

The French American School of Denver applied to move into Harrington through a process specifically for charter schools. Opened in 2021, the charter elementary school had outgrown the space it was renting in a former Catholic school, Durán said. As the only public French immersion school in Denver, it wanted to grow its enrollment, she said.

“The school has really sparked a connection with other Francophone African families, which has been beautiful to foster that part of my daughter’s bicultural identity,” mother Kelda Polomik-Tene told the Denver school board in March. “We would love to have a bigger facility so that more kids could be a part of our community.”

Like other charters that rent district-owned buildings, the French American School will pay a per-student fee to DPS. Next year, that’s expected to total $289,926 for 234 students, according to a district memo. Eventually, the school could pay $371,700 for up to 300 students.

Separately, DPS issued a request for proposals this past winter to turn part of Harrington into a community center for the surrounding neighborhoods. The Art Students League of Denver and New Cottage Arts won the bid. Both run existing programs in Denver.

The Art Students League offers classes in painting, drawing, photography, and more to adults and children for a fee, though the organization also provides scholarships and some free programming, according to its application.

New Cottage Arts offers music and art classes, a drumline program, mural projects, and leadership development opportunities to youth for free, according to its application.

DPS is currently negotiating leases with each organization, said Andrew Huber, the district’s executive director of enrollment and campus planning. The timeline calls for them to move into the Harrington building next summer at the earliest.

In addition to Harrington, the district has four empty elementary school buildings: Columbian, Fairview, Schmitt, and Remington. The plans for those buildings are still up in the air, Huber said. But district leaders have provided some details.

The district also issued an RFP for the Columbian building in northwest Denver this past winter. It was looking for an organization to run a childcare center for infants and toddlers that would be willing to share space with an early education workforce training program.

But Huber said in a statement that DPS received few applications. The district still sees value in turning Columbian into a childcare center, he said, so it is working with several organizations to conduct a feasibility study in the hopes of re-releasing the RFP.

The district is considering multiple possible uses for the Fairview building in west Denver, Huber said. Since it closed in 2023, the building has housed a special education program.

Among the proposals DPS is considering is one to relocate its Florence Crittenton High School for teen mothers to Fairview and partner with affordable housing nonprofit Mercy Housing so students can live and learn in the same neighborhood.

DPS is also considering a proposal to turn Fairview into a childcare center, Huber said. The district is vetting the ideas alongside the city and the Denver Housing Authority, which runs several affordable housing projects around Fairview.

Last year, the district put out a preliminary “request for information” for ideas to repurpose several schools, including Remington, which closed in 2008 and most recently housed a charter school. Albion SC Denver, a soccer club founded in north Denver, proposed turning Remington into an indoor-outdoor sports complex with turf fields, a gym, and a cafeteria.

Huber said DPS is “actively exploring the financial and operational feasibility of this concept.”

The district received fewer ideas for Schmitt in southwest Denver. Huber said there are no updates on how that building will be repurposed.

DPS has already repurposed two of the elementary schools that it closed last year. Palmer is now a district preschool center. Castro is the new home of Summit Academy, a district-run middle and high school that serves students at risk of dropping out.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@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.

Chicago’s Black Student Success Director Eugene Robinson Jr. talks about the initiative’s first year

2026-07-09T18:08:35+00:00

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Eugene Robinson Jr., Chicago Public Schools’ first director of Black student success, has faced a tricky balancing act over the past year.

Community advocates called for decisive, visible progress on the district’s Black Student Success Plan, the five-year initiative they had championed for years and helped enshrine in state law. Meanwhile, the Trump administration argued the plan discriminates against non-Black students and withheld federal funding over it — a standoff that’s now playing out in the courts.

Against that backdrop, Robinson set out to implement the plan he helped write in 2024. A University of Chicago graduate with a master’s degree in social work, he previously worked as the district’s director of student engagement and led the University of Chicago Charter School’s Woodlawn campus.

The rollout’s first year was decidedly low-key, with lots of public attention focused on delays in naming a new board committee that will help guide the work. The board named most, but not all, of the Black Student Achievement Committee’s members this week.

Chalkbeat spoke with Robinson about what he was able to accomplish this past year and what comes next for the plan, at a time when the district is contending with major budget pressures.

This conversation was edited for length and clarity.

You became the inaugural director of Black student success in June 2024, charged with rolling out a plan that involved a lot of input — and high expectations — from community members. What drew you to this role, and did you have some trepidation?

I’m a product of Chicago Public Schools. I went to Lindblom High School in Englewood. My family has a story that’s connected to why we’re doing this work and to the Great Migration. I am also an uncle of several nieces and nephews who are products of Chicago Public Schools. I’ve worked in higher education, and I’ve participated in a program called Great Expectation Mentoring. In my professional career, I’ve looked at other cities and states doing work focused on Black boys or Black girls. This opportunity allowed me to connect being a product of CPS, growing up in Englewood and Auburn Gresham, coming back to work in schools, working in nonprofits, and as a Black man in general.

Your first task was to write the plan, drawing on recommendations that came through community engagement. The plan sets some concrete goals, but it doesn’t go into detail about how the district will get there. How much work has the district done to figure out the “how,” and how much still remains?

The one thing I like to say is that the Black Student Success Plan is not the work. It is the vision and the aspiration. It is also the item to hold us as a district accountable, and it was written to align with the district’s five-year strategic plan, and with state statute that requires the school board to establish a Black Student Achievement Committee. The goals are very high-level and ambitious. There’s a lot of research and data that talks about certain powerful practices, and there was historical data that we looked at as a district.

But the plan is not the work. Some of this work started at the school level before the plan was actually taking shape. One example is Black student unions — one of the recommendations from the community working group. How do we create these culturally centered leadership and voice spaces for young people?

You led the plan’s first year of implementation in a national climate of intense scrutiny of race-based initiatives. How much were you able to accomplish this year?

The first year was about socializing the plan, letting everyone know that, “Hey, we have a Black Student Success Plan,” and activating that ecosystem for philanthropy with higher ed and community-based partners.

The Black Student Success Working Group didn’t go away. We reconstituted that to look different and to engage differently. We call it the Black Student Success Champion and Stakeholder Alliance Group so we are moving beyond recommendations to how this shows up in schools.

We also were able to establish what’s called the Black Student Success Convening and Collaboration, where we brought together various offices connected to certain goals. For example, we have a goal to increase Black male teachers and Black teacher retention. That’s our talent office.

We walked on a journey of establishing a Black student union framework, so we actually did some focus groups with schools that had Black student unions and schools that did not have them.

Using the two examples you mentioned, did the district’s talent office take some steps this year to make it easier to recruit and retain Black male teachers? Did schools foster new Black student unions?

I would say this is [work that will take place] in Year 3 of the plan. We have never had a Black student union resource and toolkit. We also looked at the history of Black student unions nationally and in CPS, and we actually went into the CPS archives and pulled out photos of Black student unions to understand and make those connections for young people.

We received a small grant opportunity that supports both the Black male educator strategy work and our very first Black student union conference. We are launching a Black male educator wellness cohort with some of this funding. We are working to establish other partnerships to offer professional learning for Black male educators. We’re supporting our grow-your-own work to ensure that Black males in non-teacher roles move up into teaching roles.

How did the Trump administration’s push to get the district to scrap the plan affect your work?

One of the things I would say related to is that we still have that open investigation [by the U.S. Department of Education]. But the district will continue to ground ourselves in the research and the data and our equity framework, which is all about targeted universalism. Targeted universalism is not about taking from one group to support and elevate another group. It is the system recognizing that groups may need differentiated support to achieve the same north star.

We are no different than any other school district having to navigate this climate, like my colleagues that I’m in close connection with in Denver and Los Angeles, who have similar Black student success plans.

Did the fact that the board’s Black Student Achievement Committee wasn’t named earlier this year affect your work on the plan, given the central role it is supposed to play in guiding the initiative?

Even though the committee has not been launched, there is collaboration and communication between the Office of Equity, the CEO’s office, Black Student Success Plan, and the two chairs of that committee. This is all new for us, but there is open communication. The way I will explain it is that the Black Student Success Plan is the work of the district in alignment with the state statute and our five-year strategic plan. The Black Student Achievement Committee will serve as the accountability structure for the district to be able to do this work.

You mentioned the philanthropic funding you lined up. Do you see this work being largely funded through philanthropic contributions going forward, or will the district attach some local or state dollars to the initiative?

There is an overall commitment that the CPS budget process is driven by equity. We are in a budget season now, so I wouldn’t answer that particular question. What I will share with you is that there is momentum to support this work in the philanthropic community, and we’re also looking at other ways of supporting this work.

But I think about the district’s commitment to having an Office of Equity, the positions that come along with that, including my position that never existed before, and also a project manager who works alongside me. Having different offices looking at their data and aligning to the Black Student Success Plan will take people, time, and money. Those offices will identify the resources that will potentially be attached to this work.

What’s high on your to-do list for next year?

I know I talked about Black student unions a lot, but I’m really excited because when we center ourselves on student voice and those who are most impacted and allow them to have a seat at the table, it can make for powerful practice and ignite opportunities for young people.

I am excited that we will be able to host the very first Black Student Union Conference at Malcolm X College on Oct. 21. We have some young people through the Mayor’s Office Youth Works program interning with us to help us plan the conference, and we have collaborated with different partners like Mikva Challenge over the year.

Mila Koumpilova is Chalkbeat Chicago’s senior reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Mila at mkoumpilova@chalkbeat.org.

Here’s what happened to 3 Colorado schools when state lawmakers reined in a controversial education group

2026-07-02T20:12:17+00:00

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A recent law change aimed at what some Colorado lawmakers saw as a rogue school authorizing group quickly changed the trajectory of three public schools this spring.

One closed, one will stay open, and the fate of the third is a mystery.

The new law put strict limits on the school-authorizing power of Boards of Cooperative Educational Services, or BOCES. It passed quickly in the last days of this spring’s legislative session, a sign of the urgency lawmakers felt in their bid to rein in one particular BOCES: Education reEnvisioned.

The Monument-based group, often called ERBOCES, started a controversial “public Christian school” last August and fueled explosive growth in homeschool enrichment programs that cost the state tens of millions of dollars.

The law forced ERBOCES’ three brick-and-mortar schools to find a new path forward or shut down.

Riverstone Academy, the public Christian school, closed at the end of the school year. It had about 30 elementary students.

Ascend College Prep became a charter school after winning authorization last month from the Charter School Institute, a statewide charter authorizer. Last year, the Colorado Springs school served 116 students in grades 10 through 12.

After a year of controversy, the leader of a shuttered ‘public Christian school’ is pitching a new venture

It’s not clear what will happen to the third school, the 260-student Pueblo Classical Academy. School leaders were unsuccessful in their recent effort to become a charter school authorized by Pueblo School District 60. They haven’t responded to questions about whether the school will close or obtain a new arrangement that will allow it to stay open.

The new law bars BOCES from authorizing schools outside their member school districts and from having brick-and-mortar schools entirely run by contractors. Since Riverstone, Ascend, and Pueblo Classical were outside ERBOCES’ member school districts and run by contractors, they didn’t meet the new law’s requirements.

Riverstone’s leader, Quin Friberg, didn’t respond to a request for comment about why he didn’t seek a new authorizer for the school.

Riverstone had been forced out of its original building midway through the school year because of safety concerns and hadn’t completed the required improvements to move back in.

After the law change, Ascend officials rushed to convert it to a charter school under the umbrella of the Charter School Institute, a move that also required approval from Academy District 20, where the school is located. Both tasks had to be finished in about six weeks.

Ascend Principal Karin McWhorter said her team was blindsided by the abrupt law change.

“Ascend has done everything right for five years,” she said. “We keep meticulous records, we have a 100% graduation rate, we follow every single law and regulation to the letter, and so … my initial thought was, it felt very unfair.”

McWhorter said becoming a charter school will also bring benefits, including access to certain kinds of capital project funding for schools.

McWhorter opened Ascend in 2021 after teaching at the Air Force Academy and finding that some students arrived unprepared for college-level work. She started the school with high school juniors and seniors, then added sophomores in its third year so there would be enough students to receive a state rating. The school, housed in leased office space, caps classes at 16 students and enrollment at 125.

Pueblo Classical Academy has recently posted school supply lists and enrollment forms for the 2026-27 year, but it’s not clear how the school will open without a new authorizer.

Pueblo Classical has a history of switching authorizers. It opened in 2021 with ERBOCES as its authorizer. In 2022, it became a charter school authorized by District 70. But in 2024, the district revoked its charter because of financial breaches and its failure to report an employee’s arrest, among other concerns. At that point, the school returned to ERBOCES.

Spokespeople for Pueblo County District 70, where the school is located, and the Charter School Institute said Pueblo Classical had not applied to them for authorization. Ken Witt, ERBOCES’ executive director, said by email Wednesday he doesn’t know if Pueblo Classical has found a new authorizer.

Dave Martin, the head of the three-school network that includes Pueblo Classical, didn’t respond to repeated email and phone messages asking about the school’s plans for the coming year.

Martin did speak to Chalkbeat just before the June 23 vote by the Pueblo 60 school board on whether to authorize Pueblo Classical as a charter school.

He expressed frustration over the sudden law change, saying his students were getting caught in the political crossfire.

“Shame on those folks who swing to the right, and shame on those folks who swing to the left, because at the end of the day, not one of those 260 families that we serve had anything to do with either side,” he said.

Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat. Contact Ann at aschimke@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.

Teachers unions sue to block Success Academy from transferring charter to Eva Moskowitz’s husband

2026-06-16T21:32:19+00:00

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Teachers union officials filed a lawsuit this week to block Success Academy, New York City’s largest charter network, from handing one of its charters to CEO Eva Moskowitz’s husband.

Eric Grannis, Moskowitz’s spouse, is planning to use that charter to open Strive Charter School, which would offer families year-round programming and a longer school day. It is slated to open this fall in the South Bronx.

But city and state teachers unions contend in a lawsuit filed Monday that the arrangement runs afoul of state law because it effectively creates a new charter school, violating the state’s cap on the number of charters that can operate, which has already been reached. The suit also names the State University of New York, which oversees Success Academy and ultimately approved the arrangement between Success and Strive in January.

“If SUNY is allowed to bypass the law by allowing a transfer of a charter from Success Academy to Strive, it will create no distinction between a revision and a new charter, rendering the statutory cap meaningless,” lawyers for New York State United Teachers and the United Federation of Teachers, wrote in court papers. They called the arrangement “deceptive.”

The suit represents the latest chapter in a long-simmering rivalry between the local unions and the city’s charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed. Union officials argue that charters draw students, and the resources that follow them, from traditional public schools and sued to block charters in other parts of the state earlier this year.

Meanwhile, charter school leaders argue that families should have more options to choose from and their schools often produce superior academic outcomes. Charters are typically not unionized and may operate outside the strictures of the union contract.

Grannis, who has long been involved in the charter sector, noted that Strive is designed to meet working families’ needs. The school is slated to operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., including weekends, throughout the year (the extended hours are voluntary for students). The school plans to draw on Success Academy’s curriculum but would operate as a separate entity with its own board. Grannis indicated in a statement that demand is strong, and the school has received 200 applications.

“It is cruel that the teachers union is trying to deprive families of the opportunity to benefit from this program with this last minute lawsuit,” Grannis wrote.

SUNY officials said they are reviewing the lawsuit and would respond in court. A Success Academy spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

This is not the first time the arrangement between Strive and Success has raised legal questions. State Education Department staff argued in a January memo that the move represented a “circumvention of the cap” and urged the state’s Board of Regents to reject it.

The board ultimately sent the proposal back to SUNY for reconsideration — a largely symbolic gesture because under state law SUNY does not need the Board of Regents’ signoff for the change to take effect.

The unions’ lawsuit also contends that state law provides no legal mechanism for transferring a charter from one entity to another. State lawmakers have sometimes allowed charters that were surrendered or revoked to be reissued, though union lawyers argue that situation does not apply here. Even if additional charters were available, the suit argues that SUNY did not follow the competitive process typically required for issuing one.

“New York’s students and public schools deserve better than this kind of maneuvering, and NYSUT will not stand by while bad actors try to rewrite the rules to suit themselves,” Melinda Person, the union’s president, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, some charter school backers argued that the suit is without merit.

“I’m confident that the SUNY Board of Trustees acted not just lawfully but in the interest of families,” said James Merriman, CEO of the New York City Charter School Center, an advocacy group.

“If NYSUT and the UFT want to waste their members’ dues on a highly dubious lawsuit just to stop a school whose twin mission is alleviating parents’ child care issues, while also providing students with a first-rate education, well, be my guest.”

Alex Zimmerman is a senior reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org.

Teacher merit pay in Indianapolis charter schools gets millions in new aid from philanthropies

2026-06-12T14:47:08+00:00

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Courtney Buuck thought there was some kind of mistake.

When she learned that she received a $40,000 bonus payment on top of her base teacher’s salary last fall, she was in shock. Like other staff at United Schools of Indianapolis’ three charter schools, she was eligible for a bonus based on her year-end evaluation score.

She just didn’t think she’d come out on top.

“I am just really hard on myself as an educator,” said Buuck, who teaches kindergarten at the Avondale Meadows Academy K-4 school. “And then once the shock wore off, I was just really proud of myself.”

Buuck plans to save her bonus to help her purchase her first home.

Buuck’s bonus comes from the $12.5 million Vigilance in Teaching and Learning — or VITAL — Trust, which launched in 2024 and pledged to support performance-based bonuses for staff at the charter network for 25 years. In the first year of awards, she received nearly $16,000.

Now, another venture with essentially the same name is expanding merit bonuses to 11 more Indianapolis charter schools this year in an effort to attract and retain high-quality educators. In April, the philanthropic VITAL Foundation awarded roughly $1.3 million in its first round of grants for teacher bonuses at high-needs schools that could range from $1,000 to $10,000.

The two initiatives differ in a few respects, but both are a substantial investment in merit pay in Indianapolis, where dozens of charter schools and multiple school districts compete for educators. The federal government has promoted the concept over the years through billions of dollars given to states to create performance-based pay systems, which the Trump administration also embraces.

The big question: Will it work? Research suggests that it could, if implemented in certain ways. But other studies suggest that narrowly focused merit-pay systems don’t deliver particularly well. And there are concerns dating back years that merit pay in general has little effect on student performance.

VITAL Foundation head Kelly Herron understands that money alone can’t solve the educator shortage. Instead, she said, the grants are part of a broader system to retain teachers.

“You have to create a culture in which this can work,” said Herron, who studied each school’s culture prior to awarding grants through school visits, staff focus groups, and surveys. “You can’t go into a school that already has a broken culture, and think that this is the magic wand.”

Merit pay hopes to address charter hiring challenge

Roughly 15 years ago, President Barack Obama’s Race to the Top initiative incentivized states to adopt merit-based pay structures.

But today, state law does not tie teacher pay directly to student performance. Instead, school districts can bargain differentiated pay based on a teacher’s evaluation. The state Teacher Appreciation Grant also gives money to up to 20% of a district or charter school’s teachers using specific performance criteria.

Charters and district-run schools can face different challenges when it comes to hiring and keeping teachers. Starting salaries can vary based on the schools. And charters don’t have to adhere to collective bargaining.

In the hiring game, charters may have the upper hand in at least one key respect. Charters received nearly twice as many applicants per opening as traditional school districts, according to a 2025 paper from the Center for Analysis of Longitudinal Data in Educational Research, or CALDER. The center analyzed teacher applications for 43 districts and charter school organizations nationwide using the Nimble application platform — a common hiring tool in Indiana.

But charter leaders can also have distinct hiring challenges that Herron, a former executive director of the United Schools of Indianapolis network, has experienced firsthand.

Some may struggle to keep up with the competitive base pay of nearby districts, she said. Others may have longer hours than traditional district-run schools or lack traditional districts’ name recognition.

The VITAL Trust bonuses, entering its third year, is based on a staff member’s numerical evaluation rating. The top 30% of performers receive an award that is weighted based on their score. In the program’s first two years, awards have averaged $10,000, with the top performer earning the $40,000 maximum. All staff members, not just teachers, are eligible for an award.

The new VITAL Foundation grant operates a bit differently.

Charters were awarded $3,000 per certified teaching position, and can only give bonuses to teachers designated as effective under the school’s performance system. How much each teacher receives also depends on their exact numerical evaluation score.

Schools that applied for the grants provided the foundation with their performance rubrics, which may rate teachers on academic outcomes along with other measures.

Neither the VITAL Foundation nor the VITAL Trust discloses its donors.

At Enlace Academy — which was a pilot school for the VITAL Trust that received $5,000 per certified teaching position — 40% of teacher evaluations is based on student academic outcomes. The rest is based on school-wide goals such as staff attendance and professional practice measures, such as response to feedback from teaching coaches.

Longer hours and lower pay is a challenge when it comes to recruiting teachers, said Katie Dulay, executive director of the Neighborhood Charter Network that operates Enlace.

“But the people who do well and are at Enlace for the long haul are here because they’re amongst peers who deeply care about their community and deeply care about getting strong outcomes for kids,” she said.

How can merit pay for teachers be successful?

Researchers suggest that there are two ways that merit pay could improve the existing teacher workforce.

“Pay would induce people to work harder or to get invested in themselves in ways that make them better,” said Dan Goldhaber, the director of CALDER who has studied teacher pay systems. “And it could also change the quality of the workforce by encouraging the right people to stay or come into a system.”

Some research suggests that certain merit pay structures — like one-time bonuses tied to year-end test score increases — don’t work well, Goldhaber said.

And merit pay like the state’s Teacher Appreciation Grant has fostered competition rather than collaboration, said Indiana State Teachers Association President Jennifer Smith-Margraf. Some districts declined the grant because of those tensions, she said.

Ultimately, Smith-Margraf said pay for performance is not what motivates teachers.

“What motivates them is wanting to be good at their job for their students,” she said. “And what keeps them from being focused on that is having to take care of doing two to three and four jobs instead of focusing on the one job of being an educator.”

On the other hand, a 2020 meta analysis of merit-pay systems found a positive effect of merit pay programs on student test scores.

Systems like those in the VITAL initiatives that distribute bonus amounts based on a teacher’s relative performance to others are more likely to have a positive impact on test scores, the analysis found. And those competitions did not appear to generate unhealthy competition.

Successful performance pay structures base teacher evaluations on factors beyond just student achievement, Goldhaber said. They also make the bonuses permanent by increasing base salary after multiple positive evaluations, for example, he said.

Matthew Springer of Basis Policy Research, an author of the meta-analysis, said it’s important to look at the “continuous quality improvement of the program and its design, as well as the overall effect of what the program is having on the system as a whole.”

How merit pay can change the teaching pool

At the United School of Indianapolis, administrators say they’re already noticing a difference two years into the VITAL Trust award program.

“I definitely think that the type of people that we get is becoming different,” Ciara Jones, principal of the Avondale Meadows Middle School within the charter network, said of the hiring process. “It’s the people (who) want to be recognized and have opportunity to work hard and receive something.”

Teacher retention rates dropped across USI schools since the first round of the VITAL Trust awards from 2023-24 to 2024-25, according to data from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation. But leaders say they expect to see retention rates fluctuate from year to year while they focus on retaining high-performing teachers.

Damien Plaza, a social studies teacher at Avondale Meadows Middle School, was the recipient of the top $40,000 VITAL Trust prize in its inaugural year. "I think for all the people who received different levels of this award, it validates the feeling of excellence as a teacher," he said.

In the first two years of awards, 98% of bonus recipients returned to a USI school the following year, the network noted.

Damien Plaza, a social studies teacher at Avondale Meadows Middle School who won the $40,000 award in its first year, said he’s seen teachers increasing their level of commitment in response to the award.

“I think for all the people who received different levels of this award, it validates the feeling of excellence as a teacher,” he said. “Teachers working here have a big lift on their shoulders. The receipt of this award is just a rubber stamp of, ‘You’re going in the right direction.’”

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

School leaders say Philly’s charter school oversight is flawed. But fixing it is hard.

2026-06-11T16:24:24+00:00

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Pennsylvania has a vision for charter schools: Improve student learning, provide families with choices, and explore innovative approaches to teaching — all while being held to high standards by the local district.

But in Philly, where one-third of the city’s public school students attend charters, some education leaders say tensions between charter and district leaders have made that vision increasingly difficult to execute.

Many charter schools have operated successfully for decades, with students doing well academically and school communities thriving. But over the past five years, around two dozen have had academic, operational, or financial problems that could be grounds for closure, based on the district’s evaluation framework. Some have suspended students at high rates, struggled to boost low academic scores, or failed to meet state laws about school operations.

Yet only one of those charters will close as of next school year due to the Board of Education’s actions. A few other charters have closed on their own accord.

Still, charter leaders say Philly’s approach to charter oversight has caused other problems. At least five have sued the district and board in expensive and lengthy lawsuits to prevent closures. Charter leaders have alleged the board’s charter evaluations are inconsistent, biased, and political. Many say they don’t get enough support from district leaders. And several point to what an independent investigation in 2023 called a “conflict of interest” within the system, where the district funds and regulates charters and traditional public schools, which all “compete” for the same students.

The resulting discord has created frustration, left families in limbo, and sucked up money and resources for schools. To some, it also shows that Philly has strayed far from the promise that charter schools and the district could collaborate to improve all students’ experiences.

Charter and district leaders seem to agree on one thing: The charter renewal process isn’t working the way it’s supposed to, with an accountability system everyone agrees on and efficient ways to resolve conflicts.

“It’s sad,” said Natalie Wiltshire, CEO of KIPP Philadelphia Public Schools, which is part of a lawsuit against the board. “Because now I feel like we have this adversarial relationship that just does not need to exist.”

Peng Chao, who leads the school board’s Charter Schools Office, said his team has worked to create a communicative and transparent accountability system. But, he said, “ultimately, what I think might be happening here is this basic perspective that accountability is inherently difficult.”

Over 5 years, Philly’s school board closed 1 charter

The board evaluates charters every few years on whether they meet academic, operational, and financial standards it sets.

If a school doesn’t meet standards, the board can decide not to renew its charter, kicking off a process that can lead to the school closing.

Over the past five years, all of the city’s roughly 80 charter schools have gone through the renewal process. The majority received scores of meeting or approaching the required standards, according to the Charter Schools Office’s evaluations.

But the evaluations also show more than 20 others received scores of not meeting requirements, which can be grounds for nonrenewal. They include schools where all teachers don’t get background checks, students’ grades are worsening, or absenteeism and suspension rates are much higher than the district average.

Still, the board has started the nonrenewal process for just six charters since 2022, including two in May. For two other schools, it’s moved to revoke charters outside renewals.

Of all those cases, only one has resulted in a charter operator losing its school. Memphis Street Academy, which sued the board in 2022 to prevent its closure, recently lost its appeal. Though the school operator will lose its charter, the school itself will transition to become district-operated for next school year.

Philadelphia's Memphis Street Academy charter school will transition to become district-operated for next school year. It's the only charter school the Board of Education has closed in the last five years.

For two of the schools not renewed, the board later reversed its decision. Others have remained open as they battle the decision in court, or wait for hearings and appeals to play out.

Philadelphia Montessori Charter School recently sued the board after it started the nonrenewal process for the school. Executive Director Amanda Wilson said the school felt turning to the courts was their only option because “there is no room for conversation or negotiation” in the board’s renewal procedures.

Chao said the state’s charter law requires districts to hold hearings over nonrenewals, and schools can appeal decisions to the state’s Charter Appeal Board. That board’s members are appointed by the governor, and they have largely sided with districts.

“There is a process for schools to put forth evidence and their side of the story,” said Chao. Lawsuits, he said, delay that.

Charter school accountability has long been fraught

Charter nonrenewal decisions are controversial across the country. But the number and frequency of lawsuits over the process in Philly sets it apart, said David Greenberg, vice president of authorizer learning and development at the National Association of Charter School Authorizers.

When authorizers and charter schools work together well, schools often do better, said Greenberg. When that’s not happening, students may pay the price.

“This kind of acrimony takes the focus away from teaching and learning,” said Greenberg.

Charter school leaders have a variety of problems with the renewal process, from how it compares schools to what some have called an “inconsistent” reaction to schools that don’t meet standards.

Some allege the board oversteps the law by requiring schools to agree to conditions, like raising students’ test scores by a certain amount. Others have alleged the entire process is discriminatory against schools that serve a disproportionate number of Black and brown students.

Philadelphia Charter Schools Office Director Peng Chao says charter lawsuits interrupt the Board of Education's process of holding charter schools accountable.

Chao said he could not comment on specific allegations. But he and the board are working to revise the renewal process.

Two years ago, the board launched a process called Project RiSE, meant to improve how it evaluates charter schools. It is expected to release the new framework in September, after delaying it from an initial release planned for this month.

“We know that accountability metrics must evolve over time,” said Board President Reginald Streater in a statement last year about the effort.

But Chao said he could not share details about how the new framework may differ from the current one.

Cassandra St. Vil, CEO of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, a charter school advocacy organization, said she was initially hopeful the new framework could address concerns that evaluations are inconsistent and unfair. But as the district has pushed back its release date and failed to share any details about it, she no longer trusts that will happen.

Philadelphia Charters for Excellence recently sued the board to limit the requirements it can impose on schools in the renewal process.

“We are not trying to skirt accountability at all,” said St. Vil. “We’re actually trying to bring it to light and make sure that it’s mutual, across the authorizer as well as the (charter school) sector.”

Rebecca Redelmeier is a reporter at Chalkbeat Philadelphia. She writes about public schools, early childhood education, and issues that affect students, families, and educators across Philadelphia. Contact Rebecca at rredelmeier@chalkbeat.org.

Memphis charter students are bucking district math trends. Here’s what’s guiding their growth.

2026-06-04T10:00:01+00:00

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In examining post-pandemic learning loss, officials at Leadership Preparatory Charter School came to a realization: Teachers were following scripted math curriculum a bit too closely.

“We were expecting teachers to make changes” to cater to students’ needs, said Valissia Allen, founder of the Southeast Memphis K-8 school. “But they were scared.”

So in 2022, the school partnered with national organization Teach Like A Champion to adapt scripted state-approved curriculum. Now, the school provides more flexibility in teaching and plugs material into a structured schedule, starting with a “do now” activity and rote review exercises. Allen calls it “teacher autonomy with guardrails.”

Leadership Prep is seeing booming results. Last year, nearly 44% of students scored as proficient on state standardized math tests – up over 20 percentage points from 2021, school leaders said. That’s more than double last year’s district-wide average for math proficiency.

The uptick mirrors growth in math performance in charter schools across Memphis. A Chalkbeat analysis found that charter students are bouncing back from pandemic-era math losses faster than their traditional school peers and are now outperforming them on state tests.

Nearly one-quarter of Memphis charter students scored proficient in math on last year’s Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program – up from 2% in 2021, a year after the pandemic struck. That big leap lifted charter math proficiency above pre-pandemic levels.

Traditional school students recovered, as well, but not as quickly: Just under 22% of traditional public school students passed the math TCAP last year, up from 6.9% in 2021. That lagged behind traditional schools students’ pre-pandemic math proficiency.

Memphis-Shelby County Schools did not respond to a request for comment about Chalkbeat’s findings.

That data is backed up by a new report from Tennessee education nonprofit SCORE, where staff spent the past year visiting local charters that showed significant growth on the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program, or TCAP.

“Their growth was the equivalent of if they had had 47 more days of learning in a year,” said Emma McWeeney, SCORE’s senior director of charter initiatives.

These trends carry weight on the eve of a state takeover of MSCS. Nashville Republicans cite years of academic underperformance in the district as justification for taking away local control of education decisions, including charter authorization. House Speaker Cameron Sexton appointed SCORE CEO David Mansouri to the impending state oversight board last week.

Mansouri will now have a direct hand in shaping critical levers like MSCS curriculum and staffing. Experts also say that state takeovers of school districts often lead to the expansion of charter options in the area.

SCORE’s report, which included analysis of state-run charters alongside MSCS charters, revealed consistent practices that boosted charter math performance, including daily data analysis and teacher training. But McWeeney said the key driver of success was development of a “school-wide vision” for how math lessons should be run across all grade levels.

“We walked into a kindergarten classroom, a fourth grade classroom, an eighth grade classroom, they were doing very different math skills, but there was a consistent flow and model,” she said.

Teaching with guardrails: The Leadership Prep math model

Corliss James, a former Leadership Prep teacher who is now a principal at the school, said the flexibility to alter state-approved curriculum helps teachers prepare students more directly for TCAP.

“With the scripted curriculum, some of the questions weren’t as rigorous,” she said. “And then when we would see the state test, they weren’t aligned even though they were saying they were.”

Most curricula also focused too heavily on “conceptual” math that explains why certain equations are used instead of the procedural skills necessary for a timed standardized test, Allen added.

A typical math class at Leadership Prep looks like this: Students start with a short quiz, then move into timed basic equations like multiplication. Teachers then review relevant vocabulary for the day’s lesson, and walk through errors from the previous day’s assignments.

Then, they employ classic “gradual release” techniques for new problems: teachers solve an equation, then the class solves one together, and then students complete one on their own. And each class period ends with a short quiz reviewing the new material to gauge student comprehension.

James said a good number of teachers “wanted to revolt” when Leadership Prep first introduced the new lesson model because of the increased workload in crafting daily lesson plans. Some wound up quitting. That first year, the school held three weeks of professional development in the summer, plus a usual hour-per-month session and eight hours each month for Teach Like A Champion training.

But Allen says the teachers who stayed have become partners in enhancing the school’s curriculum every day.

“They’re constantly coming to us like, ‘Hey, I saw this. Can I try this in the classroom?’” she said. “They’re champions. This work does not exist without their tireless efforts in the push to change.”

Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story showed a graph that was off by one year, identifying 2024-25 math scores as 2025-26 data.

Bri Hatch covers Memphis-Shelby County Schools for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Reach Bri at bhatch@chalkbeat.org.

Newark’s charter schools are seeing fewer students. Where are they going?

2026-06-03T22:15:00+00:00

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After years of growth, Newark’s charter school enrollment is slowing down this school year, raising questions about where students are going.

Charter schools added 200 students this school year, pushing total enrollment to 21,588. That’s an increase of less than 1%, a fraction of the sector’s annual 2% to 3% growth since 2019, according to a Chalkbeat analysis. At the same time, Newark Public Schools lost more than 700 students this school year, driven largely by a decrease in multilingual learners.

But the enrollment changes point to something bigger than families choosing where to send their students. Harry Lee, president of the New Jersey Public Charter Schools Association, suspects the changes “are due to macro level political issues” and it remains unclear if this is the start of a longer decline or a one-year blip following steady enrollment growth across both sectors in Newark.

“Throughout the country, we’re seeing this: Immigrant families are reporting that they’re not sending their children to school because of immigration enforcement concerns,” Lee said. “This is the first year that’s happened.”

Charter schools in Newark enroll over a third of the city’s public school population and represent about 5% of public school enrollment across the state. Across Newark, the city’s Hispanic student population drove nearly all of Newark Public Schools’ enrollment surge since 2019, fueled by a growth in families from the Caribbean, Central and South America, and West Africa. Newark’s entire population has also grown, reaching just over 320,622 residents this year, according to city figures.

But a closer look at school state data shows enrollment shifts are sharpest among multilingual learners. Charter schools enrolled 1,215 multilingual learners this school year, up from 961 the year before, according to the New Jersey Children’s Foundation data explorer, which allows users to analyze state data. At the same time, traditional public schools lost 744 multilingual learners but still enrolled more than 11,000, according to state data.

Although it’s unclear if Newark families are choosing charter schools over traditional public schools, research from Brookings links heightened immigration enforcement to chronic absenteeism, drops in school enrollment, and negative outcomes among children in immigrant families. Recent immigration enforcement in Newark and protests at Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in the industrialized area of the East Ward, could also have an impact on enrollment and attendance.

Charter schools enrolled fewer than 10% of the city’s multilingual learners this school year. Previously, district leaders have raised concerns about charter schools drawing a disproportionate share of those students. In 2024, the district hired a marketing firm to attract charter school students into traditional public schools, even as it surpassed charter school growth in 2023.

But those dips in enrollment carry financial consequences for Newark Public Schools, the state’s largest school district. In New Jersey, when parents enroll their child in charter schools, state aid follows them.

Vivian Cox, president of the Urban League of Essex County, told Chalkbeat that the funding structure puts the district in a difficult position.

“It’s certainly going to make a difference to have lost the 700 students and the funding that goes with them,” Cox said. “It helps provide the capacity to serve, you know, the thousands of students that are in the district.”

Cox also pointed to the recently released national Education Scorecard, which found Newark Public Schools students are improving faster than nearly every district in the country, but are performing two grade levels behind the national average in math and reading. She worries that financial pressures could cut back on resources and hinder gains.

“If you take resources out, how does that impact sustaining and improving progress? That’s what comes to my mind.”

But Lee thinks otherwise. Newark Public Schools have gotten over $600 million in additional state and local aid since 2017, and for the upcoming school year, will receive a record-high $1.38 billion from the state. Similarly, charter payments continue to be one of the district’s largest financial pressures, totaling $421 million in the upcoming school year.

“I think it is just not the right argument, especially with the way that school funding has increased for districts and charters over time, to blame charters for any revenue challenges that the district may have,” Lee said.

Lee also rejected the idea that charter growth comes at the expense of traditional public schools. He pointed to Newark’s 93rd percentile ranking from the Education Scorecard as evidence that both charter and traditional public schools have improved together.

“A rising tide has lifted all boats,” Lee said. “Newark is one of the clearest examples in the country of how charters do not hurt districts, but that district outcomes have actually increased over time, and that’s a really positive thing.”

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@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.

These KIPP fifth graders are learning money management skills so they will never be a ‘brokie’

2026-05-28T19:10:32+00:00

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Stefon Bowman asked his fifth grade class at KIPP BOLD Academy in Newark, “Should you be intentional with your money?”

“Yes!” students shouted back.

“You a brokie!” the girls in the back shouted as a playful way to show what could happen if you weren’t.

But Nyla Baxter, a student in Bowman’s class, already knew the stakes. The fifth grader told Chalkbeat she was “growing her piggybank” to help her parents buy a house because being intentional “lets you use your money for things you actually want.”

That’s exactly the lesson Bowman, a math educator turned financial literacy teacher, wants students to walk away with. His co-developed Financially L.I.T (Luxury Is Teachable) curriculum, in its fourth year, teaches middle school students how money works, sparking conversations about handling money, investing, saving, and the difference between what you need and what you want.

Bowman’s lessons come on the heels of a push to expand financial literacy statewide. Since 2019, New Jersey has required students in sixth through eighth grade to learn about financial literacy. Across the country, 30 states require financial education as a graduation requirement, according to the National Endowment for Financial Education.

N.J. state Sens. Vin Gopal and Angela McKnight are sponsoring S-3462, a bill that would require high school students to complete a financial literacy course as a graduation requirement with a one-semester or one-trimester course. The Senate Education Committee approved the bill in March.

On Thursday, Bowman’s students were instructed to ask ChatGPT money management questions and have the AI respond as their favorite celebrity. Rahyon Little asked, “What is the difference between a need and a want when it comes to money?”

ChatGPT, speaking as Shaquille O’Neal, explained that a need is something essential while a want is something that brings enjoyment.

“Like, I know I have to save money,” Rahyon told Chalkbeat. “But sometimes I just want to buy stuff.”

Rahyon Little used ChatGPT to find out the difference between a want and a need as it relates to his finances in Stefon Bowman's 5th-grade class at KIPP BOLD in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, May 28, 2026. Students were learning about intentional saving, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship.

For many of Bowman’s students, including Damar Owens, financial literacy isn’t just a lesson, it’s also a conversation. Damar asked the adults visiting his class on Thursday, “What mistakes have you made as an entrepreneur?”

“That’s what it’s about,” Bowman said. “We’re trying to get students ready for the real world and they’re excited about making money and developing their businesses and brands.”

Supporters of school financial literacy courses argue that developing money management skills early gives young students the foundation for a stable and secure future, empowering them to navigate life’s challenges with confidence. But not everyone agrees that mandating it through schools is the answer.

Some experts argue that those lessons are largely ineffective, pointing to evidence that improved financial behavior does not necessarily follow from information about finances alone, and that personal habits and life experiences matter far more.

For Bowman, who is also an entrepreneur, that real-world application is important, and his curriculum is designed to go beyond the classroom.

Students in Stefon Bowman's 5th-grade class at KIPP BOLD in Newark, N.J., learn about intentional saving, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship on Thursday, May 21, 2026.

KIPP middle schoolers put their money skills to the test during the school’s Monday Markets, where young entrepreneurs sell snacks and homemade treats at recess and lunch.

Those weekly markets served as a training ground ahead of KIPP’s annual Mother’s Day Market event, which brings together student entrepreneurs and local vendors to apply what they learned in the classroom to the real world, Bowman said. This year, the event drew more than 500 attendees as students confidently ran their businesses, engaged with customers, and applied their financial literacy and entrepreneurship skills they’ve been building all year.

“Our students really stepped up in a major way,” Bowman said.

Among those students were Janai Piper and her classmate and “employee” Madysin Thompson, who run Sweet Treats, selling rice krispies, chocolate-covered strawberries, and pretzels.

Katye Johnson asked ChatGPT how many ice pops he needs to sell to make $800 if he sold them for $3 each in Stefon Bowman's 5th-grade class at KIPP BOLD in Newark, N.J., on Thursday, May 28, 2026. Students were learning about intentional saving, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship.

During Bowman’s Thursday lesson, the fifth grade students asked ChatGPT how they could reach their profit goals. Janai and Madysin mapped out how to make $600 by Aug. 12. Similarly, Katye Johnson, who wants to sell ice pops over the summer, set his own goal of $300 in six months.

“I want to sell ice pops,” Katye said. “I just need to get everything together because I’m already learning what I need to do.”

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Believe Schools pivots from second location in Pike to serve credit-deficient, non-traditional students

2026-05-21T11:00:00+00:00

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Believe Schools is changing its plan to open a second Indianapolis high school in Pike Township to instead launch a small school for students who school leaders say are underserved.

The Believe Accelerator school, which plans to launch in the fall, would begin with a target of 35 students and three staff members and serve three types of learners: multilingual students aged 16 to 19 who may be credit-deficient; other credit-deficient students aged 16 to 19 who don’t thrive in a traditional school model; and motivated, independent 15- to-16-year-olds who want to graduate high school early.

The model comes in part from the experience of leaders at Believe Circle City, which launched in 2020. The school’s graduation rate dropped from 90% in 2024 to roughly 82% in 2025. Staff have been examining why students have been dropping out.

One major reason, they found: Students need to work to support their families.

Believe Accelerator’s goal is to serve students who are not interested in traditional school.

“A lot of things have changed post-COVID, as we all know. Education does not look the same as it did pre-2020,” Believe founder Kimberly Neal-Brannum told Chalkbeat. “The three profiles come from our lived experience and what I not only see locally as trends with kids, but also nationally.”

The plan is a shift from the charter operator’s pitch to open a location in Pike Township — a proposal that faced vocal opposition from charter critics there when the Indianapolis Charter School Board approved Believe’s second school in 2022. The charter board approved the school before the creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which will determine which charter and traditional schools have access to school buildings while creating a transportation plan for both school types.

The model, based off of a similar Believe school in St. Louis, is an attempt to fill a need rather than fight to stay in a community opposed to a new charter school, Neal-Brannum said.

“We are not interested in just opening schools for the sake of opening schools,” she told the charter school board earlier this month. “We want to make sure that what we’re doing is in lockstep with what the community of Marion County needs.”

Believe Accelerator plans to serve about 100 students on the second floor of the Believe Circle City High School building located just off Fall Creek Parkway near the Crown Hill neighborhood. The size is smaller than the intended Believe Pike Academy, initially proposed to open in 2024 or 2025 and grow to 270 students.

The change in plan does not require any additional action from the Indianapolis Charter School Board, according to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation that houses the charter board. Charter schools with substantive changes to their original application instead return to the board to convey those changes.

OEI will still determine if it would evaluate the school based on alternate academic metrics, said OEI director Shaina Cavazos.

The Accelerator is also modeled off of Believe’s Middle College school in St. Louis for students who previously dropped out or were at risk of not graduating. The school there also launched with a small cohort.

“We only started with 12 kids — we’re up to 50 now, in one year,” Neal-Brannum said of the St. Louis school. “That showed us that the demand for that type of model was high, and we’ve had great success with the students — high attendance rates, kids invested. And with that particular population, getting kids to just come in the building is half the battle.”

Believe Circle City, which opened in 2020 with 54 students, has since grown to 307 students and emphasizes earning free dual college credits or various certifications in high school. More than 90% of the school population is Black or Hispanic, and roughly 73% of students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, according to the latest state enrollment data.

Believe Circle City became the most recent charter to join the Innovation Network of autonomous schools within Indianapolis Public Schools, giving the school access to IPS transportation.

School leaders say they are still working on a transportation plan for Accelerator students.

IPEC will ultimately assume responsibility for transportation and buildings for district schools and for charter schools, although schools can opt out of giving up control of their buildings.

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

Indiana charters edged traditional public schools in academic gains after COVID, study says

2026-05-20T11:00:00+00:00

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Indiana’s charter school students have experienced greater academic growth in the years following the pandemic than their peers in traditional public schools, according to a new preliminary analysis.

The study from eight researchers posted through Brown University’s Annenberg Institute also found that the gains were particularly pronounced for Black and Hispanic students, and for those who were among the lowest-performing and economically disadvantaged.

The findings could hold important lessons for how schools can recover from learning loss, and have sparked researcher interest in what tactics charter leaders adopted to do that. While there are many studies examining the impact of charter schools on student outcomes, the authors note that there has been almost no research on charter school performance since the pandemic.

The findings tracked students from 2017-18 to 2023-24, focusing on how ILEARN test scores improved from their baseline levels during the pandemic in 2020-21. They have prompted researchers to examine how certain schools responded in the years immediately following the 2020-21 school year.

“What really matters is, what is it that these schools were doing?” said Joseph Waddington of the Institute for Educational Initiatives at the University of Notre Dame, one of eight authors of the study. “We’re not so much interested in telling a story of how did this sector (perform) versus the other sector — we want to understand why. We want to understand the variation.”

The analysis, which is undergoing peer review, examined students who stayed in brick-and-mortar charter schools and in traditional public schools throughout the entire study period.

Charter students were matched with traditional public school peers who most closely resembled them based on a variety of factors, including their socioeconomic status, geographic location, and their 2021 ILEARN test score.

Most of the state’s charter schools are in Indianapolis, but the study also examined all counties in which charter schools are present. The analysis included few rural students, Waddington said, because of the lack of charters in those areas.

During the 2020-21 school year, charter students performed the same as their traditional public school peers in math and modestly outperformed them in English, according to the study. But after 2020-21, charter students outperformed traditional public students in all years in English, and nearly all years in math.

The difference was modest in 2021-22, but grew in 2022-23 and 2023-24, according to the study.

“The findings in this analysis suggest a shift occurred during the pandemic and its aftermath,” the study concludes. “Not only are students in Indiana’s charter schools experiencing more accelerated test score gains than their (traditional public school) peers, but these impacts appear to be growing over time in the post-pandemic period.”

Chronic absenteeism and instructional delivery — whether in-person or virtual — did not account for the differences in achievement, the study found. Charter schools were more likely to offer virtual learning for more of the 2020-21 school year than traditional public schools.

In Indianapolis, charter schools as a whole have posted higher rates of Black and Hispanic students reaching proficiency in both math and English, compared with those run by Indianapolis Public Schools, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of the 2025 ILEARN results.

The study’s authors are examining what could contribute to the differences in outcomes between charters and traditional public schools by surveying school leaders in both sectors across Indiana, Waddington said.

The changes could be attributed to additional instructional time, or differences in instructional type, such as having students spend more time in smaller pull-out groups, he said. He also said some schools may have added certain types of staff, or utilized certain partnerships to bring in tutors.

The study’s findings mirror broader research on charter school students’ performance that finds positive impacts for Black students, those from lower-income households, and the lowest-performing students, Waddington said.

But the researchers are hoping to learn more details from survey results about how schools responded to COVID learning loss.

“There may be something in the story about differences in how the sectors responded to the pandemic that can actually be illustrative for all sectors going forward in terms of best practices associated with learning loss recovery,” he said.

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

Philadelphia charter school group sues district over renewal process

2026-05-14T17:03:54+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat Philadelphia’s free newsletter to keep up with the city’s public school system.

A group that represents 70 Philadelphia charter schools alleges the Board of Education and district’s approach to charter renewals is “coercive and exploitative” and is asking the court to limit the district’s power over charters.

The lawsuit that Philadelphia Charters for Excellence filed Thursday demands that the district end its practice of including enrollment caps and legal waivers, known as surrender clauses, in charter agreements. Surrender clauses require schools to give up their charter if they don’t meet certain conditions.

The lawsuit asks the Court of Common Pleas to rule that any board decision to not renew a school based on its surrender clause is invalid.

It also asks the court to rule that schools do not need to sign new charter agreements as a condition of renewal. Some Philly charter schools have continued to operate on out-of-date charter agreements for years.

“Charter schools in Philadelphia have spent years navigating a renewal process that treats legal compliance like a negotiating chip,” said Cassandra St. Vil, CEO of Philadelphia Charters for Excellence, in a statement. “Schools are told to sign agreements they never agreed to, under conditions the law does not permit, or risk losing the authorization that tens of thousands of students and families depend on.”

In response to the lawsuit, board members said in a joint statement Thursday that they have “tried to use the tools that are available to us under the charter school law to authorize, evaluate, and hold charter schools accountable.”

“We have a duty to hold every charter school accountable for academic success, sound operations, and fiscal integrity in exchange for the high level of autonomy they have in operating schools,” they added.

A state audit of the district’s renewal process released in 2024 found it was in compliance with all relevant state laws.

The lawsuit comes just hours before the district’s Charter School Office is expected to present charter school renewal recommendations to the Board of Education. Of the 11 schools up for renewal this year, district documents show the office will recommend two for non-renewals, eight for five-year renewals with conditions, and one for a one-year renewal with conditions.

Not renewing a charter school kicks off a legal process that can lead to closing the school.

The renewal process has been tense in past years, with charter school students crowding into board meetings to protest recommendations of non-renewal. Last year, the board voted to move forward with not renewing charters for two schools. The schools, People for People Charter School and KIPP North Philadelphia Academy, then sued the board over the non-renewal decisions. A judge granted them an injunction prohibiting the board from moving forward with closures.

One of the schools recommended for non-renewal this year, Global Leadership Academy Charter School Southwest at Huey, did not meet several academic and financial standards set by the district. Over the past four years, fewer than 10% of students at the schools achieved proficient scores on state math tests, and fewer than 20% scored proficient on reading tests — both lower rates than the district average.

At the other school recommended for non renewal, Philadelphia Montessori Charter School, students have shown little to no growth on state math and reading tests over the past two years.

This story has been updated to include a statement from Board of Education members.

What is the price of Success (Academy)? Former students open up

2026-05-14T10:00:00+00:00

Sign up for Chalkbeat New York’s free daily newsletter to get essential news about NYC’s public schools delivered to your inbox.

As Success Academy turns 20 this year, former students of New York City’s largest charter school network share their stories in this episode of P.S. Weekly.

Success Academy reshaped what free education for low-income students could look like. The network boasts above average scores on state tests and impressive college admissions statistics. Some alumni, however, wonder if the academic pressure and strict behavioral standards are worth it. Its famously test-focused approach has raised a question: How much pressure on students is too much?

P.S. Weekly producers Jeremiah Dickerson, a senior at Williamsburg Charter High School, and Noa Salas Adam, a junior at Stuyvesant High School, dive into the complex world of Success Academy.

Dickerson, himself a former Success Academy student, interviews another former student about what it was like to attend the school. They touch on everything from uniforms, “mouth bubbles,” and clip charts to extremely rigorous academics and the lingering emotional price tag of attending Success Academy.

P.S. Weekly is a collaboration between Chalkbeat and The Bell. It’s available on major podcast platforms, including Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Reach us at PSWeekly@chalkbeat.org. New episodes drop on Thursdays.

P.S. Weekly is made possible by generous support from The Pinkerton Foundation.

Transcript

Jeremiah: On the last day of kindergarten, we lined up, and one by one were handed our school’s signature orange tie. That was the prize for graduating to first grade. At five years old, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on mine. It felt like it had a magic power. These days, people might call that aura, but back then, we called it success.

Newscaster: Success Academy, with schools in the Bronx and Brooklyn, is living up to its name, outperforming their peers by a landslide.

Newscaster: If Success Academy were a school district, it would be the single most successful school district

Newscaster: the video raises new concerns about the demands on students at the 34 Success Academy schools in New York City.

Newscaster: Andrew Cuomo, who’s running for mayor of New York, wrote in support of Success Academy

News: Success Academy

News: Success Academy

Jeremiah: Welcome back to PS Weekly, The Sound of the New York City School System. I’m Jeremiah Dickerson, a senior at Williamsburg Charter High School.

Noa: And I’m Noa Salas Adam, a junior at Stuyvesant High School.

Jeremiah: You’ve probably seen the commercials, the TikTok horror stories, and students in navy blue sweaters swarming the streets on weekday afternoons.

That’s right, we’re talking about Success Academy.

Noa: Refresh my mind. Isn’t Success Academy that huge network of charter schools that’s been expanding over time? I see the Success ads everywhere, on subways, buses, even on Spotify.

Jeremiah: Noa, you’re spot on. 22,000 students attend Success Academy, making it the largest charter school network in the city, and that’s even larger than Syracuse, New York’s entire school district.

News clip: And it’s even expanding to Florida next year.

News clip: Success Academy Charter School’s announcing its expansion to Florida, right here in Miami today. With Citadel’s Ken Griffin contributing $50 million to that expansion.

Jeremiah: Success Academy turns 20 this year. It started in Harlem back in 2006 with just one school and 165 students. But two decades later, there are FIFTY NINE Success Academy schools across the city.

Noa: So if there are so many of the schools, they must be doing pretty well, right?

Jeremiah: On paper they are!. Just recently in 2025, Success was ranked number one in mathematics and number two in ELA state test scores out of over 700 public and charter schools across the state.

The school started in predominantly Black and brown, as well as low-income neighborhoods in New York, and more recently have been expanding to wealthier, whiter neighborhoods.

Success has always been a huge target for both praise

News clip: this dreary weather can’t possibly put a damper on the bright students shining inside of Success Academy Bronx 2, They passed their state exams with flying colors.

Jeremiah: And criticism.

News clip: the New York Times broke the story that a principal at the charter school network Success Academy targeted a group of students to be pushed out of his school, maintaining a secret “got to go” list.

News clip: Some disturbing video of a teacher at a New York City charter school is raising questions tonight about the harsh treatment of some of its youngest students.

Teacher: Count it again, making sure you’re counting correctly. Go to the calm-down chair and sit.

Jeremiah: I went to Success from kindergarten to second grade. And because the first class of Success Academy only graduated high school eight years ago, I’m part of a growing number of teens and young adults who make up the Success Academy network and are now can share their stories.

Noa: so I know it was a while ago, but what was your experience at Success like?

Jeremiah: Well, Noa, I’ll keep it brief, but I was suspended multiple times between ages five and seven.

Noa: What, how does such a young kid get suspended?

Jeremiah: I got suspended for things that young kids usually do.

Screaming, throwing a temper tantrum, being upset. You know, just not getting along with peers and not, in general, enjoying my environment

And a lot of times I felt like I was overstimulated, overworked, exhausted, and certain things that really led me to, like, what we would say in common times is crash out.

Noa: ‘Cause you were going through a long school day, right?

Jeremiah: Yeah, like 7 to 4:30 in the afternoon. And

we’re not even accounting for the travel time commuting, you know, commuting from different places. Like, I lived in Harlem with my grandma, but then I attended Success Academy in the Bronx.

Noa: That’s a lot for a small kid

Jeremiah: Yeah, and it honestly makes me wonder whether there are other Success students out there who have had similar experiences to me

Fast-forward to today, I’m a high schooler going to school in Williamsburg. But throughout my high school career, I’ve made friends with quite a few students who went to Success Academy as well.

Sasha: I immediately foot in the door. I was like, okay, things are going to change.

Jeremiah: That’s my friend Sasha Hartwell.She’s a senior at my school and attended Success for much longer than I did. While I went there for a short time, Sasha attended Success for most of her educational career. From third grade to the beginning of her senior year..

Jeremiah: Do you remember what your parents said, if anything, about why they chose Success Academy in the first

Sasha: I do know that they were super ecstatic about the education that the kids were receiving and acceptance rates, the high, you know, amount of kids that were able to make it to college or were able to succeed in life through Success Academy.

Jeremiah: Sasha transferred to Success Academy at the beginning of third grade

Sasha: Immediately I was told about mouth bubble and the clip chart and the sitting on the, on the carpet.

Jeremiah: Yeah.

Sasha: And sitting on your assigned color

Jeremiah: Criss cross applesauce.

Sasha: Yep. Sitting on your assigned color. And I was like, it’s just different. This is really different.

Jeremiah: Take us through like, what is a mouth bubble? Describe it to us.

Sasha: You take a deep breath, you, you breathe in, you try to catch all that air in your mouth because you literally take all the air that you have. You close your, you tight, your lips.

Jeremiah: And you tighten your lips.

Sasha: And you create a bubble with your cheeks. You look like a, a squirrel, essentially.

Jeremiah: I remembered my jaw being sore from holding my mouth in a bubble all day. Kids would try to make the perfect mouth bubble to impress the teachers. This and perfect posture were a sign of respect.

Noa: Sasha also said something about a clip chart? What’s that? You guys speak in code at this school.

Jeremiah: About that.. Sasha will explain..

Sasha: A clip chart essentially is, uh, it’s a, a classic , you know, piece of cardboard. Um, and they paint on it. There’s different colors. You have green, you’d have yellow, you’d have orange, the clip chart specifically, what makes it a clip chart is you have a clip, like you have one of those pinboard clips and you have your name on it, and you put that clip.

Well, I mean, I, when I got there, I remember I got to decorate, you get to decorate your clip, at least you got that privilege. But, you know, you put your clip, you, you do something bad, you get a, I remember there was at some point where, I guess it was like around finals testing.

Jeremiah: Okay

Sasha: Sometimes they would dictate it based off how you did on like a practice exam.

Sasha: it’s one thing to do it, like, after class or do it in private, but no, you told me to get up in front of the whole class and walk to this clip chart and move my chart. And the thing is, is that with Success Academy kids, when we were kids, we were competitive, but we were, we weren’t, like, harsh or mean or anything.

You know, you’re just kids, so you know, you’re playing. “Ooh, you in trouble.” Oh my gosh. Y- every time, “Ooh, you in trouble. You gotta move your chart.” And usually when you move your clip chart, that mean they getting a me- you getting a message from ParentSquare. Your parents will be notified of your clip change, and I’m just like, “Oh my gosh,” like I already be knowing what be happening when I get home.

Jeremiah: at my school they had, like clip chart sheets that you were bringing to your parents where like the teacher can sign off and describe your behavior and basically give a reasoning as to why they gave you that color for the day. Like, a lot of times, like I remember my mom would get upset and she would just like rip up the red papers because the reasonings would be like things that were so little like, hey, like Jeremiah wasn’t paying attention to me, so we put his chart on red. But then for me, like.

Every time, like I would, you know, go down the red, I would cry in certain things because it was an embarrassing moment. It wasn’t something that you wanted to see, you know, like no one wants to see that

Jeremiah: The school doesn’t use clip charts any more. but now according to the 2025-2026 SA handbook they use a stoplight system. The handbook says quote “ Every day, scholars start on green. Throughout the day, if scholars are not following instructions, their color may be moved down to yellow or even red. We keep parents regularly informed about behavioral challenges students face in school and we ask for your support.” end quote

Noa: Sounds kinda clip chart-y to me

Jeremiah: And then are you familiar with the like water fountain rule? I, I think it was 1, 2, 3.That’s enough for me. Yeah.

Sasha: it was, yeah, definitely that

Jeremiah: the teachers would say it, but then the, a lot of the people behind me would say because they wanted that water right.

Sasha: Do remember that, that phrase, that was a waterfront rule

Jeremiah: Success Academy, a big portion of its identity is its uniforms and how students come to school represented. Take us through like what the uniform means to you and how it is.

Sasha: Even before you even get in the building, there -you either have your principal or you have your vice principal and they’re standing outside of the door. They’re holding the door open, but they are there to check to see if you are in full uniform.

Jeremiah: Right.

Sasha: Even in the freezing cold, they will tell you to zip down your coat. Let me make sure you have your tie and your blazer.

Boy, girl, it does not matter. You have to have that tie on and you still have the option to wear a skirt or pants, depending, whatever your preference was. Um, but yeah, they were very cutthroat on them. Socks. I Have been sent home my junior year because I had on black socks, I had on black socks, but not Navy blue socks. Yeah, you have to have them and them shoes.

Oh. They used to get on me for my shoes. They’re all, they’re all black, but they have a little white check mark.

Jeremiah: YEAH

Sasha: If anybody that goes to my school knows me, they know about these sneakers. I wear these sneakers every day. Now my parents obviously are not, you know, they ain’t the wealthiest, so, you know, I make do of what I got.

Right. So I got these shoes. I liked them. I was like, okay, cool. But the one problem, the one problem, it had a little white check. And they used to nitpick on me so bad for it. The principal himself came up to me and handed me a black roll of tape, and I was like, what is And he was like, for your, for your shoe.

Jeremiah: And I know you can hear me and Sasha laughing and joking about all the rules at Success Academy but some of the discipline.Wasn’t a joke. At times, it felt like it we were being punished for just being kids.

They also tried to balance the harsh discipline with special rewards. Like Fun Fridays

Sasha: It’s a fun Friday. It’s like a, you lasted through weeks, so now you get your little Friday and advisory and there would be a shelf on your wall or you know, like on a little bookshelf where you had your little area where they had things from toys and you know, we had a bunch of little toys, trinkets, fidgets, all that type of stuff. And you know, you had, um, a system called Class Dojo where you would gain or lose points , depending on your behavior

Jeremiah: Fridays weren’t so fun for everyone. If your clip wasn’t high enough on the clip chart, or your points in class dojo weren’t adding up. You would have to sit out while your friends ate pizza and sang their hearts out to Just Dance.

Sasha: Think there was one time where I was highly upset. Mm-hmm. I was, I was in trouble. I was in trouble for sure. I was in trouble and they told me that I couldn’t participate in Fun Friday.

Jeremiah: That used to be the worst

Sasha: So obviously I was sulking, yeah. I was sulking in the corner.

I think that that was when I was in the negative probably. ‘cause obviously you can’t spend no points. Yeah. So when you’re in the negative, you’re not allowed to participate in Fun Friday. Mm-hmm. That’s just it. Like, you’re not allowed

Jeremiah: why do you think Success Academy was so strict with all the different rules, like mouth bubbles, clip charts, walking in a straight line, and all of that?

Sasha: I feel like …Even though I don’t feel like the execution was appropriate for us at the age, at the ages that we were, I don’t feel like the actions that they were taking were appropriate. But I do feel like they really do prepare us for the real world and what we would have to face out in the real world.

Jeremiah: What do you remember about test preparation culture at Success Academy?

Like, how did they prepare you? Do you feel like it was effective? What do you think?

Sasha: Think? Mm, I do feel like it was effective, but it was very rigorous. So it definitely caused a lot of burnout before the test even started. Do I think taking tests over and over and over and over again was helpful? No. I don’t feel like that part was helpful. I feel like it stressed us out and it burnt us out for the actual test,

Jeremiah: Success is known for its intense test prep culture. How else would they get those super high scores on state exams?

Sasha: As much as, you know, like this conversation is more of like how it’s affected us mentally, I could say, like, um, educationally success has benefited me way beyond that I, I even can think of now, right? So I can’t, I graduated out of middle school with all my regents done, and I went to public school and everybody was looking at me like I was an alien.

So I was like, oh, so this ain’t normal.

Jeremiah: So eventually you transferred to my school So there had to be a conversation or something that happened where your parents were like, “It’s time to go.” So can you take us through that experience? What happened?

Sasha: Um, honestly, I kinda put my foot down on that one. I said, “Baby, I’m leaving.” I don’t know what y’all think, but I think it’s time for me to go. Not to even be that type of person, but I was literally coming home crying every day. I was really just sitting there, with my little bunk bed with my LED lights and I’m like, “I can’t do this.”

I ca- I can’t do this for another, I can’t do this for another five months. I just can’t."

And so I finally sat down my parents and I said, “Honestly, I don’t know where I go. I just don’t wanna be here. It can’t be here. I can’t do this my senior year.” But again, because I was so upset- Every day coming home, having to do the same cycle. Even on weekends, I just wanted to stay in bed. I didn’t wanna go out, I didn’t wanna go to the movies, I didn’t wanna go shopping, I didn’t wanna do nothing.

Jeremiah: And even though Sasha and I both left Success Academy and are happier in our new school, Sasha felt conflicted like me.

Sasha: in certain aspects I’m grateful for like how they’ve made me who I am as a person, but sometimes I be taking a step back and I’m like, “Oof. Babe, that, that ... Ooh, I’m, I’m a little damaged,” like. Um, like sometimes I would talk to my parents and like, obviously every conversation with your parents, it’s not gonna be a great one.

So you know, we’re dis- we had a disagreement, and I kinda just shut down. Like I stopped talking and I was just looking at them. And it was like you’re not gonna say anything? ‘Cause obviously like you know how we’re talking right now, I’m a very verbal person. If something’s wrong with me, I’m gonna tell you.

So I’m just sitting there and I’m just like not saying anything, and they’re like, “Are you okay?” Like, “You’re not gonna say anything? You don’t agree, disagree?” And I’m just like, “I don’t know. That’s...” And I was just shutting down. And looking back on it- It definitely is like I, I had to deal with that from Success.

When you got in trouble at Success or you’re trying to talk to a teacher to change a grade or why you were late to class, it’s never a conversation. It’s a monologue. They’re talking at you, they’re not talking with you. So I feel like that aspect of it, , it definitely affected me,

I feel like there’s obviously certain aspects of Success Academy where their intensity of certain things, it helps, but also it definitely did take away from my childhood, and actually, like, becoming my own person naturally. When, like, with going to Success Academy, you’re, you’re getting all these rules and all these things thrown at you and, you know, they kinda, they say that your grades don’t define you, but they act like your grades do define you. So when you have that type of mindset growing up, it lowers your self-esteem.

Jeremiah: I’m always someone who participates or raises my hand or says a lot. But then for me, I feel like I rescind it as easily as I give it because I feel like once a space makes it known that it’s not appreciated that I’m speaking up or saying certain things, I just fall all the way back because I have trauma behind that. I feel like growing up with Success Academy, it’s been more so just, like, juggling with the emotions and how I’m still, like, even at 18 years old, I’m still processing my kindergarten through second grade experience.

Jeremiah: So thank you so much for joining us, Sasha today.

Sasha: Thank you Jeremiah, so much for the interview.

Noa: So after all this, the clip charts, the mouth bubbles, why do parents keep sending their kids to Success Academy.

Jeremiah: Honestly, to be real with you, I don’t know either. But looking as a parent – a parents perspective. I would say a lot of parents send their kids to Success academy because of the image. They see kids structured in uniforms, behaving well, they’re keeping quiet, they’re doing their work, and their coming out with good grades. I think the parents especially are the ones drawn in by test scores because every parent wants tso see their student do well. And when the Success Academy scores are in the 90s and the average school nearby is in the 50s, which one are you going to choose – the one in the 90s or the one in the 50s?

If I were a parent, maybe I would trust that high test scores means my child would learn what they need to in order to be prepared for college, their career, or whatever comes next.

Noa: Yeah, speaking of college – I just saw that viral video of the first student to get into an Ivy league at her Success Academy Chapter. Let’s watch it

Clip: I have a very special announcement Our school has again made history on the college acceptance front. We have our first scholar to get accepted to an Ivy League school. (Cheers)

Jeremiah: I feel like it was just very sweet like, on the announcements to hear whoever was just like, announcing it to the school and everything. Because not only did that really show support for the individual, it really like, enhanced I feel like, the community in there that aspect with everyone clapping for her because if I were in her shoes, I would be so happy for everyone clapping for me and everything just in that moment. cheering me on and just celebrating me in general. So I’m sure she appreciated that.

Noa: Yeah, and everyone is just supporting her, which is super cool. I mean, having good college acceptances must be a major draw for families.

Jeremiah: Definitely. One of their major selling points is that 100% of their graduating classes receive offers to a four-year college. And a majority of these students are accepted to selective schools. From the outside, it’s pretty impressive, especially considering 65% of these students come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds.

Noa: It really speaks to this idea I’ve heard about Success being a private school without the price tag.

Jeremiah: Yeah. I really connected with Sasha on this idea. On one hand, we were set up to thrive academically by Success, but on the other hand, we both experienced some pretty intense emotional hardship as a result.

Noa: I’m really glad you got to talk about your similarities and I hope maybe other students who went to success or families thinking about sending their kids there found something useful in the conversation too.

Jeremiah: Agreed.

Jeremiah: Success Academy did not respond to our request for comment.

Jeremiah: PS Weekly is a collaboration between the Bell and Chalkbeat made possible by generous support from the Pinkerton Foundation. Producers for this episode were me, Jeremiah Dickerson

Noa: And me, Noa Salas Adam

Jeremiah: Our senior producer for the show is Maria Robins Somerville, and our technical director is Jake Lummus.

Noa: Our executive editors are Amy Zimmer and Taylor McGraw

Jeremiah: Additional production and reporting support was provided by Mira Gordon, Sabrina DuQuesnay, Zana Halili, and Katelyn Melville, and our friends at Chalkbeat

Noa: Music is from APM, and the jingle you heard at the beginning of the episode was created by the one and only Erica Huang. Thanks so much for tuning in and see you next time.

We make transcripts available for our episodes as soon as possible. They are not fully edited for grammar or spelling.

IPS plan for becoming a charter school authorizer focuses on enrollment, discipline, test scores

2026-05-07T18:11:56+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.

In its plan to become a charter school authorizer, the Indianapolis Public Schools board wants to use growth on state assessments, discipline, and enrollment targets to judge charters.

The school board submitted that information to the Indiana Department of Education last week. It’s the first step for IPS to become an authorizer, which has the power to allow charter schools to open and to close them.

Becoming an authorizer would give IPS more power over charters at a time when the school board is losing authority. Although state lawmakers limited the number of charter authorizers in IPS, they also created the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which will manage transportation and facility needs for both district and charter schools while also taking over the school board’s power to raise property taxes.

State law allows the IPS school board to become an authorizer. The board made an attempt to authorize charter schools after Indiana passed its charter law in 2001, but never authorized any. In a statement in December, the board said the move would be a “step toward unparalleled local accountability” that it said has been inconsistent among the state’s multiple charter authorizers.

In its authorizing plan, IPS also wants to draw on its work with the Innovation Network, in which the district grants some schools a greater degree of autonomy than traditional district-run schools while letting them use certain IPS resources.

Charter schools seeking authorization by IPS would begin the application process through a letter of intent submitted every March.

New charters would undergo a roughly eight-month application process that would require a mission plan, financial projections, and evidence of community support for a school. Existing high-performing charters could apply under a roughly four-month application timeline that includes an audit of their academic and financial history.

The district would have a standardized rubric to evaluate charter applications, which also would be reviewed by a panel of academic and external experts, the district said in its registration. District officials would also interview members of the school’s leadership team.

State law gives the State Board of Education 60 days to register the IPS school board as a charter authorizer. The district estimates opening its authorizing office in August.

IPS prioritizes academics, discipline, enrollment in charter evaluations

IPS plans to evaluate charter schools using the same academic, financial, and governance metrics it uses for its 30 Innovation Network schools, and which existing authorizers also frequently use to evaluate schools.

IPS created the Innovation Network schools, most of which are charters, after state lawmakers created “innovation” schools in 2014 as a way for autonomous and district schools to work together.

“We have built over a decade of relationships with charter schools with our Innovation partnerships,” Rachel Santos, director of external affairs for IPS, told the school board last week. “Our strategic vision is to say that we are continuing that work. We are well equipped to do it, with our office that already oversees 30 relationships.”

In the 11 years of the network’s existence, IPS has not renewed three schools — two of which were charter schools — citing concerns with academic performance. A fourth, Kindezi Academy charter school, closed after failing to agree with the district on a renewal agreement.

According to the information it submitted to the state education department, the district would consider proficiency in English and math on the state ILEARN exam, while also accounting for students’ year-to-year growth on these tests and how 10 specific student subgroups perform compared to their peers. These subgroups include Black and Hispanic students, as well as English language learners and students with disabilities.

The district does not specify exact ILEARN proficiency goals. Authorizers often compare a school’s performance to nearby schools with similar demographics.

The district would also aim for its charter schools to have a 90% pass rate on IREAD.

IPS would also set a 95% attendance rate target, and monitor suspension rates to “reward equitable discipline.”

The district would measure a school’s financial health by assessing the days of cash on hand, among other financial metrics. It would also assess schools on whether they reach at least 95% of their budgeted enrollment each year.

IPS would rate charters on their governance model based on compliance with the state’s Open Door Law, which deals with government transparency, and laws concerning students with disabilities. The district would also assess leadership stability and the charter school board composition to ensure that members offer a diverse set of skills.

Charter renewals would last up to 5 years

Although state law allows for authorizers to renew charters for up to 15 years, IPS would only offer charter terms for up to five years.

The deputy superintendent for IPS would oversee the district’s charter schools alongside the existing director of Innovation schools and director of strategy. The district projects that for those staffers, 30% of their work would be dedicated specifically to charter authorizing, IPS said in the information it submitted to the state.

The district projects an annual authorizing budget of $561,000 that would already be part of the district’s general fund.

IPS said it would implement an authorizing fee, which charters pay to their authorizer usually determined by a percentage of per-pupil state funding. But the district did not specify what percentage would be. State law allows authorizers to charge a fee of up to 3%.

Correction: This story was updated to accurately reflect the district’s history as a charter authorizer.

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

Detroit district says it will not renew Barack Obama Leadership Academy’s charter despite protests

2026-04-30T01:19:21+00:00

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Dozens of Barack Obama Leadership Academy students chanted “Save our school!” in the rain Wednesday afternoon from the sidewalk in front of the Fisher Building in Detroit’s New Center.

The kids traveled from their school on the east side of Detroit in two yellow buses. They picketed with signs that said, “Our school is more than a building – it’s our community,” “Protect our place to learn,” and “My opinion counts.”

It was a last-ditch effort to convince the Detroit Public Schools Community District’s board before its meeting that evening to authorize another one-year contract for the charter to operate.

But board members had already come to a final decision.

A majority of the board does not plan to authorize a new contract, Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said in a statement released Wednesday morning. Vitti said he agreed with the board’s position, citing concerns about the school’s budget and transparency, as well as its teacher licensure rate. Some board members had previously signaled they would not approve a one-year contract due to the school’s poor academic performance, and the statement cleared up any uncertainty about the board’s position.

Formerly known as Timbuktu Academy, the Obama school offers African-centric education to about 300 students in grades K-5. The school has been open since 1997 and is one of the oldest charters in Michigan.

If the school can’t find a new authorizer, it will be forced to close. The school’s current contract ends June 30.

Cha-Rhonda Edgerson, CEO of the charter school, said the charter is seeking other authorizers in order to stay open, but called the board’s decision “deeply concerning.

“The most important thing is to protect the kids’ continuity of learning,” she said.

Obama charter supporters plead their case

At the beginning of Wednesday’s meeting, board member Ida Short requested to change the agenda to discuss the charter’s future. She also asked to do the same to talk about four district schools set to close at the end of the school year.

Short did not explain the reasoning behind her request. She was absent from the March committee meeting in which the board opted not to advance a one-year contract renewal for the school to a vote.

But all four other present board members rejected Short’s proposal.

That decision did not deter the Obama school’s supporters from making their case later in the meeting.

Monique Philpot, the office manager at the charter school, said during public comment that the school offers resources and wraparound support for families and community members.

“I want to tug on your heartstrings,” she said. “Look at our beautiful students. There’s so much more that we give.”

Philpot was among a group of community members who came to the meeting to support the charter school. But the small conference room where the meeting was held has a capacity of 33 people, and most of the seats were occupied by district staff and contractors.

So Philpot and the others sat outside and waited to enter the conference room to address the board.

Some community members who came to speak in support of the charter complained the district changed the time and room of Wednesday’s committee meeting.

The meeting began at 1:30 p.m. but was originally scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. in a larger meeting room. DPSCD spokesperson Chrystal Wilson said the time was changed on the public board calendar on Monday.

DPSCD changed its recommendation for Barack Obama charter

Despite pleas from the school’s supporters, Detroit school officials have expressed several concerns about the school.

Last month, board members said the charter failed to adequately improve its academic performance after multiple warnings over the years. The majority of the four board members at the March 25 committee meeting chose not to put the contract to a vote.

Administrators in DPSCD’s Charter School Office originally recommended last month the board approve a three-year contract.

Vitti said Wednesday that he had changed the recommendation to a one-year contract to allow the charter time to transition to find a new authorizer.

But in Wednesday’s statement, Vitti said he reexamined the rubric the district used for his recommendation for a one-year renewal after a public outcry at the April board meeting. Supporters were upset the board did not include a vote on the one-year contract renewal on the meeting’s agenda.

After a closer look, Vitti said the charter breached its current contract because it submitted an annual audit late to the district and the state. He added the charter also did not maintain sufficient “transparency reporting” on its website.

“As a result, the reassessed rubric’s scoring would not meet the standard for reauthorization,” he said.

The superintendent said he also supported the board’s decision because the charter has an unsustainable budget and only 25% of its teachers are certified. The rest are either working as daily substitute teachers, or working with a permit issued to the school from the Michigan Department of Education while they work to complete certification, he said.

Bernard Parker, co-founder of the school, said the board’s decision will essentially force the school to shutter. Without a new contract from DPSCD, he said, the charter “will close our doors and be another blighted building in the community” on June 30, “and 300 students will have to seek other schools.”

But Vitti has said at multiple meetings that DPSCD’s decision to not reauthorize the charter does not close the school. The charter may seek other authorizers to continue operations, he said.

Edgerson said the charter has reached out to 11 other authorizers to seek a new contract. Nine said it was not possible to move forward with a contract by the end of June, she said.

Vitti countered that it’s possible for charter schools and authorizers to reach a contract within as few as 30 days. But he also acknowledged the district needed to be more transparent with charters.

“We have to do a better job in the future of directly communicating back to the charters and really explaining how we are evaluating you,” he said.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Meet the 9 appointees who will control buildings and transportation for public schools in Indianapolis

2026-04-27T10:00:00+00:00

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Inadequate transportation. Declining enrollment. An impending financial cliff.

These are the challenges that the nine-member Indianapolis Public Education Corporation must tackle as it creates an educational ecosystem that gives district-run and charter schools equal access to resources while holding them to the same academic standards.

The new corporation has assumed key financial powers previously reserved for the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board. This includes the power to determine property tax rates for both IPS and charter schools beginning in 2027. In 2028, IPEC will assume responsibility for transportation and buildings for both district and charter schools.

The state law establishing IPEC gave Mayor Joe Hogsett the power to appoint all nine members. The law required three to be community members with certain expertise, three to be charter school leaders, and three to be members of the IPS school board.

Common themes connecting IPEC’s members include a history of working in or supporting charter schools, and promoting the importance of testing and alternatives to traditional school governance.

The IPEC board includes four charter school leaders, including one who founded the prominent Mind Trust nonprofit that has helped grow the city’s charter school sector. It also includes a prominent Republican lobbyist involved in a contentious suite of education policy changes adopted nearly 40 years ago that expanded Indiana’s power to take over underperforming schools, among other changes.

The board also includes IPS school board members elected with the backing of school choice supporters, and a founding board member of a charter school serving a large population of English language learners.

Asked about the new board’s connections to the charter school sector, Hogsett said through a spokesperson that he selected the members after an “extensive review process.” He said the most important factor in his decision to pick them was their focus on “the best interest of all the families and children living in the Indianapolis Public Schools boundary, regardless of the type of public school those families choose.”

Below are key facts about each member.

Patricia Castañeda, community leader

Patricia Castañeda has spent more than two decades working at the intersection of the city’s public institutions and the communities they serve.

She is a vice president at KeyBank’s Community Banking Group, and is a founding board member of Enlace Academy, a K-8 grade charter school on the northwest side. Currently, she is a member of the Goodwill Education Initiatives Board, which oversees the The Excel Center adult high schools.

Castañeda was born in Lima, Peru. She briefly attended Ben Davis High School before graduating. Her two sons graduated from Shortridge High School.

Patricia Castañeda, vice president of Key Bank, is sworn in as a member of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation at its first public meeting.

In 2000, Castañeda became the first Hispanic services coordinator at the Marion County prosecutor’s office — a role built largely on direct outreach.

Castañeda also co-chaired the Indianapolis Race and Cultural Relations Leadership Network during the multiyear dispute over “E Pluribus Unum” — a commissioned sculpture of a freed Black slave planned for the Cultural Trail near the City-County Building. The project drew widespread objections and was eventually cancelled in 2011.

“That’s really where you learn,” Castañeda said of debates about the sculpture. “So sometimes it comes with a lot of ire, yes, and it’s OK, that’s how we grow, and that’s how we heal and grow together.”

She later worked for the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority.

Castañeda said her role on IPEC is to share community perspectives. She wants to ensure schools are safe and accessible for all students.

Castañeda said the new board’s credibility will rest on what it does, not what it says.

“Actions speak louder than words,” she said. “If we’re saying we’re going to be transparent, then we want to make sure that we are transparent.”

John R. Hammond III, community leader

John R. Hammond III helped former Gov. Robert D. Orr push a sweeping education overhaul through the Indiana General Assembly in 1987. The package known as A-Plus required student achievement exams and created a new accreditation system based on school performance.

Hammond said that sort of experience can inform his work with the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation. He also believes IPEC can bring stability to all city schools.

“This is really the right approach to really begin to get our hands around some of the issues that have created some of the financial concerns,” Hammond said, “so that we can really serve these kids, no matter where they come from or what school they’re served in.”

John Hammond, partner at Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm, attends the first IPEC meeting virtually.

Hammond served as Orr’s senior executive assistant for legislative affairs and education policy from 1981 to 1988. He was later a partner at Ice Miller and is now a partner at Taft’s public affairs strategies group. He represented Indiana on the Republican National Committee for 12 years and is a founding board member of Herron Classical Schools, led by fellow IPEC member Janet McNeal.

Hammond has lived in the IPS district for 36 years. His wife, Diana Hamilton, served on the IPS Foundation in the early 2000s.

“I feel committed to the Center City,” Hammond said, “and that’s what we’ve made our home and our living.”

David Harris, charter school leader and IPEC board chair

David Harris is the CEO of Christel House International, a global nonprofit school operator that’s the umbrella organization for Christel House Indianapolis, which runs three charter schools and an adult charter school network in Indianapolis. Those schools provide their own transportation and include two schools and an adult high school that operate in an IPS-owned building.

When Harris worked in Mayor Bart Peterson’s administration as an assistant deputy mayor, he supported the state’s charter school law that gave the mayor the power to authorize charter schools. He then served as charter school director for the city, a position known today as the executive director of the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

Harris later founded the influential Mind Trust nonprofit in 2006, which has helped launch most of the city’s charter schools and recruit many charter leaders.

David Harris, CEO of Christel House, is sworn in at the IPEC's first meeting. Harris serves as chair.

Harris left the Mind Trust to help found the City Fund, a national education organization that raised millions to promote school reform in several major cities, including Indianapolis.

Harris said the city’s quality of education has improved over the past few decades, but that it’s “not anywhere near as good as it needs to be.”

“This is an opportunity for all schools to get better,” he said.

Harris said IPEC’s work will allow all schools to focus their energy on education without having to be “consumed with operational challenges that are a headache.”

Janet McNeal, charter school leader

Janet McNeal, president at Herron Classical Schools, knows what it’s like to work in different kinds of schools.

After a short stint teaching in South Korea, she spent 10 years as an English teacher at a public school district in southern Indiana. She worked for another 10 years at Cathedral High School — a private, Catholic school near Lawrence.

After that, she helped launch a new classical arts charter school in 2006, Herron High School, working closely with Harris of the city’s charter school office.

Herron High School quickly cemented itself as a top academic performer in the city, though the school has historically served fewer economically disadvantaged students and English language learners than other IPS schools.

Janet McNeal, president of Herron Classical Schools, is sworn in at the first IPEC meeting.

In 2016, McNeal started a second high school, Herron-Riverside. The school, located in the former Heslar Naval Armory, serves a student body more demographically and academically similar to IPS than Herron High.

The charter network opened its first K-8 school, Herron Preparatory Academy, in 2021.

Students attending Herron High and Herron Prep Academy get to school primarily through parent drop-offs or discounted rides with IndyGo. Herron Classical Schools has offered limited transportation in recent years to Herron-Riverside students.

McNeal is considering whether to opt her schools into a shared facilities system like one IPEC could create, though it’s unlikely the charter network would want to relinquish its buildings. Herron Classical Schools owns all three of its school properties.

“We did not build our buildings on taxpayers’ dollars,” McNeal said. “We built our buildings on fundraising.”

Eddie Rangel, community leader

Eddie Rangel, founding CEO of Adelante Schools, listens during IPEC's first meeting.

Eddie Rangel is the founder and CEO of Adelante Schools, which took over Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School as a part of an IPS plan to improve chronically underperforming schools.

School choice shaped Rangel’s life trajectory as a child in California. His parents found a way to enroll him into a different district school — which had a strong music program — than the one he was zoned for.

Rangel became the first in his family to graduate college, where he studied music education and performance. He came to Indianapolis in 2012 through Teach For America and taught at Key Learning Community School in IPS.

He later became a principal in the Tindley charter school network.

Rangel was also a fellow in the Mind Trust’s Innovation School Fellowship, launching Adelante in 2020 as a charter operator that would take over Emma Donnan. As an IPEC board member, he hopes to draw on his experience building back the trust of the Emma Donnan community.

“It’s important to approach this work with humility, which is something that we leaned heavily into as we embarked on leading Emma Donnan,” he said. “For the IPEC role, it’s important to recognize that no single model or perspective will have all of the answers — especially in a system as complex as Indianapolis.”

Hope Duke Star, IPS school board president

Hope Duke Star was elected to the school board in 2022, serving an area that represents core Indianapolis neighborhoods from Meridian-Kessler to Martindale-Brightwood. She earned the backing of Stand for Children Indiana and RISE Indy, which have supported charter schools.

Star grew up in the area she now represents. She attended the district’s former Northwest High School and was the first in her family to graduate college with the help of the Association for Loan Free Education, which focused on helping first-generation college students.

Hope Duke Star, IPS board president, sits with members of the IPEC board at the group's first meeting.

She later worked for that same organization and served as a dean at North Central High School and a counselor at the KIPP Indy charter network.

Star’s past few years on the board have featured numerous battles between supporters of charter schools and IPS. During her tenure, the school board has also called for a moratorium on new schools.

As she serves on the IPEC board, she hopes that the city’s education leaders are willing to do what’s fair.

“I’m hopeful that we won’t continue to open schools while we try to clean up what we’ve already created and make what we have make sense,” she said.

Dexter Taylor, charter school leader

Dexter Taylor is the director of Paramount Schools of Excellence’s K-8 Brookside campus, one of five Paramount schools in Indianapolis.

He worked for the Carmel-Clay school district for about five years before joining the Paramount network of charter schools in 2017, according to his LinkedIn profile. Taylor eventually became school director in May 2019.

The network is known for its rigorous academics. Paramount Brookside consistently reports strong math and reading test scores. But parents have raised concerns about school discipline.

Dexter Taylor, director of Paramount Brookside, is sworn in as a member of the IPEC board at the group's meeting.

A recent WFYI analysis found that last school year, Paramount schools suspended students with disabilities at a rate about three times higher than the state average.

School leaders told WFYI last fall that suspensions are lower than past years due to increased training for teachers.

Taylor was not available for an interview before the deadline for this story.

Paramount currently operates buses for just two of its Indianapolis campuses — Andrew J. Brown Academy and Girls in STEM Academy. According to property records, Paramount owns all but one of its buildings that fall within the IPS boundary.

Its Englewood school shares space in the PR Mallory Campus on East Washington Street with Purdue Polytechnic High School.

Ashley Thomas, IPS school board member

Ashley Thomas serves as the District 1 IPS commissioner, where she represents portions of the far east and southeast sides. She was first drawn to advocacy more than a decade ago when her son’s IPS school was targeted for a major overhaul.

After several years of failing grades from the state, George H. Fisher School 93 was converted into an Innovation charter school — a type of school still in the IPS system but run by its own board.

Ashley Thomas, IPS board member, speaks during the first IPEC board meeting.

To learn more about that change, Thomas started attending workshops organized by Stand for Children. It wasn’t long before she began facilitating workshop discussions

“Our school felt like a forgotten-about school,” Thomas said. “I got to see the picture of what it looks like when parents, students, teachers and leaders all work together collaboratively.”

Thomas then spent almost eight years as an organizer with Stand for Children. She worked for another two years with RISE Indy before running for IPS school board in 2024.

Thomas was endorsed by Stand for Children. Campaign finance records show she accepted donations from Stand, RISE Indy, and several high-profile leaders in the charter sector.

“Stand’s endorsement committee were all parents that had kids in different schools from different public school types,” Thomas said. “I’m honored to be endorsed by parents.”

She also chairs the board’s legislative committee and runs an education consulting business. Her children attend Believe Circle City High School and Paramount Brookside.

The single mom of three said all of these experiences will inform her work on the new IPEC board.

Deandra Thompson, IPS school board member

Deandra Thompson is an IPS at-large school board member and founder of A Learning Bee Academy, an early learning center.

She previously served on the founding leadership team of Providence Cristo Rey High School, a private Catholic school. She also served as national director of enrollment for the Phalen Leadership Academies charter school network.

Deandra Thompson, one of three IPS board members appointed to the IPEC board, listens during the first IPEC meeting.

Thompson, who has a third grader in public school, was elected to the school board in 2024 with the backing of Stand and RISE Indy.

Thompson has said that she sees the value in having appointed members of a public board who can offer expertise in areas such as business or finance. The three IPS school board members on the IPEC board, she said, will ensure that the community is involved in the corporation’s work.

“I think we have to trust the people that were voted for, for one,” she said of IPS school board members on the new corporation board. “And trust that we can come together and make sure we bring community along with us.”

Correction: This story was updated to include the correct email addresses for Janet McNeal and Hope Duke Star.

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

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

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

Wayne County will consider new schooling options for its juvenile detention facility

2026-04-23T18:33:00+00:00

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The Detroit school district’s board approved a one-year contract with a charter school that operates in the Wayne County Juvenile Detention Facility, as the school’s future remains uncertain.

Board members signed off on the contract last week for Infinity Institute of Learning Strict Discipline Academy after district administrators said the school made enough progress to merit the extension. The one-year contract could also serve as a transition period as Wayne County officials consider other options for educating youth detained in the facility.

Mervat Jaafar, county spokesperson, told Chalkbeat last week the county is preparing to ask for proposals from other contractors and charter schools.

“The purpose is to ensure we secure the highest‑quality educational services for the youth in our care, supported by strong oversight, appropriate interventions, and programming aligned with their individual needs,” said Jaafar.

The charter’s current authorization contract ends June 30.

Infinity Institute of Learning Strict Discipline Academy went through a number of changes last year after the Michigan Department of Education found its management company did not evaluate students for special education services in the time required by the law.

A new management company, Infinite Pathways, overhauled the charter’s staff and brought the charter into compliance with special education requirements, according to the state. Zakia Gibson, CEO of Infinite Pathways, said during the board’s March committee meeting the charter has added transitional services for youth exiting the program.

“I think that we are needed,” she said. “I think that our students and our youth appreciate the services of continuing their education, even under these difficult and trying circumstances.”

The county may seek another one-year renewal with the current management company after this one to “provide the necessary transition period” and ensure there is no lapse in educational services, Jaafar said.

The detention facility has faced scrutiny in recent years for complaints of understaffing and overcrowding. In 2022, youth were left to mostly educate themselves for seven weeks when they were moved to a different facility because the charter was only authorized to operate in Detroit, the Detroit Free Press reported.

Jaafar said the facility has not experienced overcrowding in more than three years.

“The facility has maintained adequate staffing and continues to strengthen staffing levels to support safe operations and high‑quality services,” she added.

Improvements to education in the Wayne County JDF

The charter in the Wayne County JDF, formerly Capstone Charter Academy, was first authorized in 2012, according to DPSCD. It is the only strict discipline academy in Detroit.

Strict discipline academies serve students referred by the court system, have been expelled or suspended from other schools, and those whose special education plans require it. They are intended for students who may otherwise not have an opportunity to be educated.

Michigan law requires that juvenile justice facilities make every effort to ensure the educational needs of the youth in their custody are met. Youth must be provided with appropriate educational services within five days of their arrival.

Schools in the facilities must also comply with special education laws, including providing immediate assessments if a child displays signs of a disability. Students, parents, and public agencies may request initial evaluations, which must be completed within 30 days.

Of the 102 students enrolled in Infinity Institute of Learning Strict Discipline Academy at the start of this school year, 39 had disabilities, state records show. The school serves youth as young as age 10.

The MDE issued a corrective action plan for the charter in February 2025, state documents obtained through public records requests show.

The charter’s students generally have a history of dropping out, previous incarceration, placement in other residential facilities, and short windows of enrollment in other schools, state records show. Students’ typically stay between one and 90 days, according to the state.

A “high percentage” of the students enrolled in the charter were either not evaluated for special education or given an individualized education program, or IEP, in the amount of time the law requires, according to state records. (Records didn’t give the specific percentage.)

The MDE also ordered the charter to train its staff on the revised special education procedures.

Last spring, after the MDE’s initial findings, the charter hired a new superintendent and created several new positions to address gaps in service, according to DPSCD.

A new special education coordinator changed the academic programming, created a new documentation process to ensure students received services, and created a plan to provide outstanding compensatory hours to make up for service and instructional time students did not previously get.

There has been a reduction in the number of compensatory hours owed to students, though there are still more for the charter to make up, DPSCD administrators said.

The charter also improved family engagement and communication, as well as coordination with the JDF, the district said.

The MDE found the charter in compliance in January and closed the corrective action plan.

Felecia Brimmage, superintendent of Infinity Institute, said during the March committee meeting that students are now engaged in their education.

“We are making sure that when youth are coming to us, not in compliance with their IEP, that we are changing that for them,” she said.

Charters are not the only option for educating kids in detention in the state.

For example, the Macomb County Juvenile Justice Center contracts education services with L’Anse Creuse Public Schools, a traditional public school district.

DPSCD’s role with the Wayne County JDF is as an authorizer of the charter that operates within it. Michigan school districts, community colleges, and universities can authorize charters, which means they monitor schools’ compliance with state and federal education laws. They earn up to 3% of the state funding the charters receive.

The Detroit district currently serves as an authorizer for seven charters, including Infinity Institute.

In recent weeks, the DPSCD board began to discuss how it will navigate its relationship with charters. Superintendent Nikolai Vitti has said the standard for authorization is for charters to either meet or exceed the academic achievement of district schools or offer a unique service that DPSCD cannot.

Charter operators, like Infinite Pathways – also known as educational service providers – handle key aspects of daily operations, such as payroll and hiring teachers. In Michigan, most of those companies are for-profit.

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

This first-year Newark teacher builds a sense of belonging for students with disabilities

2026-04-14T17:15:00+00:00

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Alex Richardson always knew she wanted to help people; she just needed to find the right way to do it.

After graduating summa cum laude from the University of New Mexico in May 2025, she decided to teach. As a first-year head of special education at North Star Academy’s Alexander Street Elementary School in Newark, Richardson works for the school’s Aspire Program, which launched in 2022 to support students with autism. She spends her days working with third grade autistic students, building reading comprehension skills and creating lessons that meet each student where they are.

As a student, Richardson struggled to learn new concepts but blossomed when teachers approached those difficulties with patience and creativity. Now, as a teacher, she leans into flexibility, positive interactions with students, and her core belief that mistakes are part of the learning process.

She spoke recently with Chalkbeat about discovering Newark’s strong culture of autism advocacy, using Black History Month as a way to include all students, accessible learning, and why a children’s book about a panda and a dragon changed the way she thinks about teaching.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s your favorite lesson to teach and why?

I love teaching literacy. I have always had a deep admiration for language, many languages, really, and for how they come together to make meaning. Getting to break down phonemes and help my scholars build sentences and comprehension of passages is my favorite thing to teach!

Richardson is passionate about literacy, working with others, and learning from students.

What’s something happening in the community that affects what goes on inside your classroom?

As someone who is still new to the New Jersey community, I am continually learning about the people, experiences, and values that shape the environment around both my scholars and me. One thing I noticed right away — especially compared to my experience back home — is the strong sense of awareness and advocacy for the autism community. There is a clear and intentional effort not only to raise awareness but to foster genuine acceptance and inclusion. This commitment has a meaningful impact on my classroom. It creates a space where my scholars are not just supported, but truly valued for who they are — their unique ways of thinking, communicating, and engaging with the world are recognized as strengths. Being part of a community that embraces neurodiversity in this way is incredibly powerful, and it allows my students to grow with confidence, authenticity, and a strong sense of belonging.

How do you approach news events in your classroom?

As I teach a young group of autistic scholars, I approach topics about the world with intentionality, ensuring that all information is presented in ways that are accessible, meaningful, and responsive to their individual strengths and needs. While these conversations may look different in my classroom, my school takes great pride in making sure that every scholar is included in learning about important events and histories. During Black History Month, my scholars engaged in a variety of projects that allowed them to explore and connect with history through drawings, videos, and books. These experiences were thoughtfully designed to be both engaging and accessible, helping scholars build understanding in ways that felt natural to them. Stories of influential Black individuals were shared in ways that fostered connection, curiosity, and comprehension, allowing my students to meaningfully engage with the core ideas and significance of these historical contributions.

Tell us about your own experience with school and how it affects your work today.

While in school, I was on the honor roll and graduated summa cum laude from both my high school and the University of New Mexico. I have always loved learning, but I sometimes found it challenging to stay engaged with topics that I didn’t fully understand or initially find interesting. That perspective shifted when I encountered a few incredible teachers and professors who approached complex topics with patience, creativity, and genuine enthusiasm. Their ability to present material in innovative and accessible ways helped me stay engaged and ultimately develop a deeper appreciation for a wide range of subjects — including those I had once found uninteresting. This experience continues to shape my approach as an educator. When I anticipate that a lesson may be less engaging for my scholars, I intentionally design it to be interactive, supportive, and responsive to their needs. I prioritize patience, flexibility, and creativity so that my students can access the material in ways that align with their strengths, helping them build confidence and succeed as learners.

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

The best advice I have ever received is, “It is okay to not be perfect.” I have always held myself to a high standard, striving to do everything correctly, efficiently, and to the best of my ability. While I value that drive, I have come to understand that perfection is both relative and often unattainable — what truly creates lasting impact is effort, growth, and persistence. This mindset plays an important role in my classroom. I use it to support and encourage my scholars, especially when they encounter challenges. At times, I notice that my students can feel frustrated or discouraged when they are asked to revisit or revise their work. In those moments, I respond with patience and understanding, helping them see mistakes as a natural and valuable part of the learning process. By guiding my scholars through challenges in a supportive and affirming way, I aim to ensure they leave each experience feeling capable, confident, and empowered.

What’s one thing you’ve read that has made you a better educator?

I read a wide range of books, though not all of them relate directly to teaching. I believe that literature has a unique way of connecting to our lives in different seasons, often offering insight when we need it most. One book that has deeply influenced my journey as an educator is “The Journey: Big Panda and Tiny Dragon” by James Norbury. Norbury’s work combines beautiful illustrations with meaningful reflections, inviting readers to step into the experiences of the characters and consider how those lessons apply to their own lives. This particular book centers on the idea of leaving behind the familiar in pursuit of growth and something greater. It has prompted me to reflect on how often we, as educators, may unintentionally limit ourselves by relying only on what we already know. This perspective has shaped me on a personal level within my role as an educator. It has encouraged me to approach my scholars, colleagues, and families with openness and curiosity. I strive to let go of assumptions, biases, or preconceived notions, and instead remain receptive to new perspectives and experiences. In doing so, I am better able to build meaningful connections and create a more inclusive, responsive learning environment for my students.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@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.

What does a school board do, anyway? The answer is changing for IPS and charters — here’s your guide.

2026-04-01T14:54:39+00:00

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Big changes are coming to Indianapolis Public Schools and the power of its elected board.

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC, is a new public entity with a nine-member board announced on Tuesday. The corporation will have the power to determine property tax rates on behalf of both IPS and charter schools. It will also eventually be responsible for running transportation and managing IPS buildings for both school types.

But the IPS school board — and the school boards of more than 50 charters within district borders — will still retain some powers over the day-to-day operations of schools.

While the IPS school board manages traditional district schools, charter school boards oversee one school or multiple schools that are part of the same charter network. Charter schools that are part of the district’s Innovation Network are run by their charter school board and not the IPS school board.

Lawmakers created IPEC to manage key aspects of both school types.

State law dictates the roles and responsibilities of the IPS and charter school boards. Below is a breakdown of their major responsibilities, how board members are selected, and what rules may change with the creation of the new corporation.

Who can serve on school boards and IPEC?

The IPS board is a seven-member board elected by residents who live within IPS borders, with two at-large members and five members who each represent a district.

Charter school boards — including those in the IPS Innovation Network — are not elected. Charter schools typically list their founding proposed board members in the application they submit to the authorizer, which must include a governance plan. Each charter school may have its own rules on board composition, including the number of board members, their term length, and the process for filling a vacant board seat. (The five Innovation schools that are not charters also have their own unelected boards.)

Charter school boards are ultimately accountable to charter school authorizers, which approve new charter schools and have the power to revoke or not renew the contracts that allow charter schools to operate.

Beginning in April, the only entities that can authorize charter schools within IPS boundaries are the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, the Indiana Charter School Board, and the IPS school board, which has expressed interest in becoming an authorizer.

An Indiana law adopted last year also requires charter schools receiving property taxes — nearly every charter in the city, excluding virtual schools and adult high schools that do not qualify for such funding — to have one member appointed by the mayor.

Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Office of Education Innovation told Chalkbeat last year that Hogsett tapped existing members of the city’s charter school boards for those appointments.

State lawmakers created IPEC earlier this year. It has a nine-member board appointed by the mayor. Three members come from the IPS school board, three come from the charter sector, and three are experts in areas related to the corporation’s work, such as facilities, transportation, or working with vulnerable students.

What are the financial responsibilities of school boards and IPEC?

The IPS board sets and approves an annual budget, and is required by state law to approve contracts above $75,000.

But the new IPEC board will assume control of key financial powers previously held by the IPS school board.

Most notably, the IPEC board will set the tax rates for residents living in IPS boundaries beginning in 2027, taking into account funding needed for charter schools as well.

That means that future district budgets will need to be crafted based on the funding that it receives through IPEC’s formula — a funding source that IPS had historically exclusively controlled.

And beginning this year, the IPS school board loses the authority to put a referendum for additional property taxes on the ballot. Instead, the IPEC board assumes that authority.

The county auditor will then distribute property taxes to both district and charter schools through formulas that are both dictated in state law and created by IPEC.

IPEC will also assume the responsibility of issuing debt to fix school buildings throughout the district, a power previously reserved for the IPS school board.

Although charter boards are also responsible for their school’s finances, they are less affected by the creation of IPEC than the IPS board. Charter boards approve and oversee the school’s annual budget, and control the state and federal funds the charter school receives. The charter school board can also apply for public or private grants, and also must submit an annual audit to the state.

But because charter schools have historically not received property tax funds, charter school boards do not control property tax rates.

What else are school boards and IPEC responsible for?

The IPS board selects a superintendent to run the day-to-day operations of the district. The superintendent, in turn, makes employment recommendations to the board, which approves the hiring or firing of employees.

The IPS board also sets policies that help guide the district, the superintendent, and IPS employees in their daily operations. These policies can include rules on transportation, homework, field trips, and athletics, for example.

Similarly, charter boards can hire or dismiss school leaders and approve policies that help the school function on a daily basis — such as a hiring policy or a policy on electronic student devices.

IPEC, meanwhile, will assume responsibility for transportation and buildings for district and charter schools in the 2028-29 school year. Charter schools can choose not to cede control of their buildings to IPEC, although they would forfeit a portion of property taxes by doing so.

What powers will the IPS board keep, even with IPEC?

The IPS board will still retain authority over many day-to-day district operations.

For example, the IPS board will still set an annual budget for the district based on its state and local property tax funding. The board will also still retain control over the superintendent, oversee hiring and firing of employees, and set the policies that establish how schools run on a daily basis.

When and where do school boards meet?

Both the IPS board and charters are subject to the state’s Open Door Law, which requires the posting of every meeting at least 48 hours in advance at the district’s main office.

The IPS board typically meets at district headquarters at 120 E. Walnut St., and has a calendar of upcoming meetings on its website. Many charter schools also post their upcoming board meetings on their website.

The IPEC board is also subject to the Open Door Law, although information on its meeting schedule and location has not yet been made public.

Correction: This story was corrected to reflect that the county auditor distributes property taxes.

This story was also updated to reflect that IPEC will set property tax rates for IPS and charter schools, and that both state law and IPEC will determine how property taxes are distributed by the county auditor.

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

Indianapolis Public Education Corporation members announced by Mayor Hogsett

2026-03-31T21:48:42+00:00

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Mayor Joe Hogsett announced the members of the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation on Tuesday.

The nine-member board represents a significant change to education in Indianapolis. The corporation will oversee buildings and transportation for district and charter schools, while also assuming the power to collect property taxes. The board will also create a system of accountability that officials could use to decide which schools close.

These changes diminish the power of school boards including the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board. School boards will still have power over day-to-day policy decisions like setting their budgets and curriculums, and they’ll maintain the power to hire and fire the superintendent or school leaders for charter schools.

The corporation’s members are:

Hope Star, IPS board president.
Ashley Thomas, IPS board member.
Deandra Thompson, IPS board member.
David Harris, president and CEO of Christel House International.
Janet McNeal, president of Herron Classical Schools charter network.
Dexter Taylor, director of Paramount Brookside charter school.
Patricia Castañeda, vice president of Key Bank.
John Hammond, partner at the Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm.
Edward Rangel, founding CEO of Adelante Schools charter network.

Harris, who served as charter schools director under former mayor Bart Peterson and later helped found the Mind Trust nonprofit that helps launch charter schools, will serve as the IPEC board chair.

The board was created by state lawmakers in this year’s legislative session following recommendations issued by the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, or ILEA, which met in the second half of 2025. The state law establishing the corporation says that three of its nine members must be charter school leaders, three must be IPS school board members, and three must be experts in areas related to the corporation’s work, such as capital planning or transportation.

The board would assume key powers over finances and referendums beginning this year, and would begin managing school property and transportation in 2028.

“These dedicated leaders possess the expertise necessary to ensure our schools are able to operate efficiently and serve our students equitably,” Hogsett said in a statement. “I believe in their combined ability to make the difficult – but important – decisions that will create a sustainable public school system in Indianapolis for years to come.”

The city also extended its contract with Michael O’Connor of Bose Public Affairs, who led the ILEA through its brainstorming sessions last year. The original contract, paid for by the city with a maximum cost of $340,000, allowed the city to renew its agreement with O’Connor to help implement the ILEA’s recommendations. The extension runs through May and allows for an additional maximum of $200,000.

The date of the corporation’s first meeting has not been announced.

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

Colorado bill would make sure charter schools are considered in local construction ballot measures

2026-03-27T13:00:00+00:00

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Charter school students account for more than 15% of Colorado’s public K-12 enrollment, but advocates say that many charters get far less from local voter initiatives meant to fund construction than the share of students they serve.

A new bill filed last week aims to revise state law to give those schools more consideration from districts in getting their construction needs included on local ballot measures.

According to an analysis by the Colorado League of Charter Schools, a membership-based organization backing the bill, about $15.5 billion was raised from 2015 to 2024 through district ballot measures for construction. Charter schools only received about 3.6% of that money despite a growing share of enrollment.

A legislative analysis of the bill shows the changes won’t cost the state or districts money. And whether this bill increases the amount of taxpayer-approved construction funding for charter schools statewide would be at the discretion of school boards.

Charter schools do also get state money and federal grants for construction and can seek private financiers.

But Dan Schaller, the league’s president, said too many charter schools experience differences in how they work with districts on ballot measures. The goal is to create a fairer process for charter school operators, he said.

“We are approaching things from the vantage point of all public school kids deserve to have their education funded equitably,” Schaller said. “So how do we strengthen the process and make it more clear so that there are adequate opportunities for involvement.”

Colorado school districts can ask voters to raise money for district or charter school construction projects primarily through two methods.

Districts can place a ballot question before local voters to request money to take on onetime bond debt for expenses such as construction or maintenance. Districts can also ask voters to approve a property tax raise for construction, maintenance, or technology upgrades.

Senate Bill 145 would update how districts consider charter school operators in those decisions, including requiring districts to solicit and give consideration to charter school construction proposals.

The bill would also require new timelines for districts working with charter schools on ballot initiatives. And superintendents would need to notify operators about the decision to include or exclude a charter school construction project within a measure.

Bill sponsor state Sen. Scott Bright, a Platteville Republican, said he filed the bill to give charter schools more opportunities to take part in the capital needs discussions.

“Many charter schools have very healthy relationships with school districts,” Bright said. “But in other situations, it’s not always that rosy.”

Bright has held discussions with the Colorado Association of School Boards and the Colorado Association of School Executives about concerns and possible changes to the bill. CASB officials didn’t respond to a request for comment, but a CASE official said in an email that the organization is reviewing the legislation.

Bright also asked Sen. Cathy Kipp, a Fort Collins Democrat, to join as a sponsor. Kipp has served as a school board member and opposed many charter school laws.

She said she agreed to work on the bill because she wanted to ensure the proposal could work for students and districts.

“As much as I’m not a fan of the charter school governance model, I think we have to acknowledge that 15% of the students in the state are being served by one particular method,” Kipp said. “We can treat everybody in a fair manner, because we want all of our kids treated fairly, right?”

House bill sponsors include Democratic state Reps. Lindsay Gilchrist and Andy Boesenecker.

Jason Gonzales is a reporter covering higher education and the Colorado legislature. Chalkbeat Colorado partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage. Contact Jason at jgonzales@chalkbeat.org.

The future of one of Michigan’s oldest charter schools is uncertain

2026-03-27T10:00:01+00:00

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One of Michigan’s oldest charter schools, Barack Obama Leadership Academy, will likely not be approved by the Detroit school district to operate for another year.

At a committee meeting Wednesday night, administrators from the Detroit Public Schools Community District recommended that the school board approve a one-year contract for the school, which would allow it to either make plans to close or find a new authorizer. But board members, who are frustrated with the charter’s struggling academic performance, said the school had not shown enough improvement to continue through the 2026-27 school year.

The charter’s current contract ends June 30.

“The improvement is sad,” Board member Bessie Harris said during the meeting, referencing the assigned school grade given to the charter by the district. “From an F to a D – that’s not an improvement.”

The four board members who were present at the end of the committee meeting decided not to put a vote on the charter’s contract renewal on the agenda of the April board meeting – a move that signaled the body will not allow the district to authorize another year of operation.

Cha-Rhonda Edgerson, CEO of the charter, described the board’s decision as “devastating.” She said it also would give the school, students, and families very little time to make other plans. She described the school as a “pillar in that community.”

She also chastised board members for making the decision without a full board present.

Of the seven board members, Harris, Vice Chair Corletta Vaughn, Chair LaTrice McClendon, and Steve Bland Jr. were present for the discussion about the charter. Monique Bryant left the meeting early. Iris Taylor and Ida Carol Simmons-Short were absent.

Harris, Vaughn, and McClendon each said during the meeting that they were not interested in voting on whether to renew the charter’s contract.

Superintendent Nikolai Vitti said the one-year recommendation was meant only to give the charter a “transitionary year” to find another authorizer or prepare to close. “That’s up to the charter,” he said.

Edgerson did not immediately respond to questions Thursday about whether the charter will seek another authorizer.

Formerly known as Timbuktu Academy, the school offers African-centric education to about 300 students in grades K-5. The school has been open since 1997 on the east side of Detroit.

DPSCD – like other Michigan school districts, community colleges, and universities – can authorize charters. In exchange for monitoring the schools’ compliance with state and federal education laws, authorizers can earn up to 3% of the funding the state gives to charters, also known as public school academies.

The discussion around the Obama academy comes weeks after the Detroit board began navigating its future plans for the district’s relationship with charters. In a February meeting, board members said they want district-authorized charters to meet or exceed the academic achievement in district schools.

The district currently authorizes seven charters, including the Obama school, with one more charter expected to open in the fall.

More than half of Detroit’s school-age children go to charters. There were 81 city charters last year.

Small academic gains were not enough for the board

The Obama charter has long struggled academically.

Last year, DPSCD approved a one-year contract with the Obama charter with the condition it improve student achievement and the handling of its finances, as well as reduce chronic absenteeism. The district has given similar warnings to the charter since 2020.

In the 2024-25 school year, only 10.4% of students at the charter met benchmarks on state tests for reading and writing. In math, 2.8% met benchmarks. The numbers reflected a small margin of improvement from the previous year.

In DPSCD the same year, 15.4% of students in the same grades tested at or above proficiency for reading and writing and 12.3% in math.

The charter also reduced chronic absenteeism to 62.2% last year – a reduction of 2.1 percentage points compared to the previous year.

The chronic absenteeism rate was 60.9% last school year in DPSCD.

In December, the charter was released from its “partnership agreement” – a three-year contract that districts make with the Michigan Department of Education to rapidly improve – because it needed testing proficiency gains.

As part of efforts to improve, the charter has taken a number of steps.

It hired a full-time data coach and stepped up professional development for staff, according to DPSCD. It also made a plan to address its debt with the MDE, and the charter reduced staffing to align with its budget.

Though the charter showed improvement, it still did not meet the performance standards of district schools in the same neighborhood or those with African-centered curriculums, according to DPSCD.

Vaughn, the vice chair, said despite years of warnings, the school has “never, ever been able to come up.”

Hannah Dellinger covers Detroit schools for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at hdellinger@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis charter school switches authorizers, avoiding potential closure

2026-03-12T17:40:05+00:00

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An east side charter school successfully switched authorizers on Thursday and avoided a looming decision that could have led to its closure.

The Education One board approved Rooted School Indianapolis for two separate charters. One charter gives Rooted the green light to continue operating its 7-12 school within Eastern Star Church in the Arlington Woods neighborhood. The other gives Rooted permission to launch a K-6 school, starting with sixth grade in 2028.

Thursday’s decision is a lifeline for the school of roughly 150 students, which aims to give students a path to financial freedom with high-wage careers. The approval comes just weeks before Education One will lose its ability to authorize schools within Indianapolis Public Schools borders.

Authorizers grant charter schools permission to open and operate, and can revoke or not renew their charter at the end of its term for various issues.

The approval came despite concern from its current authorizer — the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, or OEI — that the school was trying to change authorizers in order to avoid accountability. In a letter sent to Education One last month, OEI Director Shaina Cavazos said the office was preparing not to renew the school’s charter, a decision that could have led the school to shut down.

Education One director Emily Gaskill took a different view.

“The proposed transfer to another authorizer should not be interpreted as an effort of the school to avoid accountability,” Gaskill said at the meeting. “If anything, when someone moves to us, there is going to be an automatic increase in accountability.”

Rooted’s founder, Ma’at Lands, told Chalkbeat last week that the school had been considering a change in authorizers since October and was attracted to Education One’s support systems and frequent in-person school visits.

Education One disputes concerns about Rooted charter school

The charter school and OEI haven’t seen eye-to-eye on a variety of issues.

In 2022, for example, OEI put Rooted on notice for failing to comply with laws for English language learner students, including providing a teacher of record for English language learner students. The office also took issue with the school’s teacher licensure rate of 50%, which is below the state law requiring a 90% rate for charter schools.

Lands said the school later addressed the teacher-of-record requirement, and OEI later confirmed with the school that it boosted its teaching licensure rates.

OEI also took issue with the school’s enrollment, noting that Rooted missed enrollment targets for 2022-23 and 2023-24 by over 10%. The school has grown from 58 ninth-grade students in 2020 to 153 this school year, according to enrollment records.

In a letter to Education One, Cavazos also noted concerns about Rooted’s academic outcomes.

Roughly 21% of Rooted’s seventh- and eighth-graders reached proficiency in English on the state’s latest ILEARN exam and roughly 10% reached proficiency in math — although other schools in OEI’s portfolio show lower results. The most recent SAT results indicate that just 1 of 20 students met the state-designated benchmark in both the English and math sections.

But at Education One’s Thursday meeting, Gaskill noted that the school met or exceeded most standards, based on a recent site visit from OEI. And she said the office was only looking at enrollment targets the school filed in their application, not the figures the school based its budget on.

“They are so strong financially that it’s very clear that whatever their enrollment is currently, it’s serving itself on an organizational and an academic playing field,” Gaskill said.

Cavazos told Chalkbeat that OEI does consider how a school’s actual enrollment compares to what it budgeted for.

And the school’s launch during the pandemic means there is only a few years’ worth of data by which to measure academic progress, Gaskill noted. She also pointed to an increase in proficiency on the ILEARN from last year.

“It’s reflecting that academic improvement is there, rather than stagnation or decline,” she said.

Rooted’s current charter school will switch to Education One beginning next school year. The board approved its second charter for the planned K-6 school with a few conditions, including that the 7-12 school meets Education One’s standards for growth.

The existing school must also demonstrate full compliance with laws related to special populations, including students with disabilities and English language learners.

New law restricts charter school authorization in Indianapolis

A new law that overhauls control over resources for district and charter schools in IPS restricts charter authorizing to OEI, the Indiana Charter School Board, and the IPS school board, which has expressed interest in becoming an authorizer.

Schools authorized by other authorizers like Education One before April 1 of this year can continue operating through the term of their charters. But after those charters expire, the new law requires the schools to seek authorization with one of the three approved entities.

Education One had objected to losing its power to authorize schools in IPS borders, arguing that high-quality authorizing is not determined by the location of the authorizer or its type.

Trine University is located over two hours away from Indianapolis.

This story has been updated to include a comment from OEI on how it considers enrollment in the context of budgeting.

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

Future of IPS hinges on possible tax increase proposed by a new corporation, not the school board

2026-03-03T18:33:40+00:00

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The future of Indianapolis Public Schools could hinge on whether voters approve a tax increase proposed not by the district’s elected school board, but by a new corporation with appointed members.

The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC, is slated to take control of several aspects of the district’s finances as soon as April, under state legislation passed last month. That bill gives the corporation, not the IPS school board, the power to put a proposed tax increase on the ballot. The corporation’s members must first be appointed by the mayor.

IPS’s current operating referendum, which voters approved in 2018, expires this year. The district already projects ending this year with a $40 million cash deficit, and by next year will have entirely depleted its reserves, according to IPS documents.

In other words, without that voter-approved funding, the district will be out of money by 2027, producing consequences that could range from staff layoffs to school closures.

Although IPEC could decide not to put a tax referendum to voters, observers have not expressed fears about that possibility. Declining to propose one could also undermine the corporation’s other work related to operations for district and charter schools. In creating IPEC, lawmakers also outlined specific ballot language that IPEC must use for a referendum.

While some recent developments in the state’s fiscal climate could make voters less inclined to approve the referendum in November, others could make its path easier.

In a statement, IPS said that it is committed to “critical collaboration” with IPEC.

“We have a great sense of urgency to promote the stability for all students in the IPS boundary through this transitional period,” the district said.

Mayor Joe Hogsett has until March 31 to appoint IPEC’s nine members, who in turn will have four months to place a referendum question on the November ballot.

One factor that might aid a November tax referendum is that, for the first time, local charter schools that enroll students living within IPS borders can opt into receiving money from it. That shared interest could help IPS and the charter sector work together, which has often proven very difficult recently.

“IPS and the charter schools may be fighting it out, and IPS may not like having to turn the money over. But once the referendum is on the ballot, the charters and IPS go for it,” said Larry DeBoer, a professor emeritus at Purdue University who specializes in tax referendums. “Even if they don’t like each other, they’re on the same side.”

IPS finances struggle after years of extra support

Recent property tax relief is projected to leave IPS and government entities statewide with less property tax revenue than they would have otherwise collected.

That tax relief lawmakers passed last year will reduce the district’s local property tax base by 1.9% annually through 2031, according to the district. Although the referendum’s odds of success might benefit from charters’ support of it, charters would also benefit from revenue that in past years would have gone to IPS.

All that could lead IPEC to propose an operating referendum that is more expensive than the current one, which added roughly 19.6 cents in taxes per $100 of assessed value.

The last time voters approved a referendum to fund district schools with 72% of the vote, it produced better results than IPS expected.

IPS projected the current operating referendum, passed in 2018, to bring in $220 million over eight years. But changes in property values led the total anticipated amount to soar to roughly $323 million, a nearly 47% increase over the initial projection, IPS documents show.

The district credits that funding for increasing teacher salaries significantly. In 2017-18, the district’s minimum starting salary of $40,000 was among the lowest in Marion County. Today, IPS offers the highest out of all districts in the county. In 2021, the district also agreed to share some of the funding with charters in its Innovation Network.

Not all plans for referendums have turned out as smoothly.

In 2022, the district proposed another operating referendum. But amid pressure from charter parents and supporters to share that funding with all local charter schools — and facing opposition from the city’s chamber of commerce — the school board tabled the measure.

IPS officials said the proposal would have generated about $50 million in additional funds annually over eight years to help fund the expansion of specialized academic programs under its Rebuilding Stronger reorganization, and to support continued competitive staff compensation.

The district continued with its Rebuilding Stronger organization, closing six schools and expanding programs such as dual language and Montessori, without the tax increase. Officials said at the time that they would cut costs in central services and operations to implement the reorganization plan.

Tax hike could be tougher sell than in 2018

Several factors could make a referendum harder to pass.

Under a change to state law in 2025, Indiana now requires school districts to float referendums in general elections in the fall — when historically they were less likely to pass than in the spring, DeBoer said. At the same time, voters are more likely to approve a referendum that is a continuation of the current one, he said.

From 2016 to 2019, 76% of referendums statewide passed. But from 2020 to 2025, that fell to 68%, according to an analysis from DeBoer.

“I would guess that the environment now is a little less favorable than it was back in 2018,” he said. “We were eight years into an economic expansion. People were probably in a somewhat better mood than they are now.”

Another concern is that having an appointed board receive property tax dollars raises serious concerns about accountability, said Monica Shellhamer of the Indianapolis Education Association.

“We’re not quite sure yet what it means to have our new IPEC board,” Shelhamer said.

But most voters don’t care about such technicalities about how referendums work, DeBoer said.

Taylor Hughes, chief strategy officer for the Indy Chamber, said the organization wants to balance the need for a “world-class education” in the state’s capital without overburdening the taxpayers.

“We’ve had significant inflation for a long time. The politics of affordability is a bipartisan cry. This is something that everybody is feeling squeezed on,” Hughes said. “I think that is a dynamic that we need to be mindful of.”

IPS supporters have called for adequate funding for public education. But the Chamber would want to know what a fully funded school system looks like, Hughes said. If there is a need for a referendum, he said, it’s really important that everyone is “singing from the same song book.”

“If this becomes a fight,” he said, “I think that’s probably a lose-lose for everybody.”

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

Indianapolis charter school focused on students with autism to acquire shuttered IPS building

2026-02-26T01:40:30+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools will sell the Raymond Brandes School 65 building for $1 to a charter school that serves students with autism.

The school board’s approval on Wednesday to sell the building to Dynamic Minds Academy could mark the last time the district sells a building under a state law that requires traditional school districts to provide shuttered or underutilized buildings to charters or state educational institutions for $1.

The building, which was constructed on the district’s southeast side in 1961. It would provide a critical second campus for Dynamic Minds, which operates a K-12 school on the northeast side of Marion County. The school partners with the Hope Source clinic that offers applied behavioral analysis, a service known as ABA therapy that serves students with autism, for an experience that combines therapy with school.

The school enrolled 135 students this year, according to state records, but it has about 160 students on its waitlist, education director Samantha Bandy told Chalkbeat last month. She anticipates the need to grow even more, as state efforts to cut Medicaid spending impacts ABA centers that rely on such funding.

“We’re getting a lot more interest from families that aren’t ready for traditional public school but they’re being pushed out of their ABA center,” she said.

The school plans to open in the fall of 2027 to grades K-12 and is seeking approval from Education One at Trine University, which authorizes its existing campus.

The $1 sale could be the last of its kind, because lawmakers are considering a bill that would exempt IPS from the law and establish a new corporation to manage school buildings and transportation for district and charter schools.

A state appeals court ruled last year that the district must sell School 65 to any interested school.

Both Dynamic Minds and Damar Charter Academy — another charter school serving students with behavioral and developmental challenges — expressed interest in the building. State law dictates that if more than one charter school expresses an interest in an unused building, a committee of charter school authorizers must select which school receives the facility.

IPS will list School 68 on open market

The school board also voted Wednesday to list Susan Roll Leach School 68 as available for sale on the open market after no charter schools or institutions expressed interest in buying the property for $1.

The building in the near eastside neighborhood, built in 1938, had the lowest overall facility quality rating in the district, according to a previous study that IPS commissioned.

No charter schools expressed interest in purchasing the former Susan Roll Leach School 68 building on the east side of the district.

IPS will hire a broker to oversee the building’s potential sale.

The board also voted to transfer roughly 18 acres of the former John Marshall school property on the Far Eastside to the city’s parks department. IndyParks plans to use the land, which includes the school’s athletic fields, as part of its master plan for Grassy Creek Regional Park.

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

As lawmakers push to unify operations for Indianapolis schools, charters could get an edge

2026-02-24T18:49:47+00:00

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An attempt to unify operations for traditional public and charter schools in Indianapolis is proving to be a complex task that could ultimately favor charters over district schools in critical ways.

At the heart of the matter: ownership and control of school buildings, some of which are privately owned or leased by charter schools and some of which are publicly owned by Indianapolis Public Schools. The future landscape for the roughly 42,000 students in IPS and charter schools could be shaped by how easily schools can access or control these buildings.

The move to centralize control over buildings comes as Indianapolis has grappled with a fractured education system of two different school sectors— traditional and charter — operating with different access to buildings and different transportation systems using different funds.

That divide is what a state-established task force known as the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, or ILEA, sought to bridge through recommendations in December that have formed the basis for legislation advancing in the Indiana Statehouse.

But in the broader attempt at efficiency, at least some charter schools appear to be gaining what could be key advantages. Whether charters maintain that edge will depend heavily on the actions of a mayor-appointed board over the next two years.

Lawmakers last month made key changes to legislation that would create the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC, to manage transportation and facilities for district schools as well as charters within IPS boundaries. The revision would allow charters to opt into or out of the bill’s mandate that schools turn over control of their buildings to the proposed corporation.

Another addition to the legislation directs the corporation to create a process to close “inefficient” school buildings based on underutilized capacity.

The opt-out provision could favor the nearly two-dozen charters that already own their buildings by making it easier for them to maintain control of those facilities even after IPEC launches. In addition, due to enrollment trends, the process focused on shuttering underutilized schools could ultimately create a net benefit for charters by closing several IPS-run school buildings that the corporation could give to charters.

The legislation is based on recommendations from the ILEA. The debate over the bill mirrors recent and at times bitter political disputes between IPS and charters. IPS supporters have argued that the new corporation will not solve problems facing the city’s schools. Charter advocates, meanwhile, say charters should not be forced to give control of privately owned buildings to a public entity such as IPEC.

Republican Rep. Bob Behning, the bill author, said his goal is to create a facilities plan that every school would want to participate in so that school leaders can focus on academics.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said other parts of the bill could streamline operations across both district and charter schools. But it depends on how the bill is actually implemented.

The bill gives the corporation until 2028 — the same year charters will start receiving property taxes — to enact a transportation and facilities plan across all school types.

“[The] devil’s in the details in terms of how the execution works, in terms of how there’s collaboration across different entities, in terms of how we all think about the trade-offs that might be necessary to actually make this work,” Johnson told Chalkbeat. “And that we don’t know yet.”

Charters schools want to keep control over buildings

Behning has said his intent is for the corporation to own all school buildings. But his legislation, HB 1423, only says that IPEC would “control” buildings through the facilities plan.

Schools that opt out of that plan would not receive property tax dollars reserved for building needs. But the nearly two-dozen charters that already own their buildings might prefer to opt out and prioritize maintaining control over their facilities over gaining access to that revenue starting in 2028. Their need for that revenue to acquire or lease buildings could be minimal or non-existent.

Meanwhile, charter schools operating in IPS buildings and charter applicants aiming to start a school could benefit by allowing IPEC to control their buildings, because they could still gain access to new or different buildings for their schools.

The legislation includes the same opt-out provision for IPS. But that flexibility is “almost symbolic,” Behning admitted. That’s because if the district opted out, it would lose the very property tax funding it currently relies on to pay for buildings.

In addition, forcing charters to relinquish control of their buildings — which might be a privately held asset — to a public entity could create legal problems, some charter advocates say.

As of 2024-25, over 20 charter schools owned their buildings, while another 19 leased space and 12 operated in IPS buildings as part of the school’s Innovation Network, according to a report from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

At Circle City Prep, owning its school building on the Far Eastside allows the charter to pursue quick improvements and modifications, executive director Megan Murphy said in an email. The school would want to preserve that flexibility and autonomy, she said.

“It is in the best interest of our scholars and the community we serve to be able to be adaptive to the needs of our school and student population,” Murphy said.

Meanwhile, closing underutilized buildings would likely hit IPS particularly hard and also could affect charter schools struggling with enrollment.

At least eight schools run by IPS, which recently experienced its biggest drop in enrollment since the pandemic, are operating at a building capacity of 50% or lower, according state enrollment data for this year and a previous IPS study. Previously, lawmakers have used that 50% threshold to determine when certain traditional school districts would have to offer underenrolled buildings to charter schools for $1.

Building usage across charter schools is less clear. But at least four charter schools were operating at below 50% of their stated capacity in 2024-25 — a figure based on the number or students the school intends to serve rather than on the dimensions of a physical building, according to a mayor’s office report.

IPS supporters fear what lawmakers are planning

Lawmakers have stressed the district’s impending financial cliff as reasons for the drastic changes in HB 1423. The district anticipates ending the school year with a $40 million cash flow deficit.

While charters will gain access to property tax revenue in two years, IPS is projected to lose significant funding from property taxes due to various changes at the state level. In addition, IPS funding from a property tax hike that voters approved several years ago expires in 2026.

But the district’s supporters say traditional IPS schools need adequate education funding from the state, not the looming overhaul to key aspects of how the district works. They worry that recent events like the evolution of Behning’s bill point to the gradual demolition of IPS in favor of charters.

“Let me be clear what compromise looks like when you’re negotiating with people who want to dismantle you,” IPS parent Courtney Hawk, part of the Fully Funded, Fully Public campaign that wants an elected school board to maintain control of IPS assets, said at a district board meeting last month. “It looks like surrender in slow motion.”

The bill doesn’t match the charter sector’s priorities in some respects, however. Some charter advocates have pushed back on a requirement that all schools offer transportation, for example. Charters have struggled to offer transportation without property tax funding.

Behning’s legislation says all traditional public and charter schools inside district boundaries must provide for transportation for all students, a service that IPEC would manage. The requirement reflects a recommendation from the ILEA, and supports an argument from some school choice advocates and many parents that true choice is not possible without a way to get to school.

But Scott Bess of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center, a charter advocacy group, pointed out that state law doesn’t require school districts to offer transportation, and it should therefore not be required for any schools within IPS boundaries.

There’s some truth to the different concerns from both IPS and charters, said Barato Britt, who served on the ILEA. But if lawmakers follow the task force’s intent as closely as possible, he said, “we will have made progress to transform an already evolved educational landscape in a more connected fashion.”

“We can’t act like our trajectory without it was promising, whether it was the traditional space or the charter space,” said Britt, who serves on the board of the KIPP Indy Public Schools charter network. “Something had to be done.”

Ultimately, the pressure will be on IPEC’s board to address the big challenges lawmakers are poised to ask it to solve.

Indiana’s legislative session is due to end Friday.

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

Monarca Academy expands to high school with boost from $2 million grant

2026-02-19T18:01:04+00:00

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When families come to tour Monarca Academy, founder Francisco Valdiosera sometimes shows them a picture of himself and his wife — both first-generation college graduates of Latino heritage — surrounded by their parents at their Stanford University graduation.

The middle school’s embrace of the Latino culture and the immigrant experience has attracted those families since it launched in 2022 on the west side of Indianapolis. Seeing someone from that community who has obtained a prestigious education, Valdiosera said, speaks to them.

“I show them that picture, and I say, ‘This is what I want for your children. That’s me, but that’s your son,’” he said. “‘That’s my wife, but that’s what I want for your daughter.’”

That kind of pitch has helped the school grow from just 41 sixth-grade students in 2022 to 217 across grades 6-8 this year at its location within Northwest Middle School in Indianapolis Public Schools. Monarca plans to add a ninth grade in the fall — and eventually hopes to add grades 10-12 as allowed in its charter —with help from a $2 million grant from the Lilly Endowment.

It’s a significant step for a charter school serving a majority Latino population that, like many other schools, must navigate the fears of federal immigration enforcement and its impact on families. The expansion into high school also comes as Indianapolis Public Schools and charters face an unknown future in how transportation and buildings are distributed to schools.

The grant will help fund a counselor as well as intensive tutoring that staff hope will particularly help the school’s many multilingual students.

The funding complements a $200,000 grant the school received from the endowment in June. That boosted its arts and extracurricular programming — which includes ballet folklórico from Mexico and the Brazilian martial art of capoeira — helped the school implement restorative justice discipline practices, and supported a multilingual learner specialist.

“As we’ve been able to expand every year with our programming, with our athletics, with our arts, it’s been amazing to see how different kids are feeling more connected to school,” said founding Principal Felicia Sears.

Monarca’s pillars encourage students to celebrate their roots

Monarca, Spanish for “monarch,” is inspired by the monarch butterfly that represents transformation and migration.

“As a school name, Monarca Academy signals that students are not defined by where they begin,” the school said in a statement. “They are in motion. They are becoming.”

The school, which exists in the culturally diverse part of northwest Indianapolis, is rooted in three values: academic rigor through “ganas” or perseverance, community or “comunidad,” and pride — “orgullo” — that encourages each student to embrace their culture.

Staff say that approach is particularly helpful in the country’s current political environment. Amid fears of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, they encourage students to talk to the school’s social worker and try to see all the challenges the student may be bringing with them into the classroom.

“The approach of, ‘I’m going to see you and love you as a human first’ is absolutely essential to all the work that we’re doing and all the barriers that we’re trying to remove,” said seventh grade English teacher Danielle Boylan.

A significant portion of the $2 million grant, which will be used over five years, will help fund a counselor position to focus on academic and emotional support for students and help the school’s existing social worker — a key position as the school continues to grow.

Staff hope that tutoring funded through the grant will also help English language learner students improve fluency and understand English language arts content. Over 76% of the school’s students are English language learners this year, according to state enrollment records.

In the future, the school also plans to add a college and career readiness coordinator.

Monarca, which is part of the IPS Innovation Network of autonomous schools, plans to stay in Northwest Middle School as it grows.

But state lawmakers are considering legislation that would create an Indianapolis Public Education Corporation to control school buildings throughout IPS. The corporation would determine which schools have access to certain buildings, a process that could be based in part on a school rating system it would develop.

“We feel confident that whatever happens and whoever has control of this building, we will have a place for Monarca Academy students here,” Valdiosera said.

Loani, an eighth grader, was attracted to Monarca because the school “wanted people to show up as themselves.” Chalkbeat is not providing the last names of students due to the current political climate around immigration enforcement.

As she discussed high school options with her mother, she realized that she wanted to stay for ninth grade.

“It wasn’t just like a school — I was close with everyone, every staff, every student,” she said. “I’ve known them personally for years. So that’s why I’m going to stay.”

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

African American Coalition: Parents of color ‘not a monolith’ in supporting IPS overhaul

2026-02-12T23:52:44+00:00

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A coalition of Black community groups is accusing education reform organizations of misrepresenting opinions in the African American community in a bid to pass legislation that would significantly reduce the power of an elected Indianapolis Public Schools board.

“African Americans are not a monolith, but claims made by organizations and institutions with little or no authentic connection to the Black community do not reflect the public record and are deeply concerning,” said the statement released Wednesday by the African American Coalition of Indianapolis.

The statement reflects months of tension between lawmakers, reform groups, and residents over the future of Indianapolis Public Schools and comes as lawmakers are debating a governance overhaul. House Bill 1423, based on recommendations from the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, would create a new corporation to oversee key aspects of district operations as well as the many charters within district borders. The elected school board would be left with much less authority.

A lead employee at the Mind Trust, a nonprofit that supports the bill and helped start many Indianapolis charter schools, told lawmakers last week that white parents opposed the controversial House Bill 1423 while parents of color supported it.

“You all heard from a number of parents who look like me and live in my neighborhood today — one even claimed to be from among the wealthiest — and they have opposed this bill,” said Kim Preston, the Mind Trust’s senior vice president of policy, who is white. “By comparison, I’ll point out that parents of color have shown up today and throughout the ILEA process to support this effort. Their voices matter and their students deserve our support.”

But the African American Coalition said it has expressed “serious concerns” about the bill, including removing the elected board from a district that primarily serves Black and brown students.

The bill would create the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, which would take control over transportation and school buildings in IPS and assume the power to collect and levy property taxes. It comes at a time when IPS is led by its first Black female superintendent and overseen by its first school board consisting entirely of women of color.

Any major changes to IPS would affect a student body that is roughly 38% Black and 37% Latino, according to state enrollment records.

The coalition statement speaks to broader racial dynamics that have long been at play in the push to expand charter schools in Indianapolis.

Charter advocates like the Mind Trust have consistently highlighted that Black and Latino charter school students score higher on the state’s standardized ILEARN exam than their peers in IPS. Parents of color affiliated with Stand for Children Indiana, meanwhile, have pushed for IPS to expand charter schools that produce better outcomes for Black and Latino students.

Both organizations are led by white men.

The Mind Trust declined to comment.

Stand for Children said in a statement that it agrees with the coalition’s call for listening to families and that many families support the types of changes called for in House Bill 1423.

“We’re blessed to be affiliated with remarkable parent leaders who have spent literally thousands of hours digging deep on education policy and talking directly with their neighbors and elected leaders for many, many years,” Stand for Children said. And those parent leaders consistently say “they want transportation for all, greater accountability for every school type, and a focus on growing schools that are actually closing the achievement gap.”

AACI spokesperson Marshawn Wolley told Chalkbeat that the way race has been used in the broader fight is a “manipulation” of Black people and “reeks of paternalism.”

“What’s really frustrating about the comment from the Mind Trust is it’s like they only want to listen to certain Black people,” Wolley said.

Wolley questioned the success of some charter schools, noting that high suspension rates may drive out some students and bolster claims of higher academic performance. And across all school types, proficiency rates in Indianapolis are still largely well below statewide averages.

“My concern is that we’re making radical changes for systems that in the aggregate only have marginally better outcomes, if that,” Wolley said. “And it’s completely disruptive.”

The Greater Indianapolis NAACP — which is part of the coalition — has also opposed creating an appointed entity over IPS.

“Elected school boards answer to the public,” Chrystal Ratcliffe, the branch’s president, said in a statement in December. “Appointed boards reduce transparency, weaken community participation, and erode trust in decisions that affect every neighborhood in Indianapolis, particularly historically marginalized communities.”

The Concerned Clergy of Indianapolis, a group of pastors created during the Civil Rights Movement, has also joined the IPS Parent Council and the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America in opposing plans to dilute the power of the elected school board.

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

Corrections and Clarifications: This article has been updated to include the correct name of the IPS Parent Council.

PPHS to close South Bend campus to focus on Indianapolis schools amid declining enrollment

2026-02-10T12:00:00+00:00

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The Purdue Polytechnic High School board of directors will close the charter network’s South Bend location amid financial challenges while it focuses on the long-term stability of its two remaining Indianapolis campuses.

The decision comes amid declining enrollment at both its South Bend and Broad Ripple campuses that could signal a broader enrollment challenge for both traditional public and charter schools. The South Bend location served 112 students this year, according to state enrollment records.

PPHS declined an interview through a public relations professional and did not answer specific questions about the South Bend closure. And it’s unclear if the network still has plans for a third Indianapolis location as previously planned.

In June, OEI issued a notice of deficiency for the network’s two Indianapolis campuses that cited concerns over financial reporting and missed enrollment targets at the Broad Ripple campus.

But in a statement last week, OEI Executive Director Shaina Cavazos said the school is well-positioned to build strong fiscal health based on recent performance and enrollment trends.

“Throughout my communication with the board and school leadership, it has been clear the focus remains on building strong fiscal health for the Indianapolis schools,” Cavazos said.

In South Bend, a partnership with the Career Academy Network of Public Schools — another charter network with four schools in South Bend — allows PPHS South Bend students to be offered priority enrollment at Career Academy schools next school year, the network said in a press release. South Bend staff members will also be able to interview for open positions at Career Academy locations.

Fast growth in first campus sparks quick launch of two others

PPHS launched in Indianapolis in 2017 with the support of former Governor and then-Purdue University President Mitch Daniels. The high school model focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math with a goal of increasing the number of historically underserved students of color attending Purdue University.

The network’s first location in the east side area of Englewood, approved by the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, grew by one grade each year and has since seen year-over-year enrollment growth with 617 students this year, according to state enrollment records.

The network launched two other locations in quick succession. In 2019-20, PPHS North, also approved by OEI, opened with 64 students and later moved into Broad Ripple Middle School through a partnership with Indianapolis Public Schools. The next year, PPHS opened its South Bend campus.

But both of those locations have been losing students in recent years. In Broad Ripple, enrollment has dropped from its high of 283 in 2022-23 to 220 this school year, well below the maximum 600 threshold that the school pitched to the mayor’s office in its application.

In South Bend, enrollment peaked in 2023-24 at 154 and now sits at 112. In its application to the Indiana Charter School Board — which authorized the South Bend campus — it planned for a capacity of 500.

Another charter authorizer, Education One at Trine University, approved PPHS to open a third high school in Indianapolis in 2023. That opening date has been repeatedly delayed.

The school’s spokesperson did not answer a question on whether it would still open that campus.

Education One executive director Emily Gaskill said in an email that the school was approved but a charter agreement was never executed. If a charter is not executed for a school, then the school would need to reapply, she said.

Focusing on the network’s Indianapolis schools will strengthen the Purdue brand in Indianapolis, a spokesperson for PPHS said. Purdue University is expanding its presence in the city with the creation of Purdue University Indianapolis, which launched in 2024 after Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis split into two schools.

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

New Jersey renews 22 charter school agreements and nine enrollment expansions, including two in Newark

2026-01-31T00:05:38+00:00

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New Jersey’s education department approved the renewal of five charter schools in Newark and the expansion of two schools, but denied an enrollment expansion for KIPP schools, known as TEAM Academy in Newark after the city’s public school district raised objections.

Kevin Dehmer, the state’s education commissioner, renewed Great Oaks Legacy, LEAD, Robert Treat Academy, North Star Academy, and all Newark KIPP schools to operate for the next five years, through Jan. 30, 2031, according to charter school decision letters obtained by Chalkbeat from the state education department.

Robert Treat Academy, with campuses in the North and Central wards, and North Star Academy, part of the Uncommon Schools network across Newark, received approval to boost their enrollment by the 2030-31 school year, but the state blocked KIPP’s request to add just over 1,000 seats by 2030-31 across its schools in Newark.

Kevin Dehmer, the state’s education commissioner, sent charter school decision letters on Jan. 16, before Gov. Mikie Sherrill was sworn in. The letters were sent to schools statewide that sought renewals or amendments to their charter agreements, including requests to renew charter applications, add a grade level, or increase seats. The education department evaluates requests by reviewing a charter school’s academic, operational, and fiscal standing, outlined by state guidelines.

State laws allow charter schools to be renewed for a maximum of five years, but under new legislation signed this month, the education commissioner can grant 10-year renewals to charter schools that meet high-performing standards.

This year, 22 charter school requests were approved statewide, including the five in Newark. New Jersey renewed charter agreements for schools in Jersey City, Paterson, Hoboken, and Camden, and denied the expansion of Thomas Edison EnergySmart School in Somerset. Overall, nine charter school enrollment expansions were approved across the state.

The decisions follow previous charter school determinations made under former Gov. Phil Murphy to approve charter schools and deny expansions. Sherrill has not explicitly stated her plans for charter schools in New Jersey, but during her campaign, she generally opposed expanding school choice through vouchers or new charter schools. She has said she would support expanding the state’s Intradistrict Public School Choice program.

Newark Public Schools Superintendent Roger Leon asked the state to renew KIPP’s charter agreement without an enrollment expansion, citing the “fiscal impact” on the district, according to the state letter. Leon alleged that the network “does not enroll a proportional share of multilingual learners and students with disabilities,” according to a letter he submitted.

Leon also opposed expansions for North Star Academy and Robert Treat Academy, citing the same reasons.

The charter school decisions come as Leon continues to reclaim Newark public school buildings lost under the state’s 25-year takeover of the district. He has vowed to slow the spread of charter schools in the city. In 2024, the district won a four-year legal battle that forced People’s Preparatory Charter School out of the Bard Early College High School. The school merged with Achieve Community Charter School to create a new K-12 school called BRICK Gateway Academy.

Newark Public Schools opposes charter school expansion

KIPP Schools in Newark are known as TEAM Academy and enroll students in grades K-12 across 12 schools. The network of schools in Newark requested to expand enrollment from 7,920 seats to 9,010 seats by the 2030-31 school year, according to its state decision letter this year.

After reviewing the network’s academic, organizational, and financial performance, the state found that KIPP TEAM Academy partially met standards in board capacity, school climate and culture, and access and equity. According to annual reports submitted to the state, the charter network’s board had not conducted formal evaluations. The board is expected to complete them during the next five years, according to the state letter.

The network also reported a 17% out-of-school suspension rate for school years 2021-22 through 2023-24, during which several kindergarten through second grade students received out-of-school suspensions each year, the state letter read.

State officials said the high number of suspensions created “significant concerns” in the network’s ability to adhere to state law, which restricts out-of-school suspensions for those grade levels, the state’s decision letter stated.

But the state found the charter network met standards in educating students with disabilities and multilingual learners, contradicting Leon’s allegations. KIPP schools in Newark have roughly 939 students with Individualized Education Programs, with an average of 80 to 90 students with existing IEPs or Section 504 Plans enrolled annually, according to the state letter.

John Abeigon, the president of the Newark Teachers Union, the American Federation of Teachers, and the City Association of Supervisors and Administrators, among other unions and groups, also submitted comments opposing the charter network’s enrollment expansion.

Newark Mayor Ras Baraka, along with council members Patrick Council and Anibal Ramos, submitted comments in support of the charter network, expressing support for the charter renewal due to the network’s “strong academic record and the educational choice it provides to the Newark community,” according to the state letter.

By the 2030-31 school year, Robert Treat Academy will expand from 860 seats to 1,620 seats, while North Star Academy, with schools in the Central and West Wards, will boost enrollment from 7,792 seats to 8,556 seats after receiving approval this year.

Jessie Gomez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Correction: Jan. 30, 2026: A previous version of this story reported that TEAM Academy was seeking to expand its enrollment by 7,920 seats to 9,010 seats by 2030-31. That request was from the KIPP charter network and included TEAM Academy and 11 other Newark schools KIPP operates.

Power over Indianapolis school closures and buildings would shift in revised bill

2026-01-29T22:48:37+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation would not have the direct authority to close public schools, and charters could keep control of their school buildings, according to a bill amendment lawmakers approved Thursday.

Under the amendment to House Bill 1423, charter authorizers and Indianapolis Public Schools — not the proposed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation — would maintain the power to close schools. But if they fail to do so, the corporation could appeal to the state board of education to close the school. The state board would ultimately have to approve the school closure.

In addition, the amendment — introduced by Rep. Bob Behning, the Republican chair of the House Education Committee — would allow charters within IPS boundaries to opt into or out of a facility management plan overseen by the new corporation.

The proposed changes to how school closures work and who controls buildings is part of a broader plan to change key aspects of how public schools work in the city and shift some resources from IPS to charter schools.

The amended bill clarifies that both charter authorizers and IPS must agree on a universal performance framework that could be used to determine which schools must close. IPS has closed several school buildings in recent years, while a large share of charters have shut down over the last few decades.

The revised bill says IPS would still be required to cede authority over their school buildings to the corporation, and also give up power over transportation and the ability to collect and levy property taxes, to the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, or IPEC. But Behning said during House discussions Thursday that he would commit to allowing IPS to opt out of the mandate to give up control over its buildings.

Such a move could further reduce the proposed corporation’s ability to unify oversight of key aspects of how the city’s public schools work.

Shortly after that comment from Behning, IPS released a statement blasting how the revised bill created a carve-out for charters. The district said it created “a glaring double standard” because it would grant “charter schools the power to opt out of management and control of school property by the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation Board while denying that very same flexibility to IPS.”

Before the House discussions, Behning said his amendment came in response to concern from charter schools that paid for their buildings with private dollars. Since charters have not historically had access to property tax funding for such expenses, they have relied on other funding resources to acquire facilities.

But there would be significant consequences for charter schools that choose not to participate in facilities management, like losing capital referendum and debt service funding, and the charter school facility grant once charter schools have access to more resources, Behning said during discussions with other House lawmakers.

“If I’m a charter … I would have to figure out how I’m going to do all my operations, pay for everything out of those operating dollars, which they have never had to do,” Behning said. “I don’t really think any of them are going to do it.”

Within district borders, over 20 charter schools owned their buildings in the 2024-25 school year, while another 19 leased space and 12 operated in IPS buildings as part of the school’s Innovation Network, according to a report from the Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

The amendment allows charters that lease or own their buildings to decide whether to give control of the facility to IPEC. But if charters do opt out, they would not receive property tax dollars for capital needs.

During Thursday’s House discussion of the bill, Behning said his amendment didn’t outline how charter schools with privately owned buildings, or even IPS with outstanding bonds, would participate in facilities management. That’s a task for IPEC to determine in its feasibility study before assuming control of buildings in 2028-29, he said. The bill directs the new corporation to complete that study to examine building management by Nov. 30, 2027.

“If I was a charter that had privately built a building with private dollars, not with public dollars, if I want to be part of this, that’s going to be something they’re going to have to figure out,” Behning said. “My guess is, you can’t just come in and take away a private asset.”

Charters that own their buildings but are then forced to close could dispose of the building as they see fit if they don’t opt in to the corporation’s facility management plan, according to Behning. The corporation would not assume control of the building.

In theory, the new corporation would ultimately own all district buildings, Behning said. But there could be legal challenges to transferring ownership of buildings with remaining debt attached to them.

HB 1423 is eligible for a final reading in the House on Monday. If passed, it would move on to the Senate.

This story has been updated to include additional comments from Rep. Bob Behning and IPS, as well as the outcome of votes on Behning’s amendment.

Reporter Aleksandra Appleton contributed to this story.

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

Denver school board approves expanding Monarch Montessori dual language charter school

2026-01-23T16:05:28+00:00

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The Denver school board approved an expansion of a charter school Thursday after Superintendent Alex Marrero changed his mind about opposing it.

The board vote was unanimous. Board members didn’t discuss the approval before voting.

Marrero had initially recommended that the board reject Monarch Montessori’s request to add sixth, seventh, and eighth grades to its elementary school in far northeast Denver. He said the school’s plans to build and pay for a new middle school weren’t sound enough.

But Marrero reversed course and recommended Thursday that the board approve the expansion as long as Monarch meets certain deadlines.

For instance, the school must have its construction documents finalized and its financing secured by November, according to a resolution the board approved Thursday. Monarch must also show that its student test scores are improving. The expansion will be delayed by a year if any one of those things doesn’t happen, the resolution says.

Charter schools face increasingly inhospitable conditions in Denver. Enrollment in Denver Public Schools is declining, and many schools of all types are shrinking. The political climate isn’t as friendly to charter schools as it once was. A majority of the school board members were backed by the Denver teachers union, which has been critical of charter schools. And Marrero has supported closing charter schools with low test scores.

Monarch earned a middle-tier state rating this year, signified by the color yellow. The school offers a dual language Montessori education unlike anything else in far northeast Denver.

School leaders said parents have been asking Monarch to expand to give its 280 elementary students the same opportunity to continue with Montessori that students have on the opposite side of Denver, where there is a Montessori middle and high school.

Far northeast Denver is the one area of the city where the student population is expected to grow as developers build houses on some of the last vacant land in Denver. The district’s enrollment analysis says it will need more middle school seats there by 2029. Monarch’s proposal would add sixth grade in 2027, seventh grade in 2028, and eighth grade in 2029.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

IPS surpasses state graduation rates for Black, Hispanic students

2026-01-22T12:00:00+00:00

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When Donnessia Dancy was acting out, staff could hear her yelling clear across the halls of George Washington High School.

Now a high school senior, Dancy admits she was a “difficult child.” There were times when she lost all hope of graduating. But her teachers kept her on track.

“They gave the hope back,” she said. “Now, I start to believe that I am going to graduate — and now that they told me that I got two more credits left to graduate, I’m there.”

This year, Dancy is on track to join a cohort of graduating students that has grown at George Washington and across Indianapolis Public Schools since 2022. The overall IPS graduation rate — which includes charter schools that are part of the district’s Innovation Network — has risen in that time frame from nearly 80% for the Class of 2022 to 93% for the Class of 2025, surpassing the state’s record-setting rate of 91.8%, according to data the state released earlier this month.

The percentage of IPS students graduating without waivers from certain graduation requirements has also gone up recently. The record rates come on the eve of more changes to the state’s high school diploma, with new graduation requirements taking effect for all students in 2028-29.

IPS officials credit several district-wide initiatives for the improved rates. In 2018, Future Centers opened in each of the four district-run high schools to help students plan for life after graduation. In 2023, the district created writing centers to help with assignments and provide other academic support.

At George Washington High School, which has previously ranked lowest or second-lowest in graduation rates among the four traditional IPS high schools, the percentage of students graduating without a waiver has grown from roughly 73% for the Class of 2022 to about 89% for last year’s class.

“We had to create a culture around high expectations,” Principal Stanley Law said, referring to when he took over the school in 2018. “That you are expected to graduate in four years, and that we as a staff are going to do everything that we can to make sure that that happens.”

How an Indianapolis principal tracks student graduation info

Dozens of student names are neatly listed in color-coded columns on Law’s whiteboard. It’s a tracking tool for this year’s seniors that’s used district-wide.

Seniors must earn a minimum of 40 credits to graduate, but also must demonstrate employability skills and postsecondary readiness. They can meet these requirements by completing a work-based learning experience, for example, and by taking a standardized exam such as the ACT, SAT, or the ASVAB used for military enrollment.

The goal: to move every student over into Column A, where students have at least 30 credits and have completed the employability and postsecondary requirements.

“We track them every week in what we call a cohort meeting,” Law said. “We look at the grades, behavior, attendance, social-emotional — whatever other kind of barriers that exist for them, and we have conversations with several of these kids.”

Like the district as a whole, George Washington’s Black and Hispanic students graduated at higher rates than their peers statewide last year. The school graduated 91% of Black students and nearly 94% of Hispanic students — including those who graduated with waivers — compared with the statewide figures of roughly 87% and 90%, respectively.

IPS also graduated 97% percent of students receiving free or reduced-price meals, compared with 93% statewide.

At George Washington High School, many students come from difficult backgrounds and carry different traumas, Law said.

Dancy felt like nobody had her back before coming to the school, she said.

But she attributes her turnaround to Law’s decision to send her to Positive Supports Academy, an IPS program for students with behavioral challenges.

The experience last year prompted her to change, and over time she realized the school community was there to help. She visited the school’s Writing Center frequently to help with her schoolwork.

“They accept me for who I am and they actually want to help me,” she said. “Instead of just putting me in a classroom and telling me to sit down or something — they actually helped me go through the tough time.”

Herron-Riverside wants students to feel like they belong

Among charter high schools in the Innovation Network, Herron-Riverside High School posted the largest non-waiver rate jump since 2022, when the school graduated roughly 64% of seniors without the use of a waiver. Last year, the charter graduated 89%.

Students walk the halls at Herron-Riverside High School, a charter school in the IPS Innovation Network where there's been a significant jump in its non-waiver graduation rate since 2022.

Head of School Emanuel Harper credits the jump in part to an emphasis on making school enjoyable and creating a sense of belonging.

Herron-Riverside opened in 2017 to replicate the classical education provided at Herron High School downtown — but with the goal of serving a different, more diverse body than its flagship campus in the northwest part of the city, Harper said.

Students have a daily seminar to help sharpen their academic management skills. But the school has also leaned into more fun activities to keep students engaged — such as games students play throughout the day that are connected to larger school-wide goals, Harper said.

“Over the past four years, [we were] really thinking about, ‘Okay, we can shore up our academics, but do students feel like they belong?” he said. “Do they feel known? Do they feel loved?”

Herron-Riverside senior Willinda Chapel has embraced the school’s extracurricular offerings — she is a captain for three school sports. Chapel plans to play volleyball at Grace College as a biology major.

“There’s — especially here at Riverside — so many adults who care about not just the number that you are in the school but your personality,” she said. “They care about how you’re doing.”

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

She lost her school to a wildfire. What she saved was more important.

2026-01-22T11:04:00+00:00

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The night of January 7, 2025, ushered in one horror after another for Shawn Brown. As a wildfire whipped through Altadena, California, Brown evacuated her home with her daughter and father, only to see footage of flames engulfing the charter school she founded to educate and uplift students of color. In a flash, Pasadena Rosebud Academy was gone.

The next morning, Brown drove to her house, confirming with her own eyes that the blaze had leveled it as well. But she did not unravel. As the executive director of Rosebud Academy, the career educator started making plans for her students and their families, many of whom were also left homeless after the conflagration. “I knew that people were kind of looking to us to help them,” she said.

A year after the Eaton Fire killed 19 people and destroyed over 9,000 structures, Rosebud Academy still lacks a permanent home. But with Brown’s leadership and inventiveness to serve a school in transition, the Rosebud community has remained united and even thrived after the catastrophe. Confronted with an uncertain future during the early days of recovery, the academy achieved resilience by leaning on its support network, adapting to changing circumstances, and pressing ahead day by day.

A former teacher for the Pasadena Unified School District, Brown founded Rosebud in 2007 to close the racial achievement gap and provide an environment in which marginalized students in transitional kindergarten through eighth grade could excel. She reiterated her commitment in a “Good Morning America” interview days after the fire started, emphasizing her intention to serve her students and set her personal grief aside.

Rosebud Academy Charter school was destroyed in the 2025 Eaton Fire which burned through huge swaths of Altadena, California.

“I think I was just in ‘go’ mode,” she recalled of the first weeks of recovery. “It was really about problem-solving, figuring out how we can get our students back together and bring our community back together.”

She and her team organized a gathering for the Rosebud community at a local church, providing activities, food, and a therapist for traumatized families. They planned a week of field trips to destinations such as the aquarium, the zoo, and a science center to give parents time to figure out their next steps. Meanwhile, Rosebud leaders brainstormed about temporary sites.

“What are we going to do with our students?” Brown recalled them all wondering. “We needed a place.”

Finding somewhere to resume classes for a few weeks in the middle of a school term and at the start of a new calendar year wasn’t easy. Some venues were simply too expensive, and others didn’t meet code guidelines for a school. With no clue where classes would be held the next week, Brown began to panic. “It was Thursday night, and I was like, ‘Oh, my God, I just don’t know what we’re going to do,’” she said. “‘We have to have a plan.’” Desperate, she sent an email to the leaders of The Beehive, a South Los Angeles event space with a 13,000-square-foot technology and entrepreneurship center.

“They called at 8 o’clock the next morning and said, ‘We would love to have you,’” Brown said. “They worked all weekend to put that place together. They were like God-sent for us.”

For three weeks, Rosebud’s 189 students were bused daily from a Pasadena church to South Los Angeles, roughly 20 miles away and up to an hour’s drive depending on traffic. Afterward, the Pasadena Unified School District, the school’s charter authorizer, arranged for them to share a campus with a local public school. Rosebud has held classes in a group of bungalows on that site since February. While operating in a compact space where they initially combined classes wasn’t ideal, Brown appreciated even that opportunity.

“It’s a space where we’re able to continue the work that we’ve been doing,” she said. “But the goal is, we need to get our own facility because we can’t really unfold our program the way we want to in this shared, small space that we have.”

Through it all, Rosebud has retained nearly all of its students, Brown said. The few who stopped attending simply relocated too far away to keep coming. But even families who moved a considerable distance from Altadena continue to enroll their children. This school year, enrollment actually increased, Brown said.

“Going through this whole ordeal really kind of solidified what we have and how tight and resilient our community is,” she continued. “We are really more like a close-knit family, and everybody just wanted to stay. They really appreciate the work that we were doing and just how we engage with them after the fire.”

Students of Rosebud Academy Charter school attend the temporary campus co-located with Don Benito Elementary in Pasadena.

Network of school leaders provide support after fire

Rosebud’s growth after the Eaton Fire may also be due to the school’s academic reputation.

“It’s like, you’re going to a private school and you’re not paying for a private school,” said Mary Mendoza, a parent of three enrolled students.

The fact that Rosebud holds its students — more than half of whom are socioeconomically disadvantaged — to high academic and social standards has contributed to its success, Brown said. School leaders also emphasize accountability, which means they measure student progress through empirical evidence such as test scores and other data points.

“If you have high standards and there’s no accountability to it, then those standards are really just suggestions,” Brown said.

In recent years, Rosebud has outperformed other schools in its district in English and math, though the wildfire slowed that momentum in 2025, according to state test results.

Rosebud’s pillars around academics, behavior, and accountability, along with its small class sizes and culturally responsive teaching, have proven beneficial for students of color, many of whom are marginalized in traditional schools. Just before the wildfire, the academy won a seven-year charter renewal from Pasadena Unified — a contract reserved for high-performing schools.

Brown’s leadership is both personal and professional. She belongs to a select group as a Black woman charter school founder.

Nationally, fewer than 10% of charter schools are founded by Black Americans, though within that group, nearly three-quarters are Black women. Brown’s efforts have received statewide recognition as she represents schools focused on Black student achievement on the California Charter Schools Association’s Member Council.

“The achievement over there at Rosebud is incredible,” said Casey Taylor, chair of the CCSA Member Council. “She’s got incredible test scores, very high expectations for academics, tons of support for kids, and she knows what they need to be successful. She’s just doing such an incredible job at it.”

In recent years, Rosebud has outperformed other schools in its district in English and math, though the wildfire slowed that momentum in 2025, according to state test results.

Rosebud’s focus on students of color, under the leadership of a Black women charter school founder, makes its full recovery from the Eaton Fire all the more important, its supporters contend.

Taylor knows what it’s like to rebuild after a wildfire. She is the superintendent of Achieve Charter Schools in Butte County, where the 17-day Camp Fire burned over 153,000 acres, killing 85 people and decimating almost 19,000 structures in November 2018.

The charter school Taylor started in Paradise, California — the town at the center of that blaze — was not unscathed.

“I lost a building, and my students, my board, my staff — everybody lost homes,” Taylor said.

The wildfire forced the school to move 12 miles away to Chico, where so many students and staff fled during the recovery period that Taylor continued operating a campus there after finally reopening in Paradise. But it wouldn’t be the last wildfire the Achieve Charter Schools community endured. Just six months before the Eaton Fire, the 64-day Park Fire began, burning nearly 430,000 acres in Butte and Tehama Counties from July to September 2024.

Aware of the blaze 470 miles north of Altadena, Brown sent Taylor a collection of gift cards and funds to pass out to Achieve’s families in Chico who had been affected by the Park Fire. She had no idea that she herself would be on the receiving end of such a gesture shortly afterward. Taylor did not immediately distribute all of the cards, so when the Eaton Fire struck, she re-gifted the remainder to Brown.

“I was like ‘Here, these are for you,” Taylor said. “You need these.”

When Brown lost her school and her home to the Eaton Fire, Taylor and Mary Cox of Core Butte Charter School traveled to Southern California to support her and three other fire-impacted Altadena charter school officials.

A former teacher for the Pasadena Unified School District, Shawn Brown founded Rosebud in 2007 to close the racial achievement gap.

“I didn’t realize how important it is for leaders to see other leaders that have gone through the same thing and come out on the other side,” Taylor said. “You need to see that picture because it just offers you hope.”

CCSA provided funding and logistical support to the Altadena charter heads. But Taylor said during a disaster, leaders also depend on the guidance needed to help them make critical decisions in the throes of trauma. Taylor urged them to communicate regularly with staff, students, and families and to assemble them in one place as quickly as possible.

“Shawn heard what we said right away: ‘Get your people together,’” Taylor recalled. “She nailed that.”

Taylor works with a national nonprofit called After the Fire USA, which uses advocacy, education, and networking to help wildfire-ravaged communities. These disasters, she said, create a “worst club with the best people.” That description, she added, particularly applies to Brown.

“She is a badass,” Taylor said. “Shawn started her school for her community, for kids like her growing up in situations like she did and wanting to give them more opportunity.” So when the wildfire broke out, Brown was not about to give up. “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, this is going to be hard. I’m walking away,’” Taylor explained. “It was like, ‘This is what my life’s purpose is about. I’m digging in, and we’re going to fight for these kids in the school and my staff and my school community.’”

Families fight to rebuild alongside their school

Brown is fighting for Rosebud families like the Mendozas. They, too, lost their home to the Eaton Fire. Mary Mendoza, mother of sixth grader Faye, said that her family of eight was in shock right after the disaster. They spent weeks crammed into a relative’s apartment before her spouse’s employer eventually offered them discounted rent on a two-bedroom loft in downtown Los Angeles.

It takes Mendoza, who is expecting her seventh child any day, 40 minutes each way to drive to Rosebud’s temporary campus from traffic-logged downtown. But the commute, she said, is worth it.

“It’s a safe space,” she said. “I love Rosebud. I love the community.”

For Faye, the past year has been “crazy and chaotic, and kind of scary at the same time,” she said. She misses her old room, her backyard, and the close-knit community in Altadena. She’s unnerved that downtown L.A. is “never quiet.”

Rosebud is a refuge for her. “I used to hate school, not gonna lie,” Faye said. But the 12-year-old has come to appreciate it after the fire destroyed her former campus. School is now a chance to connect with the classmates the catastrophe scattered across the region. “I get to talk to all my friends, like every day now, and hang out with them,” she said.

Mendoza, who also has a first and fourth grader at Rosebud, said the fire has changed the school for the better. “When you go through something like this, you kind of see who’s there for you. And it was really beautiful.”

But a year later, the work is far from over for its leader personally or professionally. Brown lives in a Pasadena apartment as high construction costs, a complicated insurance system, and strict new fire codes have made it difficult to quickly rebuild her house. “Just the fireplace was standing,” after the fire, she said. “And we have a gate that was brick too, so that was still there, but everything else was gone.”

Rosebud Academy is seeking a new permanent home after the Eaton Fire reduced the original campus to rubble.

Meanwhile, Rosebud’s temporary location is functional but confining. Her goal is to obtain land to build a permanent campus for the school, so students can fully enjoy its performing arts and athletic programs. The California Charter School Association has provided funding to help the school rebuild, and Rosebud is trying to raise an additional $150,000 toward this effort.

As the wildfire’s first anniversary approached, fresh waves of grief bubbled up — an experience Taylor knows all too well.

“This holiday situation where you don’t have your decorations, you don’t have the things that you used to have to celebrate with your family — that sense of loss comes back and just bites hard,” she said.

But, for Brown, the anniversary is also a time to reflect on the Rosebud community’s resilience and the fact that the school is still in operation despite losing its former home.

Just as she did when the fire left much of Altadena in ruins, Brown continues to move forward in the face of uncertainty. “I’m just hopeful that things will work out,” she said. “There’s so many unknowns.”

IPS experiences biggest enrollment loss since pandemic, state records show

2026-01-20T12:00:00+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools experienced its greatest annual enrollment decline since the pandemic while charter school enrollment also dropped — trends that could signal fundamental challenges for both school types.

IPS enrollment dropped by 6% since last school year to 19,774 in 2025-26, while enrollment across both independent charters and charters in the district’s Innovation Network dropped nearly 3% from last year to just under 22,000 students, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of state enrollment data.

Overall, 41,663 students attend IPS or charter schools, with roughly 47% at IPS and about 53% at charters. (The analysis also includes charter schools just outside of IPS where a majority of students live in district borders.)

Across most Marion County school districts, there were also slight enrollment declines.

The enrollment dips come as schools across the country experience a continual post-COVID population drop that could stem from a number of factors, including declining birth rates, stricter immigration policy, and other school options. In Indianapolis, the declines could exacerbate a financial crunch schools are expecting through incoming property tax reforms estimated to cost school districts millions. In addition to property tax revenue, schools receive state funding that’s based on enrollment.

The declines also come with major changes on the horizon for Indianapolis public schools. Lawmakers are considering creating a new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation that would eventually own all school buildings and run transportation services, as well as levy and collect property taxes for schools and create an accountability system that includes closing low-performing schools.

“The reality facing public schools across the U.S. is that enrollment has been decreasing,” IPS said in a statement. “We will continue to thoughtfully navigate these shifts while also working hard to be the preferred choice for more families.”

In the charter sector, school mergers — which have occurred in recent years as schools have struggled with finances or enrollment — could be a solution if enrollment continues to decline.

“We do think that’s a really thoughtful strategy to both work to increase the number of kids that are attending higher quality operators, and to make sure that schools are operating as near to their capacity as possible,” said Brandon Brown, head of the Mind Trust nonprofit that has launched many of the city’s charter schools.

IPS enrollment drops by over 1,000 students

Enrollment at IPS schools declined by 1,281 students from last year to this year, the greatest drop since losing 2,681 students after the 2019-20 school year. These schools include traditional IPS schools and those in the Innovation Network that are not charter schools.

The decline mirrors broader demographic trends. State records show the number of students living in IPS attendance boundaries fell from 49,721 in October 2024 to 48,869 October 2025, a 1.7% drop. These figures exclude students attending private school without a state-funded voucher or those who are home-schooled.

A demographic report commissioned by the district and released in 2021 projected that enrollment in seventh and eighth grades, as well as the elementary school population, would decline.

But the district’s greatest declines occurred at the high school level, with high school enrollment dropping 9% to 5,115 across its four high schools and smaller high school programs. Ninth grade saw the highest percentage decrease at roughly 20%, or a loss of 281 students over last year.

Middle school enrollment dropped nearly 6% to 3,626.

Meanwhile, enrollment at independent charters dropped by 740 students — the largest year-over-year drop in at least seven years — while Innovation Network charters grew by 113 students.

(The analysis includes prekindergarten students in total counts, and excludes adult charter high schools and virtual or blended charter schools not affiliated with the Innovation Network.)

Across the nearly 60 charter schools, overall enrollment dropped from 22,516 to 21,889 — a loss of 627 students, or nearly 3%. These schools primarily lost students in the lower elementary grades.

But IPS noted that enrollment in its portfolio of schools — which include both traditional schools and those in the Innovation Network — has remained “remarkably stable.” That total figure dropped by roughly 4%, from over 32,000 students last year to under 31,000 this year.

The Mind Trust, meanwhile, noted that more students are attending autonomous schools — charters and Innovation Network schools, both charter and non-charter — than traditional district schools.

IPS, charter demographics remain largely unchanged

Racial and ethnic demographics have largely remained the same across district and charter schools.

Independent charters continue to have a higher proportion of Black students but a lower proportion of English language learners than IPS schools and charters in the Innovation Network.

Although immigration enforcement efforts have raised concerns about enrollment declines nationwide, the proportion of English language learners as a percentage of total enrollment has remained relatively stable.

The percentage of IPS students receiving free or reduced-price meals jumped from roughly 59% to nearly 68%, although both Innovation and independent charters continue to enroll a higher share of such students.

State data on enrollment levels of students with disabilities across the different school types is not yet available.

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

Global Prep to open second location near Martindale-Brightwood to accommodate growth

2026-01-15T12:00:00+00:00

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Global Prep Academy will expand its middle school grades to a second site near Martindale-Brightwood with the $2.7 million purchase of a building directly off the Monon Trail.

The new building at 1002 E. 25th St. sits on a former industrial site and will be renovated to house up to 325 middle school students, according to Global Prep founder Mariama Shaheed.

The pre-K-8 charter school’s enrollment has more than tripled since launching as an autonomous Innovation Network school within Indianapolis Public Schools in 2016. The charter was tasked by the district with turning around the underperforming Riverside School 44 and started that year with 269 students. Today, it enrolls more than 800.

The second building, which Global Prep said will open in the fall, will free up space at School 44 roughly three miles away, where seventh and eighth grade students currently learn in a modular classroom outside the main building.

The expansion comes on the eve of what could be a transformation for IPS. State lawmakers are considering legislation that would force IPS to relinquish control of all its buildings to an independent authority, which could award space to deserving, high-performing charter and district schools.

But capacity has been a challenge at Global Prep for years, Shaheed said. Prior to deciding to open a second site near the Monon Trail, the school had planned to expand its program within Harshman Middle School as part of the district’s Rebuilding Stronger plan — but the district later abandoned this plan after pushback from the community there.

Shaheed attributes the enrollment growth in part to the school’s dual language model, as well as its support for all students, including those with disabilities.

“We’ve always had the approach that if you come to our doors, we’re going to serve you and serve you well,” Shaheed said.

Second site could help Global Prep’s founding mission

Shaheed said she was attracted to the site not only for its availability, but also because of her initial intent in founding Global Prep: to bring dual language education to more Black families.

The site is on the edge of Martindale-Brightwood, an area that has been home to working-class Black families and industrial companies, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.

The new location shares a transportation zone with the lower school in Riverside, remaining just on the edge of Zone 1. Families who live in Zone 1 and Zone 2, the northwestern and northern parts of the district, receive transportation to Global Prep.

Shaheed said the school is working with the district to get transportation to its second site, but added she hopes nearby students will also walk to school.

“We want kids to walk to school,” she said. “We want to be right there and serve that community.”

Since Global Prep transformed School 44 into a dual language program, its demographics have changed from majority Black to majority Hispanic.

Shaheed is working to increase the Black student population, with more intentional recruitment efforts at the kindergarten and pre-kindergarten level, she said.

New location for Global Prep has a railroad history

The middle school’s new location was once part of a railroad switching yard and a motor machinery warehouse, among other industrial uses, according to documents filed with the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, or IDEM.

Global Prep Academy, a charter school in the Riverside neighborhood, will open a second location at a former printing facility off of east 25th Street near Martindale-Brightwood. The school, which has grown since taking over Riverside School 44, will place its middle school grades at the new site.

Given its past, it was classified as a brownfield — a federal and state classification given to sites that could have hazardous substances or contaminants.

But as long as the school adheres to a restrictive covenant placed on the land, it can have a “safe redevelopment of any kind,” officials with the Indiana Brownfield Program said in a statement.

That restriction requires the land owner to submit a soil management plan approved by IDEM before digging up soil. The soil management report commissioned by the school in 2025 and later approved by IDEM ultimately found that there were no hazardous concentrations of any contaminants in the soil, Indiana Brownfield Program officials said.

Shaheed said the school is also avoiding digging at the site altogether, instead working to renovate the existing building.

“We’ve done our due diligence in terms of bringing on the right people who know that work to make sure that as we move forward, we’re safe for kids,” she said.

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

Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz seeks to transfer a NYC charter school to her husband

2026-01-13T00:55:50+00:00

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Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz, who runs New York City’s largest charter school network, wants to give up one of her schools.

Moskowitz has proposed turning over a school in the Bronx to her husband, Eric Grannis, who has long been involved in the charter sector.

The move was approved by the State University of New York, the charter’s authorizer, in October but has raised eyebrows among state officials, who questioned its legality.

With a strict cap on charter schools in New York City enshrined in state law, no new charters can be issued without action by lawmakers in Albany. Success submitted its proposal as a revision to an existing charter. But State Education Department staffers wrote in a January memo to the Board of Regents that such a move was a “circumvention of the cap.”

The Education Department recommended that the Board send the proposal back to SUNY without approving it.

At a public meeting Monday, the regents did just that. “I think the larger issue is that SUNY doesn’t have any accountability for this at all,” said member at large Brian Krist, of Manhattan. “This is a joke.”

The regents’ vote may be symbolic, however. The proposal will now go back to the SUNY Board of Trustees, who do not need regents’ approval to move forward. SUNY can send the transfer proposal back unchanged and, short of legal action, it will happen.

Under the proposal, Success Academy, which runs 59 schools in New York City, would transfer an elementary school in Mott Haven to a new entity called Strive Charter Network. Grannis, who has founded and sat on the boards of several charter schools as well as running a charter school incubator, would be the founding executive director.

Moskowitz is a fierce advocate for expanding the charter sector, often pointing to demand at her own schools. But enrollment at several charter networks, including Success Academy, has fallen in recent years, which may give the network room to transfer a charter without diminishing its own headcount. Moskowitz has also eyed expansions elsewhere and begun laying the groundwork to open schools in Florida.

Strive would receive a newly renovated school building and have access to Success Academy curriculum “at minimal ongoing costs,” according to a description of the school that Grannis circulated among charter supporters.

Both Grannis and Success Academy declined to comment on the record, referring Chalkbeat to SUNY.

Strive’s new model would add before-school, after-school, weekend, and summer programs that would result in the school being open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week, all year round. The extra hours would be optional for students but could represent a major draw for families that need child care beyond the traditional school day.

More than half of the staff would consist of teaching assistants, including college students and community members, who would assist with reading, tutoring, and math support, and be able to enroll their own kids at the school. Strive also plans to use “AI tools to streamline operations, cut administrative costs, and eliminate much of the mid-level bureaucracy common in schools,” according to the description Grannis circulated.

The SUNY Trustees voted to approve the charter revision on Oct. 15. Combining Success Academy’s “highly effective academic program with an extended-day, year-round model” is “the type of innovation that SUNY seeks to cultivate,” wrote Mike Lesczinski, director of strategy and communications at the SUNY Charter School Institute, in an email to Chalkbeat.

In response to the Board of Regents decision, Lesczinski wrote, “We are aware of the Board of Regents’ action. SUNY will review it and consider the appropriate next steps.”

The New York City Charter School Center, an advocacy organization, defended Success Academy’s effort to hand off one of its schools.

The move “is entirely consistent with state law, and the Board of Regents should approve it,” James Merriman, the organization’s CEO, wrote in a statement.

“If we didn’t have nonsensical rules and caps preventing high-quality charter schools from opening and serving children,” he added, “we wouldn’t be wasting precious time with fights over technicalities that distract from the major issues impacting NYC students and families.”

Abigail Kramer is a reporter in New York City. Contact Abigail at akramer@chalkbeat.org

Alex Zimmerman is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org.

The Supreme Court deadlocked on religious charter schools. Round 2 is on the horizon.

2026-01-09T13:00:01+00:00

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An “explicitly Christian” charter school in Tennessee. A “public Christian school” in Colorado. A Jewish virtual charter school in Oklahoma.

A new crop of proposed religious schools are setting up legal challenges that would allow the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in again on whether charter schools can be religious — and whether charter schools are truly public schools at all.

Last year, the Supreme Court tied 4-4 on these questions, a result of Justice Amy Coney Barrett recusing herself due to a close friendship with an adviser to the Catholic charter school at the center of the case. The deadlock meant religious charter schools are still prohibited.

Now, new cases that wouldn’t prompt Barrett to recuse herself are starting to take shape, with the help of conservative law firms that focus on religious liberty. The cases have the potential to rewrite the boundaries of church-state separation and further expand public funding of religious education. Some charter advocates also fear court victories by religious charter schools could undermine broader support for the sector, especially in Democrat-led states.

Legal experts and advocates on both sides expect the Supreme Court to be interested in revisiting the questions raised by the St. Isidore case. The prospect of multiple cases in multiple states also means there could be conflicting lower court rulings that more thoroughly explore the legal arguments involved — factors that make the Supreme Court more inclined to take a case.

“We know that four judges ruled in favor of St. Isidore, and it takes four justices to decide to take a case,” said Eric Baxter, vice president and senior counsel to the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, a public interest law firm that’s been involved in many prominent religious freedom cases and is now representing the proposed Jewish charter school.

The National Ben Gamla Jewish Charter School Foundation told Oklahoma’s charter school board in November it wants to run a virtual high school that would combine Jewish religious education and state academic standards.

“Ben Gamla envisions Oklahoma students gaining a rigorous, values-based education that integrates general academic excellence with Jewish religious learning and ethical development,” board member Peter Deutsch wrote in the letter of intent in November.

Deutsch is a former Democratic congressman who founded the Ben Gamla charter school network in Florida, a separate organization from the foundation pitching the Oklahoma school. The Florida schools teach Hebrew language but are strictly secular, in accordance with state law there.

Deutsch told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency last year that religious charters had the “potential to be a paradigm shift for American Jews,” though he also said at the time that he had concluded Oklahoma was not a practical location for a Jewish charter school.

Deutsch declined an interview request and referred questions to the Becket Fund. Baxter said that Deutsch has had a nationwide vision for a long time, and the St. Isidore case suggested that Oklahoma charter law could accommodate religious schools — even though the state Supreme Court found the exact opposite.

The school’s founding board members include Brett Farley, who served on the board of now-abandoned St. Isidore school.

A spokesperson for the state charter school board declined to comment, noting that Ben Gamla has not yet submitted a formal application.

But Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond, a Republican, has already said he’ll oppose the school just as he opposed the opening of St. Isidore. Drummond has argued that funding any religious charter school would force taxpayers, including religious ones, to fund schools that teach tenants that violate their own faith.

“This matter has already been resolved after the state Supreme Court’s ruling to prevent taxpayer funded religious charter schools was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this year,” Leslie Berger, a spokesperson for Drummond, said via email. “Our office will oppose any attempts to undermine the rule of law.”

Meanwhile, a proposal for another religious charter has emerged in Tennessee. Wilberforce Academy, a nonprofit with no previous educational footprint in the state, is suing the Knoxville County Board of Education for refusing to accept its letter of intent seeking to open an “explicitly Christian” charter school. State law requires charter schools to affirm they are “nonsectarian, non-religious” schools, and Wilberforce would not do so, according to court documents.

On the same day the lawsuit was filed, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, also a Republican, issued a legal opinion that the state’s ban on religious charter schools likely is unconstitutional. The state is not named in the lawsuit, but the opinion suggests Skrmetti is sympathetic to religious charters, unlike Drummond in Oklahoma.

The charter school’s lead attorney is the same person Skrmetti hired to successfully defend Tennessee’s ban on gender-affirming medical care for minors.

Meanwhile in Colorado, Riverstone Academy, which calls itself a “public Christian school,” quietly opened this fall and is waiting to see if the state education department will deny it public funds. School officials didn’t go through the charter school approval process and haven’t described Riverstone as a charter. Instead, a quasi-governmental school board cooperative group contracted with a nonprofit educational organization to run the school.

In an email obtained by Chalkbeat, a conservative school board attorney said that Alliance Defending Freedom, another prominent law firm that deals with cases involving religious liberty, approached him about finding a new test case in the aftermath of the St. Isidore decision. Riverstone was designed to be that test case, the email suggested. (ADF also represented the Oklahoma Statewide Charter School Board when Drummond challenged its approval of St. Isidore.)

“Everyone wins when families have more good options for their children’s education,” ADF Senior Counsel Mark Lippelmann said in a statement. “And the First Amendment forbids states from excluding charter school applicants just because of their religious character and activity.”

The involvement of out-of-state organizations make it “very clear that this is an agenda-driven enterprise,” said Steven Green, a law professor at Willamette University who studies church-state issues.

“This is not organic, let’s put it that way,” he said.

Religious charter school supporters eye Supreme Court rulings

It will likely take several years for cases to reach the Supreme Court. So far, only the Wilberforce case is even before the courts. That’s because the Knoxville school board’s denial created a basis for the school to sue.

Green believes Riverstone Academy will prove to be a poor test case because administrators described it as a public school. But the Oklahoma and Tennessee cases essentially would replicate the unresolved issues from the St. Isidore case, such as whether charter schools are legally more like government-run schools or more like other nonprofits that contract with the government.

That’s not an entirely settled issue, despite numerous state laws that describe charter schools as public schools. In cases dealing with teacher and student rights, courts have often — but not always — found that charter schools are what’s known as state actors.

Proponents of religious charter schools lean on a series of court cases in which the Supreme Court found that religious organizations cannot be excluded from benefits available to the general public, such as taxpayer funding for private schools.

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools doesn’t have a position on public funding for private religious education, but the group believes it’s critical that the law recognize charter schools as public schools, which would mean they can’t be religious. Any finding to the contrary could lead to states banning charter schools or subjecting the publicly funded but independently run schools to much more government control, they said.

“We need people to understand the risks of pursuing this,” said Eric Paisner, the group’s chief operating officer.

Josh Dunn, a law professor and executive director of the Institute of American Civics at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, said recent Supreme Court precedent suggests religious charter schools have a strong case that prohibiting them amounts to religious discrimination.

“You could have two nearly identical schools,” Dunn said. “Let’s say one has an environmental focus because we want students to come out with an understanding of the dangers we’re facing, and then you could have another with the same focus because we have a duty to creation. It’s hard to see how you could allow one and deny the other.”

Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor covering education policy and politics. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.

Legislative proposal would create a new mayor-appointed board over Indianapolis schools and charter schools

2026-01-08T18:36:04+00:00

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A much-anticipated proposal that would give the Indianapolis mayor more power over schools while reducing the power of the existing elected school board has been filed in the statehouse. The bill marks the next step toward a fundamental shift in how Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools operate, and could go into effect in just a few months.

HB 1423 largely falls in line with the recommendations of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance and would create an Indianapolis Public Education Corporation made of nine board members appointed by the mayor. The new body would have the authority to control and manage school property, as well as to establish and oversee a transportation plan to transport all students within Indianapolis Public Schools boundaries — the two primary goals lawmakers had for the work of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance.

The Indianapolis mayor would need to appoint members to the corporation body by June 1, 2026.

The bill would require all schools within district boundaries — district and charter — to offer transportation. Currently, fewer than half of independent charter schools offer bus services, while roughly half of charters in the IPS Innovation Network use IPS bus services, according to a report from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

In a significant shift of power, the district would lose its authority to levy and collect property taxes or issue debt, powers that would instead go to the new corporation. The legislation tasks the corporation with developing a formula by which to distribute property tax funds to schools.

The bill does not, however, mention the need for additional special education funding — a recommendation from the ILEA that does not appear to have been adopted.

The legislation comes after months of heated public meetings during which parents, students, school leaders, and community members debated the future of schools in Indianapolis. Supporters of IPS decried efforts to take power from the elected school board, voicing concern over publicly funded, privately run charter schools. Charter school supporters, meanwhile, pushed back against any attempts to limit charter school growth and advocated for more student transportation options.

The bill will be heard on Monday at 9:30 a.m. in the House Education Committee, according to committee chair and bill author Rep. Bob Behning of Indianapolis. If it passes the committee, it will head to a vote in the full House, then the Senate.

Bill limits charter authorizers, requires closure of low-performing schools

The legislation would also limit charter authorizing within IPS boundaries to the mayor’s office, the Indiana Charter School Board, and the IPS school board, which has expressed interest in becoming an authorizer. Schools overseen by other authorizers would be able to remain with those authorizers until the end of their charter term.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance backs plan to create new education authority to oversee IPS, charter schools

The corporation board would be composed of three charter school leaders, three IPS commissioners, and three other members who have expertise in capital planning, facilities, transportation, or logistics or experience working with vulnerable student populations, as recommended by the ILEA. Each member’s term would be four years, though they would be eligible for reappointment.

Under the proposal, the new body would establish and manage a unified enrollment system, as well as a single school performance framework.

The school rating system must be based on academic performance and assessments, student discipline, enrollment, condition of school property, and the health of the school’s finances, organization, and governance. The framework must also close chronically low-performing schools.

School boards would still be responsible for running day-to-day operations of district and charter schools, retaining the power to hire and fire employees or create their own school budgets.

Bill sets deadlines for transfer of financial responsibilities

The bill would ultimately shift financial responsibility of taxes and bonds from the IPS school board to the corporation.

The corporation would assume the power to seek voter-approved tax increases for operating or capital expenses in April. That’s when the corporation would also become liable for all the outstanding debt of the district — typically used for larger expenses such as building maintenance or construction projects — which would no longer be able to issue bonds for debt.

How a fractured Indianapolis school system reached the verge of a huge power shakeup

However, the existing operating and capital referendum funds, approved by voters in IPS in 2018 and 2023, respectively, would still go to IPS to cover costs that voters specifically approved at the ballot.

The bill also exempts IPS from a state law requiring school districts to give unused or underutilized school buildings to charter schools for the sale or lease price of $1.

The bill could still see significant amendments during the 2026 session. Behning previously expressed skepticism about giving the Indianapolis mayor authority to appoint all nine members of the body. He did not immediately respond to a question from Chalkbeat Thursday.

Following the bill’s filing on Thursday, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office declined to comment beyond a previously published op-ed by the mayor in the Indianapolis Star. In it, Hogsett, who chaired the ILEA, expressed support for the groups’ recommendations and asked for “our local voices to remain at the forefront” of the conversation at the statehouse.

Scott Bess of the Indiana Charter Innovation Center, which advocates for charters around the state and in Indianapolis, said the group is generally supportive of the bill, but raised concerns about limiting charter authorizers and requiring schools to offer transportation.

IPS said in a statement that the district was still analyzing the bill language.

This story was updated to include more background information and responses from Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office, the Indiana Charter Innovation Center, and Indianapolis Public Schools.

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

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

How a fractured Indianapolis school system reached the verge of a huge power shakeup

2025-12-19T21:57:06+00:00

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In December 2011, a well-funded nonprofit group founded by two powerful Democrats — a former Indianapolis mayor and his one-time charter school chief — floated a bold idea.

It was a plan to radically remake Indianapolis Public Schools, which was struggling academically and losing students to the city’s growing charter school sector.

One of the policy prescriptions in The Mind Trust’s 2011 Opportunity Schools report was a somewhat wild notion: that the mayor could take charge of the school system through a new local board that was appointed. The elected IPS school board would be effectively sidelined.

Fourteen years later, it could be on the verge of happening.

A state-mandated task force called the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, composed mostly of members connected to the charter sector, voted this week to recommend that a mayoral-appointed board oversee a new agency in charge of both city school district and charter schools.

The action now shifts to the Republican-controlled statehouse, where lawmakers are expected to craft legislation drawing from the recommendations but may not follow them faithfully.

That the city’s schools sit on the cusp of such radical change is the culmination of over half a century’s worth of educational, political, and social disruption for Indianapolis schools that opened the door for education reformers and their allies to advance their vision.

“You get what you can when you can,” Paul Hill, founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, said of the steps it took Indianapolis to get here. “I do think that there were people — and probably in Indianapolis more than some other places — where people really were just kind of taking one step at a time.”

Understanding the factors that led Indianapolis schools to this moment requires going back to 1954 and a landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that reshaped the country’s schools.

Desegregation sparks decades of declining IPS enrollment

As schools nationwide desegregated following the Brown v. Board of Education ruling of 1954, Indiana lawmakers were pondering what might have seemed like a very different issue: how to make Indianapolis both bigger and more unified.

The solution they adopted in 1969 was to merge local government services into a city-county system known as Unigov.

But leaders did not merge IPS with the surrounding township schools in Marion County. That was because combining the mostly Black IPS district with the mostly white township districts would have sparked a political firestorm and threatened the bill’s passage.

“Unigov was not a perfect consolidation,” then-Mayor Richard Lugar previously told Chalkbeat. “A good number of people really wanted to keep at least their particular school segregated.”

A portrait of basketball team at Crispus Attucks High School and their coach, EJ Hooper, in Indianapolis in the late 1920s. (Photo by Underwood Archives/Getty Images)

Isolating IPS schools and putting off desegregation would have long-term ramifications.

In 1971, a federal judge found IPS guilty of maintaining racially segregated schools. Judge S. Hugh Dillin’s 1971 order to integrate schools — later tied up in a yearslong legal battle — arrived at the start of an IPS enrollment decline that continues today, eroding district finances.

Many white families left the district. In 1981, IPS lost more students when it bused thousands of Black students to six surrounding township districts under a court order.

That year, desegregation and declining enrollment forced the district to close 10 schools. Enrollment ultimately plunged from 108,000 in 1971 — the same year as Dillin’s ruling — to just 47,000 by the early 1990s.

Mandated busing to townships ended in 2016, when the busing order ended. By then, the district had already closed at least 23 additional schools, according to board documents, news articles, and archives from the Indianapolis Public Library.

This year, there are only about 21,000 students in schools IPS runs directly, or about 80% below district enrollment just over half a century ago. IPS enrollment consists overwhelmingly of students of color. And in 2022, the IPS school board voted to close six schools as part of a sweeping overhaul of facilities and curriculum.

The mayor who made charter schools his focus

In the late 1990s and early 2000s, IPS was plagued with headlines about students’ poor academic performance.

That negative attention helped open the door for a new type of public school: the charter school. And a former Indianapolis mayor was at the heart of charter schools’ ascent in the city.

When Indiana passed a law permitting charter schools in 2001, it was part of a national wave of education reform enabled by the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2002 and the systematic expansion of standardized testing, said Sarah Reckhow, a political science professor at Michigan State University and co-author of “Outside Money in School Board Elections,” which profiles Indianapolis.

But how the city decided to end up authorizing charters ultimately set Indianapolis apart from others during this era, she noted.

The law passed with the backing of Democratic Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson. It gave the mayor the power to authorize charter schools. Some hailed charters — which are publicly funded but privately run — as a potential solution to traditional public schools’ struggles.

“I believe the charter schools were really the right kind of middle ground approach, and could eventually potentially be a consensus — could build an alternative to the kind of polarized hostility that existed back then,” Peterson previously told Chalkbeat.

Peterson’s connection to charters continued when he left office. In 2006, he co-founded The Mind Trust with David Harris, who was director of charter schools in his administration. Its goal: to “transform the public education system” in the city, in part by developing new schools and recruiting talented leaders to guide them, according to tax filings at the time.

Although not all the city’s charters have had the group’s support, ultimately the group contributed significantly to the charter sector’s rapid growth. In 2006, there were about 15 charter schools within IPS borders. Today, there are over 50. (The Mind Trust’s funding through contributions and grants has also grown from under $1 million in 2006 to over $28 million in fiscal 2024, according to tax information.)

Mind Trust CEO Brandon Brown credits Peterson with building the foundation for the city’s charter schools.

“To have a mayor that happened to be a Democrat run for office in support of charter schools and support and utilize the ability to serve as a charter school authorizer was nationally unique,” Brown said. He added that the mayor’s role provided a way “to pursue school reform without necessarily needing to take over an entire school district.”

This year, Peterson served as a member of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance. He was one of eight task force members who voted to adopt its recommendations.

Education reform takes root in Indianapolis

Other advocacy groups supporting education reform emerged in The Mind Trust’s wake. Stand for Children launched its Indiana affiliate in 2011, organizing parents to speak at board meetings on topics such as closing the opportunity gap for students of color. RISE Indy formed in 2019, focused on promoting policies and programs to advance educational equity. Both groups advocate for charters too.

Beginning in 2012, money from out-of-state school choice advocates also flowed into IPS school board races, including from PACs associated with those groups.

“What made the school board elections really important in the eyes of especially school choice advocates nationally — and what made them rise to the level of attracting this outside money — is that there was this sort of local discretion about how charter schools would grow or not grow,” Reckhow said.

In 2014, charters’ influence increased when they gained access to district resources through a law brokered by statehouse Republicans and then-IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee.

That arrangement led to the district’s Innovation Network, which 25 charter schools now participate in.

Today, charters serve around 40% of the roughly 49,000 K-12 public school or voucher students living within IPS borders, according to the most recent state data.

How IPS lost its grip on property taxes

Charters gained significant support in Indianapolis over time. But even as they grew, they lacked access to a critical source of revenue: local property taxes that help traditional districts pay for transportation and facilities.

Instead, for many years, they relied on philanthropic funding from organizations like The Mind Trust to cover those costs.

The public funding inequity created a political problem for IPS. In 2022, IPS planned a referendum for $413.6 million in property taxes for the following year. Though the district planned to give some of the funding to its Innovation Network charters, it resisted giving any to independent charters, citing concerns about transparency and accountability.

Charter school leaders and advocates publicly pressured the district to share more of those dollars. They cited a gap in per-pupil spending between district and charters that would reach over $10,000 for independent charters if IPS didn’t share money from the referendum.

Early in 2023, IPS decided not to put the referendum on the ballot. That was a major blow to the district’s finances: IPS projects it will run into the red shortly after the 2018 referendum expires in 2026.

All the while, lawmakers at the statehouse were watching.

After seeing these fights over financial and other issues play out, Republican lawmakers drafted a bill in 2025 that would dissolve IPS and replace it with charter schools. They cited the high number of students opting out of IPS and the district’s poor finances.

“The goal is to get them into a financial spot so that they can continue to exist,” Rep. Jake Teshka, a Republican who co-authored the bill, previously told Chalkbeat. “Nobody woke up one day and said, ‘We really want to dissolve IPS. We want to attack IPS.’”

The bill failed. But it foreshadowed GOP lawmakers’ priorities in 2025: They created the ILEA to address how the district could share its transportation and building resources with charters.

On top of that, charters secured significant funding wins. Perhaps most significantly, lawmakers passed legislation that required IPS to share its property tax revenues with all charter schools that enroll students living within its boundaries.

Lawmakers also adopted property tax relief during the 2025 session that will hurt district coffers statewide. Both measures combined are expected to cost the district millions annually.

The recommendations the ILEA adopted on Wednesday include giving the new Indianapolis Public Education Corporation the power to impose property taxes for district and charter schools.

That could lead IPS to lose still more control over its finances — and by extension, its future.

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

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance backs plan to create new education authority to oversee IPS, charter schools

2025-12-18T01:24:32+00:00

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In a move with potentially profound consequences for Indianapolis education, a state-backed task force has told lawmakers they should establish a new agency to oversee both the city school district and charter schools.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance voted 8-1 on Wednesday to recommend the creation of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation that could set and enforce standards for both district and charter schools. The new agency would consist of nine members appointed by the mayor: three IPS board members, three charter leaders, and three at-large members, all of whom would have to live within IPS boundaries.

The new corporation would have the power to impose property taxes for both charter and IPS schools. It would also manage the district’s buildings and transportation services through its own staff, establish a framework for school accountability, and manage a unified enrollment system.

If state lawmakers agree to turn the ILEA’s recommendations into law, the vote would mark a monumental shift in the city’s educational landscape. It would represent a significant loss of power for IPS and a qualified victory for charter supporters, after years of rising conflict between the two sectors. The GOP-run state legislature has become increasingly skeptical of IPS while passing legislation favorable to charters when it comes to issues like property taxes.

In addition, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance voted to restrict the number of charter school authorizers to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, the Indiana Charter School Board, and the IPS school board, which this week said it will seek to become a charter authorizer. The recommendations also require all schools to offer transportation to students living within the IPS boundary, and exempt IPS buildings from a state law that requires districts to make unused buildings available to charter schools for the sale or lease price of $1.

Under the recommendations, school boards would retain the power to set certain policies, hire leaders — including the superintendent — and approve budgets and contracts. The recommendations, which will be in a final report, were outlined to the public in a presentation.

ILEA member Tina Ahlgren, an IPS parent and teacher, was the sole no vote.

The ILEA’s recommendations come amid struggles by both IPS and charters to address structural challenges.

The district has been losing students for years. IPS also has significant long-term financial problems as well as underutilized buildings. Charters, meanwhile, have struggled to acquire buildings and provide transportation services as their enrollments have grown, and roughly 1 in 3 Indianapolis charters closed from 2001 to 2023.

The ILEA’s recommendation to reduce the power of the IPS board matches the desire among many charter supporters for less power to rest with the elected school board.

But supporters of traditional IPS schools have not only opposed efforts to diminish the elected school board; they’ve also pushed for the board to exercise power over charters as well as district-run schools. They’ve criticized the growth of charters, calling for more accountability in that sector, and said that the elected school board should serve as the only charter authorizer.

In a statement before the vote, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson — who is an ILEA member and voted yes — said she championed many of the recommendations.

But not all the details of what the ILEA has recommended are clear yet, she noted. She urged the public to keep pressure on state lawmakers to ensure any new authority is transparent and values community input.

“In my most pessimistic moments, I can assume that those details will be filled in ways that intentionally bring harm to families, staff and students in IPS,” Johnson said. “However, because the details aren’t filled in, I actually do — naively or not — hold some level of optimism.”

The Mind Trust, a nonprofit that’s supported many Indianapolis charter schools, celebrated the “bold, structural changes” in the ILEA recommendations.

“Separating the education of students from the management of real estate and transportation is a nationally unique innovation that The Mind Trust has long supported,” Brandon Brown, the group’s CEO, said in a statement Wednesday. “This approach will expand access to transportation for thousands of students, ensure that facility access is tied to school quality, and create a path to full funding parity by ensuring capital funds are available to charter schools that opt in.”

Some speakers say elected board should maintain power

Several people expressed hostility to the ILEA’s plans on Wednesday, and some didn’t wait until the task force’s meeting began to do so.

Roughly 60 people supportive of traditional IPS schools gathered outside of the City-County Building ahead of the vote to urge the ILEA to consider a Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America proposal that would expand the power of the elected IPS board. They also attacked how charter schools operate and the private interests that support them.

“We’re told, ‘This is for the kids,’ but if that was true, the money and political will behind privatization could have fully supported public schools serving mostly Black and brown students decades ago,” said Brianna Dines of the Central Indiana DSA.

In a public comment period at the meeting before the ILEA voted, many speakers chastised the task force for diluting the school board’s power. Pastor Clyde Posley Jr. said the ILEA’s process amounted to political overreach.

“To remove the voices of elected board officials and replace them with other overt or private agendas — which do not benefit our children in the short or long term, but only invite scavengers and investors to pillage off the plight of a broken school system — is not only wrong, it is vicious toward the well being of our children and their future,” Posley Jr. said.

Meanwhile, organizations that back charter schools celebrated the recommendations minutes after the vote.

“While the ILEA’s final plan differs somewhat from advocates’ ideas, parents celebrated the focus on stronger school accountability, a growing transportation system and a more unified and coherent approach to school facilities,” Stand for Children Indiana, a parent advocacy group that has pushed to expand certain charter models, said in a statement.

Universal ratings could guide school closure decisions

Under the recommendations, the new corporation would create an advisory board that would collaborate with charter authorizers and IPS to develop unified accountability standards. Those would be based on measures such as test scores and student discipline practices.

Both charter and district schools would need to commit to use the standards to make decisions about closing chronically low-performing schools — provided that struggling schools are given time to make improvements.

The task force also recommended that the legislature fund the full cost of educating students with disabilities. The ILEA noted that IPS spends millions more to educate students with disabilities than what the state provides.

It’s unclear whether the new authority would assume control of both IPS school buildings and those owned by charters.

The task force also noted that details on how exactly to collect and distribute property taxes would need to be ironed out with fiscal experts at the statehouse. Other topics, the group noted, also require further legal review.

Ahlgren highlighted the lack of details in the recommendations as a key reason why she could not support them.

“I find these recommendations falling into this bizarre zone of simultaneously feeling both too much and not enough, bold in some areas, but overly timid in others, with vague promises that the ecosystem will sort itself out,” she said. “I’ve done enough policy work … to understand the dangers of leaving important elements up to chance — or worse, a legislature which historically has not aligned with the values of this community.”

Before his vote of support, ILEA member Andrew Neal acknowledged to the crowd that “this is an imperfect plan.” But he said he was proud the group recommended mandating transportation, and called on the legislature to adequately fund students with disabilities.

Lawmakers will return to the statehouse on Jan. 5 to resume the legislative session.

This story has been updated to include additional details about the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance’s recommendations and comments from officials and members of the public.

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

IPS school board says it wants to be charter authorizer

2025-12-16T23:42:50+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board said it will start the process to be a charter authorizer, a major step announced the day before a vote that could lead to less power for the elected school board.

The statement sent to Chalkbeat comes on the eve of major changes to IPS and charter schools. The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is considering proposals that would dilute the school board’s power, creating one entity to oversee both district and charter schools and is set to vote Wednesday on final recommendations to send to state lawmakers.

The move by the IPS board means it would have the power to open or close charter schools and hold the schools accountable based on certain standards. Adding IPS as a charter authorizer is not part of the formal proposals the ILEA is considering, despite suggestions from education advocacy groups.

State law allows the IPS school board to become an authorizer. The board made an attempt to authorize charter schools after Indiana passed its the charter law in 2001, but never authorized any. Instead, charters open in IPS borders today are overseen by one of three authorizers: the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, the Indiana Charter School Board, and Education One at Trine University.

State law requires school boards to register with the state board of education for chartering authority within district boundaries.

In its statement, the board said that its partnerships with charters in its Innovation Network of autonomous schools have set the foundation for charter authorizing. While those charters are approved by an authorizer to open, they must also strike an agreement with IPS to operate as an Innovation Network school. Those agreements can be renewed or non-renewed.

The board also said the decision to start the authorization process would be a “step toward unparalleled local accountability.”

“For too long, the accountability we have sought has been inconsistent across authorizers,” the IPS board statement said. “We believe we can, and must, lead the pack, by establishing the rigorous and consistent standards necessary to serve our incredible 41,000 students and set the benchmark for quality education in our city.”

Amid public fervor over the ILEA’s proposed governance changes, some groups have called for the school board to become an authorizer.

Stand for Children Indiana, which has advocated for the expansion of high-performing charter models, has called for a partially elected, partially appointed school board that serves as the charter authorizer. The group’s proposal has also called for an end to district-run schools and for all schools in IPS to become autonomous — either as an Innovation school or a charter school — with their own boards.

A coalition of groups supportive of traditional IPS schools, meanwhile, has called for a fully elected school board to serve as authorizer and oversee both district and charter schools.

Earlier on Tuesday, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson and Mayor Joe Hogsett — both members of the alliance — voiced support for limiting charter authorization to two entities: the Office of Education and the Indiana Charter School Board.

Charter advocates have opposed having one charter authorizer in Indianapolis.

Correction: This story was updated to accurately reflect the district’s history as a charter authorizer.

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

Parents, students skeptical of ILEA proposals to change who oversees Indianapolis schools

2025-12-11T03:19:59+00:00

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Parents and others have expressed skepticism about a task force’s proposals to change who oversees charters and Indianapolis Public Schools, arguing the plans would create additional bureaucracy without improving education.

Roughly 100 people attended a public input session at KIPP Indy Legacy High School on Wednesday, just one week before the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance votes on recommendations to make sweeping changes to IPS and charters. Their recommendations will go to state lawmakers.

The alliance will consider two proposals that would significantly dilute the power of the elected IPS school board. One gives oversight of both charter and IPS schools to a collaborative board consisting of IPS, mayoral, and charter school appointees. Another gives oversight to an independent Indianapolis Education Authority within the mayor’s office.

But both proposals encountered virtually universal criticism on Wednesday. In a breakout group during the session that focused on the best structure for governing schools, supporters of both IPS and charter schools said either option could result in more bureaucracy.

“One of the reasons that our school system is failing our students is because we keep on inventing new ways of creating structures that don’t really care about the learning inside the classroom,” said Bony Georges, an IPS teacher who is also an advocate with Stand for Children Indiana, which has supported expanding charter school models. “At the end of the day, I’m confident it will fail. Why? Because parents, students don’t care about school systems that we are creating, models that we are creating — they care about good education.”

Other parents questioned how these proposals would foster collaboration between IPS and the charter sector, or how they would close the opportunity gap between students of color and their white peers.

Groups supporting IPS have pushed the ILEA to consider giving the elected IPS school board expanded powers, including becoming the sole authorizer of charters in district boundaries.

Meanwhile, Stand for Children’s advocates have proposed that a new hybrid IPS school board, partly elected and partly appointed by the mayor’s Office of Education innovation, should serve as the charter authorizer. The plan also calls for district-run schools to become Innovation or charter schools with their own boards.

Samantha Douglas, president of the Far Eastside Community Council, said her experience has shown that the city’s current boards with appointed members already consist of individuals who do not represent their residents well.

“What you’re proposing is that we have more boards with more appointees that will continue to not represent general residents well,” she said.

ILEA members at Wednesday’s meeting explained their support or opposition to the various models.

Former mayor Bart Peterson said he did not favor a model that would put an elected IPS school board in charge of boh district-run and charter schools. He pointed out that the district has never chosen to authorize a school — even though state law gives IPS that ability.

“I don’t think the charter school community would believe — I don’t believe — that that is the environment in which all of the decision-making ought to occur,” Peterson said.

Another ILEA member, Tobin McClamroch, said the two proposals that would reduce the current IPS board’s authority prioritized collaboration. By bringing charters and district schools together under one entity, he said, it would create an economy of scale that would make IPS sustainable as it faces serious long-term fiscal concerns.

Students from charter and district schools also voiced skepticism that the proposals would make a real impact in their classrooms or affect how they get to school. Instead, they cited the need for help with other problems students face: gun violence, mental health challenges, and getting to and from school safely.

KIPP Indy Legacy High School senior Dazlyn Delarosa said both options under consideration by the ILEA that would dilute the elected school board’s power are unpopular with the public and do not address the issues at hand.

But she also criticized the lack of input from students who, like her, have struggled with challenges like housing instability. In their own breakout group Wednesday, she said, students discussed the importance of safety.

“That is what they care about — that’s all they care about. They want to be safe when they go to school,” she said. “They want to know that there are adults with them. They want to know that security is available. They want to feel safe coming to school, being in a safe building.”

The task force is also considering two sets of proposals for how transportation and facilities could be shared by district and charter schools.

In one model, schools participate in and pay into a collaborative that handles transportation and building services. In another model, an independent authority collects property taxes and oversees those services.

The next public listening session is on Monday from 12-2 p.m. at the Madame Walker Legacy Center at 617 Indiana Ave. The ILEA’s final vote on which recommendations to adopt will be held on Dec. 17 at the City-County Building at 200 E. Washington St.

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

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to include more details on Stand for Children’s proposal.

As the ILEA mulls changing how Indianapolis schools are run, here are 5 key unanswered questions

2025-12-11T00:25:43+00:00

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A state-mandated task force is one step away from proposing major changes to who oversees public schools in Indianapolis. But even at this late stage, significant questions remain.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is weighing two options that would leave the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board in place but significantly weaken its power. The task force is mulling two possibilities. One model would create a “collaborative compact advisory board” that would oversee both traditional public schools and charter schools. The other would establish a separate authority and create a new position for Indianapolis schools: a secretary of education.

Such a loss of power by the elected IPS board could have profound effects on the city’s schools and change their relationships with students, families, state officials, and others. But beyond that, it’s not clear how much detail for each option the ILEA will include in its final recommendations.

It’s also uncertain whether state lawmakers will adopt the ILEA’s recommendations, or whether they will flesh out the task force’s proposals through new laws or other means.

The ILEA is also weighing recommendations to change how transportation and buildings are managed. One model would create a collaborative advisory board in which schools would voluntarily work together and pay for services. The other would create an independent authority that would manage and possibly dictate services to schools.

The task force is considering both models for each of the two issues; it could recommend a collaborative board for transportation but an independent authority for buildings, for example.

The ILEA will vote to adopt final recommendations on Dec. 17.

Here are a few major unanswered questions that the alliance could address in its final recommendations — and what we know right now.

Who exactly would be in charge of schools?

The proposed collaborative compact advisory board would be made up of an unknown number of appointees from IPS, the mayor’s office, and charter schools. But how those appointees would be chosen is unclear.

Then there’s the other option, which would create the Indianapolis Education Authority. In an initial draft, that authority would have a nine-member board appointed by the mayor. The mayor would have to appoint four of the nine members from the elected IPS board.

But the draft advanced by the ILEA last week removed the requirement to have four IPS board members on the Indianapolis Education Authority, and didn’t specify who would appoint the authority’s members.

It’s also unclear how much either of those options would overlap with the ILEA’s separate recommendations for transportation and buildings.

How much power would these new authorities have?

In both governance models, the IPS board and charter school boards would still exist and report up to a new authority.

But how much power the new authority would have is unclear. It could have the power to impose and collect property taxes and authorize new charter schools. It could also set policies for all schools to ensure charter and IPS schools are held to the same standards — such as guidelines for students with disabilities or discipline.

In theory, the IPS school board and individual charter school boards could still be in charge of day-to-day school operations, including hiring and firing school leaders and superintendents or approving yearly budgets — the most important functions elected boards have.

Collaborative advisory boards for transportation and facilities could allow participating schools to agree on decisions such as transportation zones or opening or closing schools. In contrast, independent transportation or facility authorities that receive property tax dollars directly could dictate some of these decisions to the schools.

Would all students have school transportation?

It’s unclear whether all students would receive transportation to school under the ILEA’s recommendations.

There seems to be some consensus among ILEA members that to bus all students to any school they want to attend — regardless of distance — would be too costly.

But the larger unanswered question is whether all schools would be required to offer transportation to students living within a certain distance of the school.

About half of the 25 charter schools in the IPS Innovation Network use the district’s bus services. Less than half of the 29 independent charter schools provide bus service, according to a September report from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, which authorizes charters.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, who has objected to stripping the district of its authority over transportation, said at an ILEA meeting last month that schools should be required to participate in a transportation service. She said this would address the problem that the alliance is trying to solve, which is how to ensure every school offers transportation.

If schools decline to do so, she said, then they should not receive property tax dollars earmarked for transportation.

Four other ILEA members have told Chalkbeat they would support a requirement for schools to offer transportation: Tina Ahlgren, Barato Britt, Andrew Neal, and Angela Smith-Jones.

But former mayor Bart Peterson, who’s also an ILEA member, said there would need to be limits on how far students could live from their school and still receive transportation.

Will new charter schools be allowed to open?

It’s unclear whether the ILEA will address the issue of opening new schools.

In the proposals, there’s no mention of stopping new public schools from opening in Indianapolis. But in an ILEA meeting last month, Ahlgren and Smith-Jones voiced support for a moratorium on new schools.

“We have to have a pause, because you cannot continue to have just a rolling wheel of change,” Smith-Jones said last month. “To me that feels unstable.”

In practice, such a moratorium would likely disproportionately impact charters, which have grown in number in recent years as the number of IPS-run schools have shrunk, although roughly one-third of charters have closed since 2001.

In a related matter, IPS supporters are also calling for just one charter authorizer instead of the three currently overseeing schools in Indianapolis. Charter school leaders and advocates have opposed limiting the number of authorizers and any moratorium on new schools.

Would charter schools need to give up their buildings?

Few charter schools own vehicles that transport students. But over 20 charter schools own their buildings and a little over a dozen leased them in the 2023-24 school year, according to a report from the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation. Those arrangements include millions in remaining financial obligations.

It’s unclear whether the alliance will recommend that charter schools give up authority over those assets.

“How are property rights exercised by an independent authority over buildings that are owned in lots of different ways by lots of different entities?” Peterson said at the ILEA’s meeting in November.

It’s also unclear whether the ILEA will recommend the state repeal a law that allows charter schools to buy unused school buildings from IPS for $1 under certain conditions. The law has sparked conflict between IPS and charters for years.

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

How much power should the school board have? Indianapolis Local Education Alliance members respond.

2025-11-26T11:00:01+00:00

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Authority over schools in Indianapolis could change in the near future. And while some members of a state-mandated task force want to maintain an elected Indianapolis Public Schools board, others see value in having an appointed authority.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance could soon suggest a change to who’s in charge of charter and IPS schools. At the group’s meeting last week, ILEA members said changes to the local education power structure may be necessary in order to help the group address its primary assignment from state lawmakers: suggesting changes to how schools share facilities and transportation resources.

Two of the potential options unveiled by ILEA consultant Michael O’Connor at last week’s meeting would dilute the power of the elected IPS school board — and one would eliminate IPS school board elections entirely.

The four options include maintaining an elected IPS board; creating an advisory board of mayoral, IPS, and charter school appointees; creating an Indianapolis Education Authority appointed by the mayor; and replacing the elected IPS school board with mayoral appointees.

A majority of alliance members have yet to say which option they like the most. But some have shared their preferences for how specific facets of school governance should change. When it comes to charter authorizers, for example, some want fewer of them for Indianapolis.

The ILEA will meet in the first week of December to select from one of these governance models, although the alliance could decide to combine elements of certain options or choose a different model altogether. It will also select from options presented last week for how charters and district-run schools can share transportation and facilities. Alliance members could also tweak the transportation and facilities options as they decide on a final model for both services.

The ILEA will then host public input sessions on the selected transportation, facilities, and governance models before voting on the final recommendations to city and state leaders on Dec. 17. The time and location of that meeting has not yet been announced.

Below, members of the ILEA weigh in on different options for changing who oversees Indianapolis schools, including whether the IPS board should be elected or appointed and how many charter school authorizers there should be.

Tina Ahlgren, superintendent appointee

Tina Ahlgren, an IPS parent, teacher, and union member, said she hasn’t had the chance to delve further into each governance option.

But she said she is hesitant about giving control of schools to mayoral appointees, given the unique city-county arrangement commonly known as Unigov. In Indianapolis, the mayor represents a county that consists of 11 school districts. More mayoral control would give the mayor authority over just one of the 11.

Voters in IPS boundaries would be only a fraction of the voters electing a mayor, Ahlgren said.

“We’re never going to have a critical mass of voters in the IPS boundaries,” she said.

Ahlgren also said she supports having fewer charter authorizers, but that she is also listening to suggestions from charter advocates.

“What I would prefer is probably different than I think what they would prefer,” she said. “But I also have zero experience in that world.”

Barato Britt, IPS board president appointee

Barato Britt said he is exploring the options and sees value in having appointed board members. He noted that appointees could bring expertise that may not be guaranteed in elected board members.

Britt said he is not in favor of limiting charter authorization to one entity.

Mayor Joe Hogsett, chair

In a statement, a spokesperson for Hogsett did not indicate which governance model he would prefer and instead stressed his desire to get more perspectives from the public.

“Over the coming weeks, there will be more opportunities for public input on the options that were detailed last Wednesday night, including through in-person listening sessions and by submitting digital comments,” the statement said. “Mayor Hogsett will consider this feedback from families, residents, and stakeholders as he continues to evaluate which option would be the best step forward for students.”

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson made clear at last week’s meeting that she supports an elected IPS school board. She reiterated that sentiment in a video released by the district last Friday.

“Why would we remove decision-making power from leaders elected by our community, especially in a city where communities of color have fought hard to make their voices heard?” she said in the video. “Any option that eliminates elected board members risks doing exactly that.”

She said IPS should continue to own its schools’ buildings. And she opposed creating an independent transportation authority — which she said would be “disruptive, complex, and even more costly.”

Maggie Lewis, mayoral appointee

City-County Councilor Maggie Lewis did not respond to a request for comment through a spokesperson by deadline.

Tobin McClamroch, mayoral appointee

In an email, Tobin McClamroch said he prefers the Indianapolis Education Authority option.

“The best model would be an independent authority that would own and manage and deliver facilities and transportation services,” he said. “An independent authority will best incentivize participation among all public schools and thereby create economies of scale.”

Andrew Neal, superintendent appointee

Andrew Neal said he has not yet decided on his preferred model.

But he said he is in favor of an option that incorporates appointees to the board, noting that democratic representation has limits.

“Children can’t vote, undocumented families can’t vote, many low incomes families vote at disproportionately lower rates,” he said, echoing sentiments he shared at the ILEA meeting last week. “I think appointed members have an opportunity to represent some of those populations if the appointees are done well.”

He said he is in favor of one charter authorizer, with an option for charter schools to appeal that authorizer’s decision.

Bart Peterson, mayoral appointee

Former mayor Bart Peterson declined to say what his preferred outcome is but told Chalkbeat last week that he is “still in the learning mode.”

“I realize we only have a month left,” he said, “but I think we have a long way to go.”

He said he’s interested in hearing what other people have to say.

But he said he does not think the ILEA would be bound by any one option presented last week.

“They also have elements that could be mixed and matched,” he said. “The final result doesn’t have to be one of those four things in my opinion.”

Peterson said he’s not prepared to say whether there is a specific number of charter authorizers the ILEA should propose. But he highlighted his previously stated concerns about the number of charter authorizers growing too large.

Angela Smith-Jones, mayoral appointee

Angela Smith-Jones said she does not have a preferred model yet, but said she is considering what is best for students and families and also what state lawmakers would support.

She said she has also not determined whether she would be in favor of a governing body that is elected or appointed.

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

Officials could soon recommend changing how Indianapolis schools are run. Here are the 4 options.

2025-11-25T18:11:38+00:00

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Indianapolis schools could be on the verge of a seismic shift.

An advisory panel is weighing recommendations that would drastically alter who runs local schools. Several of the options presented at the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance’s meeting last week would dilute or eliminate the power of the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board. More broadly, they would mean big changes for district-run schools as well as charters.

While an elected seven-member board oversees district schools, charter schools have their own nonprofit boards. Indianapolis charter schools are overseen and authorized by one of three authorizers — the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, Education One at Trine University, and the Indiana Charter School Board. But state law places no limit on the number of charter authorizers, which can also include school boards.

In each of the four models floated by ILEA task forces last week, one authority would oversee both district and charter schools of all types.

The ILEA will meet in the first week of December to narrow down the options for changing school governance. The ILEA will then host public input sessions before voting on the final recommendations to city and state leaders on Dec. 17. The time and location of that meeting has not yet been announced.

Alliance members could change or combine each one as they settle on a final governance model, ILEA consultant Michael O’Connor told Chalkbeat. Members could decide to add more charter authorizers to certain models, for instance.

Each model would also likely have an appeals process for charter schools that seek to open or challenge a decision made by the charter authorizer, O’Connor said.

Separately, the ILEA will also consider suggestions for changing how district schools and charters share transportation resources and facilities.

Of the 54 charters within IPS borders that the ILEA is studying, 25 are part of the IPS Innovation Network of autonomous schools. Fifteen of the Innovation Network charter schools operate in IPS buildings, 12 of them use IPS transportation, and 11 do both. Another 29 charters are independent.

Here is an overview of each of the four governance models the ILEA could consider.

Maintain IPS as an elected board, add charter oversight

In this option, the IPS board would oversee both district and charter schools. While independent and Innovation charters would maintain their own individual school boards, all charters within IPS borders would report up to the school board.

Only the IPS board would have the power to authorize charter schools in district boundaries. Charter schools whose applications are denied by the IPS board — or those that have their charters revoked or not renewed — could appeal to the Office of Education Innovation.

The IPS school board would have the power to levy and collect property taxes. It would also set rules for all schools regarding transportation access and which schools would have access to buildings.

Create an appointed advisory board

Another option would create a “collaborative compact advisory board” to oversee district and charter schools. The board would have the power to levy and collect property taxes for schools, and also serve as the charter authorizer. The Office of Education Innovation could also serve as a second authorizer.

The board would consist of appointees from IPS, the mayor, and charter schools, and would set policy. Exact details on appointees — whether IPS appointees would be chosen by the school board or superintendent or would be school board members themselves, for example — could be determined by state lawmakers. The IPS and charter school boards would report up to the advisory board.

Create an Indianapolis Education Authority

The third option would create an Indianapolis Education Authority overseen by a nine-member policymaking board and led by a secretary of education appointed by the mayor.

The board would be appointed by the mayor, with four members selected from the seven-member elected IPS board. This policymaking board would work with the secretary of education within the authority, which would serve as charter authorizer.

The authority would hire building and transportation staff.

IPS and charter school boards would report to the policymaking board, which would levy and receive tax dollars.

Replace an elected IPS board with an appointed one

Out of all four options, this one would give the mayor the most control over schools. The mayor would appoint all members of the IPS school board, which would oversee district schools. The mayor’s Office of Education Innovation would serve as charter authorizer, while the Indiana Charter School Board would serve as an appealing body for charter schools. Both independent and Innovation charter school boards would report to the IPS school board.

The board would levy and receive property taxes and would set policy on transportation and facilities.

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

The ILEA is eyeing changes to who runs Indianapolis schools. Education groups are speaking up.

2025-11-21T22:42:16+00:00

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The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is considering a variety of governance options that would significantly dilute the power of the elected Indianapolis Public Schools board — potential changes that some community groups have rallied against.

Changing who oversees schools could be a key component to solving how district and charter schools could better share transportation and building resources. An authority governing both charter and district schools could set universal policy on transportation, discipline, students with disabilities, school accountability, and school closures.

The four options unveiled at Wednesday’s ILEA meeting differ when it comes to how much they would change the way schools are currently run. In addition to the elected board that runs Indianapolis Public Schools, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, Education One at Trine University, and the Indiana Charter School Board authorize charter schools.

The ILEA, which state lawmakers established earlier this year, does not have the power to make policy but can make recommendations to state and local officials. The group is expected to recommend one of the four options during the week of Dec. 1, although it’s also possible it could combine two or more of the options.

While the IPS school board hasn’t issued an opinion on the options, several organizations representing teachers and parents have called for an elected board to oversee both charter and district schools. Groups that support charter schools have not coalesced around support for a particular option.

The first option would keep an elected IPS school board, which would serve as the charter authorizer responsible for making policies for building usage and transportation. District and charter schools would report up to the board, and charter schools whose applications were denied could appeal to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation.

The second option would create a “collaborative compact advisory board” consisting of appointees from the mayor, charter schools, and the IPS school board. While IPS and charter schools would retain their individual school boards, both sectors would report to the advisory board, which would serve as charter authorizer and set policy.

A third model would create an Indianapolis Education Authority, led by a secretary of education appointed by the mayor. Underneath the secretary of education would be a nine-member policymaking board — also appointed by the mayor — that would serve as the charter authorizer. The mayor would select four of these members from the current seven-member elected IPS board.

A fourth option would replace the elected IPS board with members appointed by the mayor. This appointed board would serve as the charter authorizer, although appeals could be sent to the Indianapolis Charter School Board.

Several groups supportive of both district and charter schools have previously urged the ILEA to consider various options for governance. Here are the reactions to the options unveiled Wednesday from a few major community groups, in alphabetical order:

Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America

In a statement, the Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America — which has run a “Fully Funded, Fully Public” campaign to support traditional IPS schools — did not select any of the four options as the best choice.

Instead, it called for a fully elected school board to serve as charter authorizer without the opportunity for denied charter schools to appeal to the OEI. The school board would operate facilities and transportation for all school types.

“Under this plan, charter students and parents will finally have an accountable board that represents them democratically without sacrificing their school choice,” the group said. “Similarly, IPS and innovation school parents will have the flexibility to exercise school choice without exiting their stable public school system.

Indianapolis Education Association

In a statement, the Indianapolis Education Association said the first option allowing IPS to serve as the charter authorizer is the best.

“This ensures that governance is responsible to the people that they serve and provides a clear structure for community engagement when the time for new programming in specific parts of the city is necessary,” the teacher’s union said. “IEA feels that any attempt to outnumber an elected body that serves IPS is harmful to the community and a board with more appointees than elected officials sends a message that the community can’t be trusted with our schools.”

IPS Parent Council

Kristen Phair of the IPS Parent Council, a roughly 400-member parent organization that formed to support IPS during the last legislative session, said the only option her group would support is the one in which IPS is the sole charter authorizer.

“We just don’t want to see local control diluted by appointees,” she said.

The council circulated an online letter signed by over 700 IPS parents this week that suggested that IPS become the sole authorizer of all charter schools within district boundaries.

IPS school board

School board president Angelia Moore said the board hasn’t had time yet to meet in executive session to discuss the governance options.

She said she is focused on a lawsuit by Attorney General Todd Rokita alleging that IPS hindered federal authorities in the deportation of a man whose son was an IPS student. The board is seeking the public’s support as it crafts a response to the lawsuit.

The Mind Trust

In a statement, the leader of the nonprofit Mind Trust that has helped launch many charter schools in Indianapolis did not give an opinion on overall governance.

“We are pleased to see discussion of an independent facilities and transportation authority, which should exist without consolidating system-level governance,” said CEO Brandon Brown.

Brown also emphasized two separate letters that charter school leaders sent to the ILEA this week.

In one, seven leaders of independent charter schools opposed limiting charter authorization to one authorizer. In the other, nine leaders of charters in the IPS Innovation Network suggested the mayor’s office and the Indiana Charter School Board serve as the only authorizers within IPS borders.

“Out of respect for the ILEA’s work, we will withhold further judgment until the final recommendations are released,” Brown said.

RISE Indy

RISE Indy, a nonprofit with ties to school choice advocates that has supported both traditional public and charter schools, did not voice explicit support for one of the four options.

Instead, the group said it supports an elected board that oversees academics and an appointed board that oversees facilities and transportation.

“An elected board allows community voice and representation to remain at the forefront of education decisions while an appointed board of local experts in facilities and transportation can allow every kid to have the resources and services they need to succeed, no matter the school model,” the group said.

Stand for Children Indiana

Stand for Children Indiana, which organizes parents who have pushed IPS to expand high-performing charter schools, said in a statement that it is in the process of sharing the details of the presentation with its advocates.

The group reiterated its call for a better transportation system and a school performance framework that holds schools of all types accountable to high standards.

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

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance hears options for overhauling schools, limiting school board power

2025-11-20T04:47:32+00:00

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Members of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance are grappling with who should govern Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools — and it remains uncertain how drastic an overhaul they will recommend as they work toward creating a more unified system.

The group heard a range of ideas for new ways of overseeing schools on Wednesday night, including the creation of a mayor-controlled oversight board for district and charter schools.

Members also heard potential solutions for how to overhaul the buildings and transportation infrastructure so IPS and charter schools receive equal resources.

The list of solutions presented by task forces within the group could guide its final recommendations, which would then be sent to state lawmakers as well as city and district leaders next month. Those could lead to sweeping changes for the landscape of Indianapolis Public Schools as well as charter schools in the area.

The potential solutions come as community leaders and groups continue pressing the ILEA for a flurry of changes. Some parents are pushing to safeguard traditional public schools, while others want charter schools to receive what they believe are proper resources. Roughly 100 people signed up for public comment on Wednesday.

The alliance is adding a meeting the first week of December to vote to narrow its support to one of several solutions presented for each transportation, building, and governance topic. The date is yet to be determined. The group will then host listening sessions throughout the city for further public input on the selected models, ILEA consultant Michael O’Connor said at Wednesday’s meeting.

The ILEA will then vote on its final recommendations at a Dec. 17 meeting at 6 p.m. at a location to be announced.

Advisory board or independent authority could lead transportation

The cost of transportation for district and charter students depends on the amount of school choice.

The first transportation option would feature the creation of a “collaborative compact advisory board.” The board would determine levels of service, transportation zones, walk zones, and other logistics for schools that participate in the compact. Participating schools would pay a fee for the service, which IPS would run.

The second option would create an independent transportation authority, which would directly receive property tax dollars for transportation. The authority would make logistical decisions around zoning and would provide the service.

Some ILEA members on the transportation task force believe that schools should be required to offer transportation, O’Connor said at the meeting. But others found that it would be hard to support mandatory participation without an independent transportation authority.

Members Tobin McClamroch and city-county councilor Maggie Lewis said they supported the second option of an independent authority over the first.

“The most important word is independent — it’s an independent building authority," McClamroch said, noting that the first option may be a continuation of the status quo in which IPS and charter schools each worry about their own entities.

But Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said many charters choose to participate in a service offered by IPS today, and said she does not believe an independent authority is the solution.

She added that all schools should be required to offer transportation, an opinion also offered by member Angela Smith-Jones.

“If you receive property tax dollars and you don’t want to participate, that could be your choice, and then you do not receive those funds,” Johnson said.

Building solutions depend heavily on who governs schools

The possible solutions around school buildings are overshadowed by larger questions around governance, including who should set any accountability standards that could determine which schools receive existing buildings and who should have the power to open or close charter schools.

One option would include the creation of another “collaborative compact advisory board” with statutorily binding policies that determine which schools to open and close. Accountability and performance standards would be set as policy by voting members of the compact. Schools would pay a fee for facility services.

Another option includes the creation of an independent building authority staffed by facility experts that would receive the property tax dollars meant for facility costs. The authority would make decisions on bids for public building projects.

A third option would designate IPS as the facilities provider. Property tax dollars for buildings would go to schools, which would then pay a fee for the use and maintenance of the buildings.

A fourth option — which O’Connor said was perhaps the least supported by task force members — would be for the Indianapolis-Marion County Building Authority to assume ownership and operations of existing school buildings. The authority would receive property tax revenue directly.

Governance options range from IPS as authorizer to appointed school board

O’Connor also presented four potential governance options.

In one, IPS would serve as the charter authorizer. Schools denied a charter could appeal to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, which is the current authorizer for a majority of charter schools in IPS boundaries.

Another model creates an advisory board of members appointed by IPS, the mayor, and charter schools. Both charter and district schools would report to this board, which would serve as a charter authorizer and would make policies to determine which schools to open and close.

A third model creates an Indianapolis Education Authority featuring a secretary of education under the mayor. Both district and charter schools would report to a board of five mayoral appointees and four elected IPS school board members, which would set policy on school accountability, transportation, and closures.

A fourth option would replace the elected IPS board with a board appointed by the mayor. The Office of Education Innovation would continue authorizing independent and innovation charter schools, with appeals sent to the Indiana Charter School Board.

Corrections and clarifications: This story has been updated to correct the charter authorizing and appeals authority in the fourth governance model.

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

Denver superintendent recommends against expanding a dual language Montessori charter school

2025-11-17T20:00:55+00:00

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Monarch Montessori has a plot of land picked out for the middle school it hopes to build: a field of tall native grasses, located just past the yurt where it holds music classes and a short walk from its outdoor solar oven and chicken pen.

But Denver Public Schools Superintendent Alex Marrero is recommending that the school board reject Monarch’s application to add sixth, seventh, and eighth grades when it votes this week. Marrero said the charter school’s plan to pay for and build a new middle school wasn’t good enough.

“This is not in spite of the advocacy,” Marrero told the board last Thursday. “It’s based on our lived and hard-earned experience when it comes to granting expansion without a clear facility plan. We’ve been burnt in the past, quite frankly. It just simply doesn’t work.”

Marrero’s recommendation likely reflects the changing realities for publicly funded, independently run charter schools in Denver. Ten years ago, DPS was the fastest-growing district in the state and its board was keen to open new charter schools it deemed promising. Now, both of those trends have reversed. Enrollment in DPS is declining and the board has been closing charters, not opening them.

Monarch offers a bilingual Montessori education unlike anything else in far northeast Denver. It became a charter school in 2012, adding elementary grades to what had been a private Montessori child care center. The school board initially rejected Monarch’s charter application, a decision Monarch appealed to the Colorado State Board of Education. The state board sided with Monarch and ordered the Denver board to vote again.

Monarch serves about 280 elementary students this year. Its demographics closely mirror the district’s as a whole; nearly 60% of students are Latino, 17% are white, and 14% are Black.

Students are dismissed from Monarch Montessori at the end of the school day last week.

Monarch’s proposal calls for the school to add sixth grade in 2027, seventh grade in 2028, and eighth grade in 2029. Parents have been asking the school to expand to give students in a historically underserved part of the city the same opportunity to continue with Montessori as those on the opposite side of Denver, school leaders said

Executive Director Laura Pretty has been pitching the expansion as mutually beneficial to Monarch and DPS; it would fix some historical inequities at the school and address the district’s need for more middle school seats in far northeast Denver, she said.

Monarch is one of five public Montessori elementary schools in Denver and the only one without a sixth grade. That matters because Montessori classrooms are multi-age, and the “upper elementary” classrooms are traditionally a mix of fourth-, fifth-, and sixth-graders.

“Our kids have two pathways right now, which is, after fifth grade, they are wealthy and they get to go to a private school that fosters their independent learning,” parent Christina Williams told the board Thursday, “or they’re not so wealthy and they go to a traditional school, and that has a very different outlook. I am noticing our students are in panic.”

Although enrollment in DPS is declining overall, the far northeast is the one region where the student population is expected to grow because of new housing developments. The district’s enrollment analysis says it will need more middle school seats there by 2029, an issue that board members said even a modest Monarch expansion could help address.

“If there are 30 kids that are staying at Monarch Montessori, those are 30 kids we don’t have to provide seats for,” board member Scott Esserman said.

But the board also seemed receptive to Marrero’s reservations about the expansion. District staff described Monarch’s expansion timeline as “too compressed” and dinged the school for not yet having the loan to pay for it, according to a presentation given to the board.

Pretty said Monarch faces a Catch-22. The school can’t get financing from its lender until the district approves the expansion, which is estimated to cost between $6.5 and $7 million, she said. And the district won’t give the approval without the financing.

“It’s like saying you can’t start school until you’ve graduated,” Pretty said. “To me, the argument for us is very strong and the arguments the district is making against it, I feel, are incredibly weak.”

Several board members implied that it would be a tough decision. The board is set to vote on Monarch’s proposed expansion at its next meeting Thursday.

“I stand behind the idea of a strong dual language Montessori school,” board President Carrie Olson said. “And I’ve learned from the years on the board that opening schools without a good plan leads to closure later, and that’s heartbreaking for the families.”

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Mayoral control over Indianapolis schools could untangle big knots — or create new headaches

2025-11-13T12:00:00+00:00

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Should the mayor hold more power over Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools?

Control over public education in the city is fractured now. An elected board governs Indianapolis Public Schools, where enrollment has been falling and the financial outlook is grim. Oversight of the city’s 50-plus charter schools is spread across multiple authorizers, including the mayor’s office, resulting in a patchwork of accountability. And as school choice has expanded, tensions over money and political power have been rising too.

All that makes the role of the mayor a notable one that could be addressed by the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, which has been tasked by lawmakers with recommending systemic changes for IPS and charters.

The state-mandated group must submit recommendations by the end of 2025 on two narrow issues – changing transportation and building use. But it could also make suggestions on other topics like calling for some enhanced form of mayoral control, which would dramatically reshape the hierarchy running schools.

Some groups support this change, which would follow in the mold ofNew York City, where the mayor appoints the schools chancellor, and Washington, D.C., where the mayor appoints the schools chancellor and nominates members of the charter school board.

In its recommendations to the ILEA, Stand for Children Indiana, a nonprofit that mobilizes parents who support school choice, said that school board members appointed by the mayor could bring “experience as educators, or understanding facilities management or accountability systems — so they can add to the elected board’s experience.”

Yet the city-county structure of Indianapolis would create unique challenges. The mayor, a charter authorizer who governs a county featuring 11 school districts, would have sweeping influence over just one.

And consolidating power under one elected office could tie control of schools to the election of just one official every four years who oversees much more than just education.

This month, New York City voters elected a new mayor, Zohran Mamdani, intent on ending mayoral control. And in Indianapolis, some potential Democratic candidates for the 2027 mayoral election support elected school boards and are skeptical of charter schools and support limiting charter school authorizing.

Research into mayoral control over schools has found mixed results when it comes to academic performance and other factors.

A spokesperson for Mayor Joe Hogsett declined to share his thoughts on mayoral control, saying it would be unfair to the “ongoing and important work” of the ILEA. Hogsett is the ILEA’s chairperson.

An executive-driven school system can streamline governance under someone the public clearly recognizes as in charge, said Kenneth Wong, a professor emeritus of education policy at Brown University who has studied mayoral control for over 20 years. Given that IPS is the largest district in Marion County, he said, there could be a case for having mayoral control exclusively over one district facing a “dramatic educational crisis.”

“One could make the argument that because of the complexity and the amount of money involved in IPS, that needs coherence and accountability,” he said in an interview.

But some school board members, parents, and community members have called strongly for IPS to maintain a fully elected school board. They view the idea of having one person pick people to oversee the district as a blow to transparency and democratic control.

“Choosing our own representation is reflective of the community. Appointments would be a step backwards,” said Samantha Douglas, a Far Eastside resident, during a district-hosted town hall earlier this month. “We never hear from folks who are appointed.”

Unigov could complicate Indianapolis school governance changes

Mayoral control doesn’t mean the mayor runs schools like a superintendent. And it isn’t necessarily an all-or-nothing proposition.

A school board partially elected and partially appointed by the mayor could control IPS schools. The mayor’s office could serve as the sole charter authorizer — or as one of a maximum of two, as some groups have suggested. Stand for Children has also suggested a hybrid appointed and elected IPS board that would also act as the sole charter authorizer.

But the 1970 state legislation known as Unigov complicates matters.

Unigov consolidated nearly all city and county services for Indianapolis and Marion County. But school districts were not part of the merger and continued to operate independently.

Today, the mayor represents the city of Indianapolis and a county with 11 school districts: IPS, eight township school districts, and the school districts for Beech Grove and Speedway, two municipalities within the county with their own mayors that were excluded from Unigov consolidation.

Under mayoral control, the mayor would oversee only one out of the 11 school districts. But voters in other school districts — the majority of Marion County — would still cast votes for a mayor.

Through the Office of Education Innovation, the mayor’s office also already authorizes most charters within IPS borders.

In his 2007 book “The Education Mayor,” Wong found that mayor-controlled systems performed better academically than those without mayoral control — particularly in elementary school English language arts.

“While the data is dated, the basic premise remains relevant – mayors, when given accountability, will connect public schools to quality of life improvement,” Wong said in an email. “Mayors tend to focus resources to address the achievement gap.”

But he said one downside is the sentiment that community voices are not heard when mayors control schools.

Chicago highlights arguments from both supporters and detractors of mayoral control.

Mayoral control across three administrations from 1995 to 2020 coincided with increased academic performance in Chicago. Yet decisions to close schools also led to a public uproar and galvanized the teacher’s union to push for state legislation that would end it.

And in 2023, voters there picked an opponent of mayoral control when they elected former teacher and union organizer Brandon Johnson as mayor. Chicago began phasing out mayoral control this year, and it will end in 2027 when the board will be fully elected.

Several potential candidates skeptical of mayoral control

Mayoral control gained steam in the 1990s and garnered support from Democrats supportive of education reforms like charter schools. But it has drawn criticism from teachers unions and progressive groups.

If Hogsett, a Democrat supportive of charter schools, runs for reelection but loses to a candidate critical of charter schools’ growth, that could disrupt the smooth relationship the charter sector has enjoyed with both Republican and Democratic administrations.

The Mind Trust, an influential local nonprofit that has helped grow the city’s charter sector, called for an IPS board appointed by the mayor and city councilors in 2011. Today, though, it does not have a public stance on who should govern schools.

“We continue to think that that is a worthy conversation,” CEO Brandon Brown said of mayoral control. “We also think it’s one of many questions that need to be answered over the next few months, and we’ve not taken a formal position on it.”

Given the support that charter schools have from local Democrats and statehouse Republicans, Brown said, he does not see future administrations posing a significant risk to charter schools.

Of course, it’s not clear whether state lawmakers would move forward with expanding mayoral control in time to affect the 2026 school board elections or the 2027 mayoral election, even if they are interested.

Other potential candidates have differing views.

Democratic state senators Andrea Hunley and Fady Qaddoura — who are rumored to be mayoral candidates in 2027 but told Chalkbeat they have not yet decided whether to run — said they support an elected school board. Both are skeptical of charter schools and support restricting the number of charter authorizers.

Marion County prosecutor Ryan Mears, who’s also weighing a 2027 run, told Chalkbeat that the mayor could play a helpful role in setting an accountability standard for all schools.

“I’m certainly more partial to an elected board,” he said. “But I also think there’s room for what role mayor appointees can [do].”

Pike Township Trustee Annette Johnson, who objected to the opening of a charter school in Pike Township and confirmed she plans to run, said she favors elections instead of mayoral control.

“It just seems like it would be a lot of responsibility for mayor, with everything else that we have to contend with within our day-to-day duties as mayor of this city,” she said.

Former IPS school board member Will Pritchard, a charter school supporter who is also considering a run, said mayoral control might be feasible — if the county only had one school district.

“To have the mayor control one district but not the other 10 does not make sense,” he said. “And to have a large portion of the city voting for the mayor while a smaller portion of the city has their school district controlled by the mayor presents an awkward division.”

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

New Jersey weighs biggest update of charter school rules in 30 years

2025-11-11T18:49:29+00:00

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This story was originally published by the New Jersey Monitor.

Senate lawmakers on Monday advanced legislation that would launch the most comprehensive overhaul of New Jersey’s regulation of charter schools in 30 years.

The bill advanced by the Senate Education Committee on Monday would outright ban for-profit charter schools, require them to post a range of documents online, and impose residency requirements for some charter school trustees.

“We have not looked at charter schools as a whole legislatively in this committee since the 1990s, so this is an opportunity where we’re trying to do that,” said Sen. Vin Gopal, who represents parts of Monmouth County, the panel’s chair and the bill’s prime sponsor.

The bill comes as New Jersey charter schools have faced scrutiny after reporting revealed top officials were paid far more than their counterparts at traditional public schools, including, among others, a Newark charter school CEO who was paid nearly $800,000 in 2024.

The proposal, which Gopal said was the product of a year of negotiations, would require charter schools to post user-friendly budgets that include the compensation paid to charter school leaders and school business administrators. They must also post existing contracts.

Charters would be required to post meeting notices, annual reports, board members’ identities, and facility locations online. Some critics have charged that charter schools routinely fail to provide notice of their public meetings.

The legislation would also require the state to create a dedicated charter school transparency website to host plain language budgets, 990 disclosure forms filed with the IRS, contracts with charter management organizations, and a list of charter schools on probation, among other things.

It would also ban fully virtual charter schools.

“We support the bills as a step forward in holding all public schools in our state accountable for fiscal and transparency requirements that will ultimately best serve our students,” said Debbie Bradley, director of government relations for the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association.

The two sides remained at odds over the membership of charter school boards.

Charter critics argued residency for those positions — which, unlike traditional public school boards, are largely appointed rather than elected — should mirror those imposed on regular public schools.

In New Jersey, school board members must live in the district they serve. That’s not the case for charter schools, whose trustees face no residency or qualification limits under existing law.

The bill would only impose a residency requirement on one-third of a charter school’s trustees, and rather than forcing them to live in the district, the bill would require charter trustees to live in the school’s county or within 30 miles of the school.

That language was criticized by statewide teachers union the New Jersey Education Association, which has called existing law governing charter schools outdated and flawed.

“School board representation should remain primarily local, and when we mean local, we don’t mean within a 30-mile radius. A 30-mile radius of Newark could include Maplewood, South Orange, communities that don’t necessarily represent what Newark looks like as a community,” said Deb Cornavaca, the union’s director of government relations.

Charter school supporters said their boards need flexibility because their leadership has broader responsibilities than counterparts in traditional public schools.

“Running a charter is a little different than running a traditional district. You need experience in school finance. You need to fundraise a bunch of money on the front end because you’re not getting paid on the front end,” said New Jersey Charter School Association President Harry Lee, adding they also needed familiarity with real estate and community experience.

Amendments removed provisions that would have required charter school board members to be approved by the state commissioner of education, though the commissioner retains sole power over whether to allow the formation of a new charter, a power that gives the commissioner some veto power over a charter’s board.

Gopal acknowledged the 30-mile residency rule was a sticking point and said legislators would discuss it before the measure comes before the Senate Budget Committee. Earlier, he warned the bill was likely to see more changes as it moved through the Legislature.

Some argued enrollment in charter schools should be more limited by geography, arguing that out-of-district enrollments that are common at New Jersey charters could place financial strain on the students’ former district.

Most per-pupil state and local funding follows students who enroll in charter schools, even if their departure does not actually decrease the original district’s expenses because, for example, those schools still require the same number of teachers and administrators.

Charter operators said that would make New Jersey a national outlier and argued that a separate provision that would bar new charter schools when there are empty seats in existing area charters should come out of the bill.

“It could be read as a moratorium on charters, so we want to revisit that provision,” Lee said.

Such vacancies could exist for various reasons, they argued, including student age distributions.

Alongside that measure, the panel approved separate legislation that would bar charter schools from setting criteria to enroll students, ban them from imposing other requirements on a student randomly selected to attend, and place new limits on how such schools can enroll children from outside their district.

That bill would also bar charter schools from encouraging students to break with the district. Some opponents have charged that charter schools push out low-performing students to boost their metrics.

The committee approved the bills in unanimous votes, though Sens. Owen Henry, who represents portions of four counties in Central Jersey, and Kristin Corrado, who represents parts of three counties in North Jersey, abstained from votes on both bills, saying they are broadly supportive but need more time to review amendments.

Nikita Biryukov covers state government and politics for the New Jersey Monitor. You can reach him at nbiryukov@newjerseymonitor.com.

Chicago school board votes to keep ChiArts open, close EPIC Academy

2025-11-05T00:08:46+00:00

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The Chicago Board of Education voted Tuesday to end agreements with independent operators of two high schools after those operators decided they could no longer run the campuses.

The school board decided to keep Chicago High School for the Arts, or ChiArts, an integrated arts high school serving 559 students who had to apply and audition, open as a district-run school and provide $1.5 million for the transition. The contract school is known for its arts conservatory, which has special departments for creative writing, dance, music, theater, and visual arts.

After a contentious debate at a special meeting, the board also voted to wind down EPIC Academy, a charter school in South Chicago with 244 mostly Black students enrolled and provide the school with $1.4 million to stay afloat through the end of the school year. EPIC’s operators previously said they faced closure in the middle of this school year if they couldn’t find additional funding.

For ChiArts, several students, teachers, and parents who spoke to board members Tuesday demanded the board maintain the school’s arts “conservatory” and keep its teachers and “teaching artists” intact.

“You hold the livelihoods of more than 60 arts teachers, you hold the sanctuary of over 600 art students run toward in a world that frequently tells us we aren’t necessary,” said Maya Davis, a senior at ChiArts who said the school has helped her flourish as a young actress. “Let it be the haven I’ve experienced it to be.”

The debate around EPIC’s future began last week at the board’s regular monthly meeting for October. That’s when elected board member Jitu Brown introduced an amendment attempting to keep EPIC’s students and staff together at a high-performing school next year. But a vote was delayed to Tuesday after district officials raised concerns about the tight timeline for producing a plan and other board members asked for the district’s general counsel to review it.

Ultimately, the board voted to require the district to offer enrollment to students at a district-run school, as well as job opportunities for “qualified” EPIC staff at receiving schools. An amendment to Brown’s amendment removed the term “high-performing.”

“I can support it if this would get us to a resolution,” Brown said. “But historically, 88% of the people that have been impacted by school closings have been Black students. The overwhelming majority of those students did not go to a better school.”

Past research from the University of Chicago found that not only did the city’s school closings disproportionately impact Black children, but most of those students did not go to better performing schools.

“How do we make sure a child doesn’t go from one school that’s closing its doors in the middle of the night, then they end up at a school that’s going to be in discussions for school closings the next year?” Brown said. “This has happened over and over and over and over again, and this is the concern. Now if that’s acceptable, then say that.”

Elected school board member Che “Rhymefest” Smith, whose district includes EPIC Academy, said he doesn’t want to limit parents’ options.

“Parents choose different schools for different reasons,” Smith said. “What one person may consider high-performing may be subjective to another person. I speak with parents who send their children to a school because it’s the safest school in the district for their kid to go to, even though another school may have better academics.”

Some board members echoed concerns raised by the principals union about hiring autonomy. Other board members said the language merely offers opportunities for teachers to apply and doesn’t require principals to hire them.

During the meeting, appointed board member Debby Pope added an amendment — later approved by the board — that commits CPS to preserving ChiArts’ conservatory “to the greatest extent practicable” and look for other ways to financially support the school’s model going forward, including through partnerships with other groups. It committed board members to reconvene on the issue of funding to support ChiArts transition to a district-run school by its January board meeting, after it engages with the school community.

The board spent about four hours in closed session where it planned to discuss interviews it had conducted with candidates for CPS’ next CEO and decide on a list of finalists, Jessica Biggs, an elected board member helping to lead the district’s CEO search committee, told Chalkbeat before the meeting.

Becky Vevea and Mila Koumpilova contributed.

Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.

Denver, D.C officials share lessons on school systems with Indianapolis Local Education Alliance

2025-10-23T03:26:58+00:00

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In the future, Indianapolis’ traditional public and charter schools could answer to a single authority, like a mayor or an elected board. They could have a universal accountability system and an enrollment structure that ensures district and charter schools enroll students in certain subgroups — like those with disabilities — at a similar rate.

These were some of the takeaways from what current and former officials in Denver and Washington, D.C. public schools shared with the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance at its fifth meeting on Wednesday.

The presentations came from the perspective of two urban systems that feature a hybrid of traditional and charter schools and could offer both potential solutions and cautionary tales for the alliance as it crafts recommendations on the future of IPS.

In some ways, Indianapolis shares some features of these cities, like a centralized enrollment system — Enroll Indy — that nearly all schools within IPS enrollment borders use. But in other ways, the cities are different: Both Denver and Washington, D.C. have only one entity that authorizes new charter schools. Existing Indianapolis charter schools are overseen by one of three authorizers.

Mayor Joe Hogsett, chair of the ILEA, said the alliance invited the guests to present not with the intention of Indianapolis emulating either city’s model, but to help the ILEA understand “that there are multiple options, and each have their strengths as well as their own shortcomings.”

Universal accountability, enrollment in Denver Public Schools

In Denver, charter and district schools agreed in 2010 to adhere to similar standards while receiving similar levels of funding, said Alyssa Whitehead-Bust, a former top official at Denver Public Schools who is now a partner at the Attuned Education Partners consulting firm.

That means, for example, that charters had to serve a proportional share of some of the hardest-to-serve and most expensive students, including those with disabilities.

Enrollment in Denver Public Schools is now declining. But when it was growing, a “Strategic Regional Analysis” helped guide the district on when and where to open schools. Schools that meet needs outlined in the annual analysis can operate in a district-run facility and are part of a shared transportation system with district schools, she said.

Those that don’t meet needs identified in the analysis can choose to opt in to yellow bus service, she said.

Denver schools are graded on a universal school performance framework. The district had its own framework for many years. But the school board got rid of it in 2020, and now uses the state’s school rating system.

A student-based budgeting formula distributes money across both school types based on certain criteria, with additional funding given for English language learners or students in poverty, for example.

In Washington, D.C., mayor has oversight

In Washington, D.C., a single charter school board appointed by the mayor authorizes schools. The mayor also hires the school chancellor responsible for traditional public schools.

In the early days of the charter sector, charters had the right of first refusal to vacant district buildings, said Paul Kihn, deputy D.C. mayor of education. Now that the city no longer has any available buildings, charter schools receive additional money for facilities.

Kihn said traditional schools are meant to serve as neighborhood school options while charter schools offer more innovative educational models.

But even without an elected school board, Kihn said engaging with the public still matters. And, he said, getting two sectors to think as one ecosystem has taken decades.

“It’s important to put in the time, but it doesn’t happen, I don’t think, by magic,” he said. “And it also doesn’t happen with the wave of a particular policy wand. You’ve got to have these constituent elements working together.”

What else can Indianapolis learn from Denver and D.C.?

ILEA member Tina Ahlgren noted that in contrast to Washington D.C., residents in IPS are just a fraction of the city-county residents who elect a mayor. Having mayoral control of the school system could mean that some voters elect a mayor based on the success of IPS and charter schools, while other voters in the county’s other school districts do not.

In public comment, Bryan Duarte, a taxpayer and education professor, urged the ILEA to maintain a fully elected school board. He pointed to Chicago Public Schools, which is transitioning from an appointed to an elected school board.

Khai Vuong, an Indianapolis educator, said Indianapolis could learn lessons from Denver and D.C.

“We learned a lot about how we don’t need to point fingers and start conflict,” Vuong said. “But we have a clear case study of how IPS, innovation and charter schools can have a clear example of what a unified network looks like.”

The alliance must submit recommendations to state lawmakers by the end of the year. The next ILEA meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. Nov. 19 at a location to be determined.

This story has been updated to include more recent information on Denver Public Schools.

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

Indianapolis charter, private schools approved for three-year state facilities and transportation pilot

2025-10-21T21:15:31+00:00

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The Indiana Department of Education approved a three-year pilot for more than 50 Indianapolis public charter and private schools to collaborate on how to best use transportation and building resources.

The state’s approval, announced Tuesday, allows 28 independent charter schools and 22 charters affiliated with the Indianapolis Public Schools Innovation Network to test new solutions for facilities and transportation. Those are two of the most challenging topics for charter schools, which have historically not received property tax funding. The Oak Academy’s three private school campuses are also participants.

The pilot, which will begin in the 2026-27 school year, allows participants to receive waivers from certain state requirements regarding school buildings or transportation. It’s unclear which state laws the department may waive. Indiana law has a number of requirements for school transportation, including requirements for school bus drivers, school bus inspections and registration, and school bus safety.

The department also approved Eastern Hancock Schools and the Career Academy Network of Public Schools, a charter network in South Bend, to participate in their own pilot programs.

“Through this pilot, schools will have an opportunity to try out new, innovative solutions, learn some lessons, and ultimately, create a model that others can adopt and adapt to meet their unique needs,” Indiana Secretary of Education Katie Jenner said in a statement.

The coalition of Indianapolis schools is led by the Indianapolis-based nonprofit TogetherEd, formerly known as the Center for Innovative Education Solutions, which has assisted charter schools with finding cost-effective services.The group said in its application that it could consider coordinating procurement of services and equipment, such as furniture and HVAC systems, across multiple schools. The group also pitched pooling rides across different schools or collaborating on transportation for certain activities.

The programs aim to “foster innovation, efficiency, and collaboration” by reimagining how schools manage buildings and deliver transportation, the department said in a press release.

The state-created Indianapolis Local Education Alliance also must submit recommendations to state lawmakers by the end of the year on how schools can effectively use transportation and facilities resources across the charter and IPS sectors.

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

IPS school board opposes any plan for an all-charter system, calls for elected board in letter to ILEA

2025-10-03T17:52:17+00:00

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The Indianapolis Public Schools board on Friday opposed any plan to create a future all-charter school system in a letter to the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance that listed seven requests for the group to consider as it rethinks the city’s school system.

The letter to the ILEA from the seven-member school board is among a litany of requests the ILEA has received in recent months. The letter, signed by all seven board members, is the first public list of requests the board has made to the group.

The group — created by state lawmakers and composed of Mayor Joe Hogsett, Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, and mayoral and district appointees — is tasked with providing recommendations for more efficient transportation and facility agreements across the city’s fractured charter and IPS school sectors. But the group could also submit other recommendations to lawmakers, such as a new governance structure for all school types.

The IPS board said in its statement that members “reject the notion” that a shift to an all-charter system “is the solution for education in our community.”

“Twenty years after the launch of charter schools in our city, student achievement remains low, with collective proficiency rates yet to reach 30% regardless of school type,” the statement said. “This is not criticism of charter schools—we proudly partner with multiple charter schools doing incredibly difficult work to serve students well.”

ILEARN rates for the charter sector as a whole range from roughly 10% proficiency in both English and math for independent charters to roughly 18% for charters associated with IPS and its Innovation Network, according to the latest 2025 results. Results for the district are at roughly 14%.

In its letter, the IPS board reiterated previous calls in ILEA and IPS board meetings to keep the school board democratically elected and noted school board elections for surrounding Marion County districts.

“The communities in each of these districts vote for their school board representatives, and there is no justifiable rationale why this practice should be different within IPS,” the statement said.

The letter follows the board’s recent public discussion on what it should ask the ILEA to consider. While most board members supported an elected board, member Deandra Thompson said at a meeting last week that she sees value in having some appointments to the board, such as a finance professional or attorney.

In their letter, IPS board members noted that examples from Newark and Chicago “demonstrate that communities are returning to elected governance models, recognizing that appointed boards diminish community voice and accountability.”

While Newark returned to an elected school board after years of state control, Chicago’s school board has transitioned from being fully appointed by the mayor to partially appointed and partially elected. The board there will be fully elected by 2027.

The IPS board also called for a moratorium on new schools and asked that the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation serve as the only authorizers of charter schools within IPS boundaries. Currently, three authorizers — Education One at Trine University, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, and the Indiana Charter School board — oversee such schools. Historically, 1 in 3 charter schools in Indianapolis has closed.

The board also called for transportation services to be safe while ensuring access for all students, including those with disabilities. Facilities belong to the taxpayers, the board argued, and any buildings no longer necessary for schools should be used for other “critical community needs” such as housing or early learning centers.

And the ILEA must acknowledge “the reality of adequate funding for public education,” the board said.

“We challenge the ILEA to present both the maximum and minimum of what it takes to educate a child in Indianapolis—and ask our community to decide what services and supports they are willing to fund,” the board said. “Our schools provide not only K-12 academic instruction but also Pre-K, health services, food pantries, mental health supports, and wraparound services that address barriers to student attendance and success. These services exist not because we receive specific funding for them, but because our schools are integral to our community.”

In some ways, the board’s proposal mirrors what other groups, including those who do and don’t support charters, have advocated for in ILEA meetings.

The Central Indiana Democratic Socialists of America have advocated strongly for a fully democratically elected school board, and called the IPS board’s letter a “powerful, principled stance” in a statement.

Meanwhile, parents affiliated with the Stand for Children Indiana, a nonprofit supportive of charter schools, have published a plan calling for both democratically elected and appointed school board members. A petition supporting the plan has garnered over 2,000 signatures, according to Stand.

In a statement, the Mind Trust nonprofit that has helped launch charter schools in the city said the board’s recommendations don’t provide solutions for improving student achievement and fail to address the district’s projected $44 million budget deficit for this year.

The next ILEA meeting is Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. at a location to be determined.

This story was updated to include a statement from the Central Indiana DSA.

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

Legal Prep charter school secures downtown location to serve grades 6-12

2025-09-30T22:09:26+00:00

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Legal Prep, the Chicago-based, legal-themed charter school opening a campus in Indianapolis next year, will launch at a onetime Indianapolis Public Schools building that currently operates as a coworking space.

The school’s downtown location at 525 S. Meridian St., currently known as the Union Campus, is central to Legal Prep’s desire to be close to the city’s legal and business community.

The school, approved by the mayor’s office in June, aims to launch in the 2026-27 school year with 225 students in grades 6 and 9. It will add one grade every year to its middle and high school grades until it reaches a total 825 students in its fourth year, according to its application.

The charter school will be one of the first to open since a divisive legislative session that pitted supporters of traditional IPS schools against charter school proponents. State lawmakers created the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to examine how IPS and charters can share transportation and buildings.

Legal Prep founder and CEO Samuel Finkelstein said a nonprofit that works with charter schools, Epic Change Education, will purchase the building, and lease space to the school, which will occupy roughly 20,000 square feet on the third floor. The annual cost to the school will be a bit more than the $200,000 estimated in its charter school application, Finkelstein said.

Eventually, the school aims to purchase the building.

“This location is so exciting, because it just is going to allow us to do so many new things,” Finkelstein said.

The building sits on nearly 1.6 acres downtown, less than a mile from Monument Circle, the Indiana Convention Center, and Lucas Oil Stadium. (Chalkbeat Indiana is a current tenant of the Union Campus).

The building is the site of the city’s former Industrial Training School, which opened in 1895 with a focus on vocational education and later became known as the Manual Training School. When Manual — later renamed Charles E. Emmerich Manual High School after the school’s first principal — moved 2.5 miles south in 1953, the school at the original site became known as Harry E. Wood High School.

The campus has changed ownership multiple times since IPS sold the buildings in 1981, according to the Encyclopedia of Indianapolis.

Finkelstein said the school is still hoping to attract students from historically disadvantaged communities.

As Legal Prep prepares to launch, proponents of traditional public schools and IPS school board members have been calling for a pause in new schools. Last school year, Indianapolis had roughly 9,000 more seats than students enrolled across IPS and charter schools, according to data from the city’s centralized enrollment system.

Still, Finkelstein said he thinks the school will be able to recruit its target of 225 students in year one.

“We think we’re going to be able to get there, and I won’t say easily — it’s going to take a lot of work,” he said. “But what we’ve found as we’ve been talking to students and families about what we’re offering, they’re really excited about it.”

The school will have an open house at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 29 at the Union Campus building.

This story has been updated to include details for an open house.

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

Indianapolis Public Schools makes former Susan Roll Leach School 68 building available for $1

2025-09-26T00:14:03+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools has made the former Susan Leach School 68 building in the near eastside neighborhood available to interested charter schools or other educational institutions for $1.

The school board voted on Thursday to list the building as available for the purchase or lease price of $1 in accordance with a controversial state law requiring districts to make unused buildings available to charter schools. The move marks the end of its most recent uses in the district as storage space and winter shelter.

The vote comes as a state-mandated group considers which recommendations to make to state lawmakers to improve a fractured school system. One of the group’s tasks: to suggest how to use facilities more efficiently across IPS — which has shuttered schools and where enrollment has steadily declined — and charter schools, which routinely open and close in the city and struggle to find buildings.

A 2020 building study commissioned by the district concluded that the brick building — built in 1938 — had the lowest overall facility quality in the district, with a rating of 50. Buildings with ratings in the 60s were considered poor, while those with ratings below 60 were considered unsatisfactory.

IPS closed the school in the late 2000s after years of declining enrollment. The district leased the facility to the Indiana Juvenile Detention Center from 2015 to 2019 to operate Marion Academy, a high school for students in juvenile detention.

In 2021, the district began partnering with the city to use the space as winter shelter for families experiencing homelessness.

If no educational entity is interested in the property, the district can sell it without the $1 restriction.

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

NY lawmakers demand investigation into charter school rally, alleging coercion

2025-09-19T21:55:47+00:00

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A day after families and leaders from over 200 charter schools marched across the Brooklyn Bridge, powerful state lawmakers demanded an investigation into the event, saying they believed it was an inappropriate political rally despite organizers’ claims to the contrary.

New York state senators John Liu, of Queens, and Shelley Mayer, of Westchester — the chairs of their chamber’s education committee who have both historically opposed charter school expansion — expressed concerns about the schools potentially pressuring families and staff to attend or face repercussions.

“Canceling classes during a school day and forcing families and students to engage in a political rally is an egregious misuse of instructional time and state funds,” Liu and Mayer wrote Friday to Education Department Commissioner Betty Rosa and State University of New York Chancellor John King. (SUNY oversees the vast majority of New York City’s charter schools.)

“Our state provides public dollars to charter schools to educate students, not for political activism or for influencing elections,” the letter continued.

Liu and Mayer called on the state Education Department and SUNY to determine whether any state laws were violated. If so, they are asking the state to “claw back” a portion of their state funding from each participating school.

While not all charter schools canceled classes for the event, Success Academy did. Success Academy, the city’s largest charter school network, was one of the rally’s organizers. A spokesperson for Success Academy said before the rally that “we are not seeking to influence the mayoral race” and that school officials asked speakers not to mention the election or candidates.

One parent, whose child attends a Zeta charter school — founded by Emily Kim, formerly the top lawyer at Success Academy — felt forced to miss work at a restaurant on Thursday to join the rally.

The child’s teacher said students would be marked absent from school without their guardians at the rally, said the parent, whose name Chalkbeat is withholding over concerns about retaliation.

A Zeta spokesperson said there were no consequences for students who did not attend.

The march followed in the footsteps of one the sector organized in 2013, before Bill de Blasio — a charter school foe — won the mayoral election. Success Academy, cancelled classes for the 2013 rally, too. This time, the charter sector mobilized as Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani leads the pack.

Eva Moskowitz, Success Academy’s founder and one of the rally’s organizers, did not publicly name Mamdani in promoting the event. But internally, she warned staff of “existential” threats, Gothamist reported. Mamdani, a Queens state assemblyman, is the only mayoral candidate who has publicly opposed charter schools.

A crowd of charter school supporters cross the Brooklyn Bridge on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2025.

State Education Department officials spoke with SUNY leaders on Thursday to discuss concerns about the rally, including whether students were required to attend and the march’s “actual or perceived political intent,” said JP O’Hare, a spokesperson for the department.

“As the authorizer of all Success Academy charter schools in New York, SUNY should be responsible for investigating whether the rally complied with the law and each school’s charter,” O’Hare wrote in a statement.

Neither Success Academy nor SUNY responded to requests for comment.

The New York City Charter School Center, an advocacy group, dismissed the lawmakers’ call for an investigation as politically motivated.

“Don’t we have enough elected officials in this country demanding investigations of people that disagree with them on issues?” wrote James Merriman, the group’s CEO.

He added that it was “absurd” that officials might try to hurt schools “that by school year’s end will provide significantly more instructional time than the district.” Their city-run counterparts will have 176 days of school this year, although the state requires 180 instructional days.

Using the march as a lesson in civics

Charter schools, which are publicly funded but privately managed, serve about 150,000 students, or roughly 15% of the city’s public school students.

Rafiq Kalam Id-Din, the founder of Brooklyn’s Ember Charter School for Mindful Education and one of the event’s organizers, told Chalkbeat before the rally that his schools planned to cancel traditional classes and treat it as a learning opportunity.

“We will be taking class out to the streets,” he said, echoing Success Academy’s argument for requiring student attendance.

In a joint statement, Kalam Id-Din, along with charter leaders the Rev. Alfred Cockfield, founder of Lamad Academy Charter School, and Bishop Raymond Rivera, founder of the Family Life Academy Charter School, pushed back against the lawmakers’ call for an investigation.

“It is stunning that Senators Liu and Mayer would spend their energy attacking a day of civic engagement rather than demanding answers for the far greater injustice: in too many public schools across New York, fewer than 25% of students can read or do math at grade level,” the charter leaders wrote.

“Where were the hearings for those failures? Where was the investigation into why children are being left behind year after year?” the statement continued.

Other charter leaders did not require their students to attend the event. Arthur Samuels, the executive director of MESA Charter High Schools, which operates two campuses in Brooklyn, said participation was voluntary.

“Our job is to teach them how to think critically,” he said in an interview before the rally. “This is a choice that they have [and] a significant number of them have chosen to do this.” He noted that it would not feel like a day off, since they’d have to arrive at school before 7 a.m. to participate.

About 10% of MESA students participated, Samuels estimated.

Officials at Achievement First and Uncommon Schools, two of the city’s largest charter networks, did not require student attendance at the rally.

Asked why the charter sector did not organize the rally on a Saturday, when there would be no conflict with regular classes and many more parents would not have work obligations, Achievement First CEO Lisa Margosian said that was a “very good question.”

“Maybe we’ll have to consider that for the next one,” she said in an interview before the rally.

This story was updated to include a joint statement from charter school leaders.

Seyma Bayram is a New York City-based journalist. You can reach her atsbayram@chalkbeat.org.

Alex Zimmerman is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex atazimmerman@chalkbeat.org.

Brain breaks and fairy wings: Why an all-girls model works so well for this Denver middle school

2025-09-18T23:37:18+00:00

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A throng of seventh graders huddled on the dirt path surrounding their school’s athletic field. They were about to run a timed mile, and they were buzzing with excitement.

“Are you ready?” a teacher shouted.

“We were born ready!” the students shouted back.

It was a Thursday morning at the Girls Athletic Leadership School, an all-girls charter middle school in Denver, where the students run the mile three times a year. Their enthusiasm to participate in a ritual that many tweens dread on a sunny 80-degree day exemplifies their enthusiasm for their school, known affectionately as GALS.

At a time when enrollment in Denver Public Schools has shrunk, enrollment at GALS is growing. GALS opened in 2010 and has about 250 students this year, up 35% from the 187 it had three years ago but lower than its pre-pandemic high of 325. GALS is open to both girls and genderqueer youth and is the only single-gender public school in the city.

Efforts to expand the model have failed. A GALS high school lasted 10 years before closing this past spring due to low enrollment. An all-boys spinoff, called The Boys School of Denver, was open for just three years before it closed in 2020 for the same reason.

The closures are part of a pattern. Declining enrollment has caused 15 Denver charter schools to shutter in recent years. Ten district-run schools have closed for low enrollment as well.

From left: Sixth graders Maisie and Drew smile as they work together during their English language arts class at Girls Athletic Leadership School.

So why does GALS — which combines the camaraderie of summer camp with the academic principles of small class sizes, frequent movement breaks, and lessons in relationship-building — work so well for middle school girls?

“The success of GALS middle school is because the design was around rethinking how middle school works, and has worked forever, for specifically this group of people,” GALS Principal Leah Bock said. “In middle school, girls learn to be small, physically and emotionally. We want them to be loud. We want them to run in the hallway. We want them to say what they feel, in an honest space that is protected for them.”

The research on single-gender schools is mixed. Some studies show all-girls schools boost girls’ self-confidence and academic achievement. Other research finds that separating boys and girls reinforces gender stereotypes and makes students more anxious about coed environments. A 2014 metaanalysis by the American Psychological Association found that single-gender schools offer girls no advantages over coed schools.

But that research doesn’t seem to matter to GALS students and their families. Moms describe the school as magical. Girls say it’s a place where they’re seen and heard — and where they don’t have to fight for attention.

“I’d had a lot of trouble with boys in elementary school,” said Rory Chambers, an eighth grader who started at GALS in sixth grade. “I didn’t want to go through that in middle school — the boys being like, ‘You can’t do that because you’re a girl.’”

Back on the GALS field, the athletic director sounded an air horn. The girls — some wearing fairy wings and tutus over their tank tops and running shorts — took off, kicking up dust.

‘All the students have a voice’

Julie Thornton’s classroom doesn’t have desks or chairs. The math teacher got rid of them as a way to signal to students that in her class, there are no rigid, preconceived notions.

“I want them to play with numbers and not think that perfection is what we’re going for,” Thornton said.

Instead, the girls start on the carpeted floor before they’re up and standing at full-sized whiteboards stationed around the room. On one recent day, they worked in groups to solve increasingly complex division problems. Thornton told them to take turns with the dry erase marker — and when she noticed one girl being left out, she gave her groupmates a reminder.

“All the students have a voice,” Thornton said as she watched the students work. “Sometimes some girls take over, but not to the same extent.”

Not to the same extent as in coed schools, that is. Compared with a typical middle school classroom, Thornton’s seventh grade math class is quiet. When the students do speak, their voices are nearly drowned out by the sound of the air conditioning. Thornton doesn’t like it.

“More sass,” she tells them.

After the group work, Thornton handed out worksheets. When one girl asked if she could sit against the far wall to work on hers, Thornton playfully admonished her.

“You don’t have to ask!” she said. “Be rebellious.”

Julie Thornton, a math teacher at GALS, teaches seventh graders about division.

That same philosophy didn’t work as well at The Boys School. There’s a difference, school leaders said, between building the confidence of girls, whom society expects to be obedient and agreeable, and building the confidence of boys, who get different societal messages.

“With girls, you’re trying to get them to be bigger,” said Bock, who was at GALS when The Boys School opened in 2017. “And you’re trying to do the same thing with boys, but also undo a lot of things, and I don’t know if we nailed that in the same way.”

There were other hurdles for The Boys School. GALS has its own building, but The Boys School rented space in two different churches, which may have made it less attractive to families.

A GALS student draws "superman."

The GALS high school ran into a different set of challenges. GALS expanded into the high school grades because students said they didn’t want to leave. But not enough wanted to stay, either. When the high school closed at the end of last year, it had just 58 students.

At GALS middle school, Jennie-Brenton Burness said she went from a shy sixth grader to an eighth grader who sang in the a capella group and acted in plays. But when it came time for high school, she chose George Washington High, a traditional school with 1,300 students.

“I wanted to test what I learned and put it into action in a community where there would be people louder than me,” said Jennie-Brenton, now a 17-year-old senior. “And with boys.”

‘I move a lot when I learn’

Movement and social-emotional learning are two of the most important parts of the GALS model.

Every class has “brain breaks.” That can involve a game in which students swat a kickball at each others’ shins, or “the chair flip,” in which one girl sits in a chair, gripping the sides, while her classmates try to turn her 360 degrees and a teacher ensures she doesn’t fall.

Each school day starts with 45 minutes of movement, from running to yoga to dance.

“They don’t love all of those ways of movement, but the hope is they find one that really sits with them,” Bock said. “Who wouldn’t want to come and be sleepy in the morning and then have this burst of movement that gets your brain ready for the day?”

Students move while doing schoolwork too. On a recent afternoon, seventh grade literacy teacher Lindsay Drapkin had her students write down examples of metaphors and similes from the novel “The House on Mango Street” and then run across the classroom to show her.

“I move a lot when I learn,” eighth grader Aliyah Morales said. “I can’t sit still for 10 minutes.”

Seventh graders at GALS stretch as they prepare to run the mile.

Aliyah also loves a class called GALS Series that school leaders say focuses on the things adolescent girls should know but no one teaches: How do I be a good friend? How can I stand up for myself without stepping on someone else? How do I decide what I care about?

To teach about how nature and nurture shape people’s identities, teacher Sydney Costa had her eighth graders start last week by analyzing fictional characters. A lot of students chose Meredith Grey, the flawed main character from the medical drama “Grey’s Anatomy.” Their homework was to analyze how they’ve been nurtured by answering a series of questions with a family member.

“You feel unique for having that class,” Aliyah said. “It’s kind of like I’m learning so much more about myself than I would in another school.”

Parents love it too. Shellie Chambers is a former middle school teacher. On a tour of GALS when her daughter Rory was in fifth grade, Chambers remembers saying to the GALS staff that she just wanted Rory to survive middle school and “come out whole.”

“They said, ‘Absolutely, but we want more. We want these girls to thrive,’” Chambers said. “That was a shift. Middle school does not need to be these three years we get through.”

On the recent Thursday morning, Bock, the principal, ran the mile with each group of students, setting the pace and finishing first each time. The fastest girls were not far behind her, clocking in at six minutes and 35 seconds.

But the teachers didn’t praise the fast runners any more than the slower ones.

“You slayed!” Bock said to a girl who finished near the back of the pack but scored a personal best. “You beat your time by four minutes!”

The girl smiled big.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Thousands of charter schools supporters march in Brooklyn

2025-09-18T23:28:34+00:00

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“Anybody want posters?” an event marshal holding a stack of hand-painted signs called out as thousands of charter school parents and children in yellow and purple T-shirts streamed into Cadman Plaza Park on Thursday morning.

Families grabbed placards declaring “Every Zip Code Deserves Excellence,” “Equity is Access,” and “Respect Our Choice,” while charter school leaders rallied alongside them.

By noon, the crowd — representing more than 200 charter schools — spilled out of the park and onto the Brooklyn Bridge to advocate for the education sector.

As it did during the 2013 New York City mayoral election, the charter sector has shifted into offense in recent weeks as Democratic Socialist frontrunner Zohran Mamdani leads the polls. Eva Moskowitz, founder of Success Academy, the city’s largest charter school network and one of the rally’s organizers, has not publicly named Mamdani but has warned that charters face "existential" threats.

Mamdani is the only mayoral candidate who has criticized charter schools, which he says shouldn’t be given space in public school buildings. He has also said he would audit charter finances.

“I’m worried about facilities. I am worried about funding — we have inequitable funding. Charter schools get thousands of dollars less. And I’m worried about our freedom,” Moskowitz told reporters at a press conference during the rally.

Success Academy CEO Eva Moskowitz said charters have "inequitable funding" during a rally at Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn. Success Academy was one of the organizers.

Charter school supporters say they’re a lifeline for Black and brown families who don’t have equitable access to quality education. Critics argue that the privately managed but publicly funded schools siphon away resources from public schools.

Charter schools educate roughly 150,000 New York City students at nearly 300 schools. More than 40% of the city’s charter schools occupy Department of Education buildings, which they often share with traditional public schools. A 2014 law requires the city to provide new or expanding charter networks space in existing public school buildings or subsidize their rent.

The city’s mayor does not have many direct powers over the charter sector, and a state cap currently prevents additional charters from opening in New York City. Legislators in Albany have shown little interest in lifting that cap, and some of the city’s largest charter networks have struggled to maintain enrollment in the wake of the pandemic. But the mayor can be a charter booster or detractor and can set the tone at the Education Department, which often coordinates services at charter schools.

David Chen and his son, who is a fifth grader at Success Academy, attend a pro-charter school rally at Cadman Plaza Park in Brooklyn.

Parent Lira Medinas, whose son began his kindergarten year at Success Academy, has concerns about Mamdani. Like other charter parents, Medinas took off time from work to attend the rally.

“ He’s not supportive of the charter schools,” Medinas said.

She said she can’t afford to send her child to a private school and believes the public school options available to her family are not as strong as charters.

“We are fighting for the right of having a choice,” she said.

Other parents at the rally voiced their support for charters.

“I feel confident that my son is getting a good education, and so that’s why we are pushing for charter schools, and we want the resources,” said Colleen Scotton, who decided to send her son to a Success Academy school after attending public schools herself.

“We want the doors to stay open so more kids can have access to the same education,” she said.

The event featured food, speeches, and musical performances, including a surprise appearance from Grammy Award-winning rapper Common. Success Academy canceled classes and required students to attend the rally like it did for the 2013 rally, ensuring a large crowd.

Chicago charter school EPIC Academy could close at the end of the school year

2025-09-15T23:27:55+00:00

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EPIC Academy, a charter high school on the South Side, may close by the end of this school year due to low enrollment — just months after the Chicago Board of Education extended its contract.

EPIC’s board of directors is scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss shuttering the school, located at 8255 S. Houston Ave., because of enrollment declines and financial challenges, according to LeeAndra Khan, EPIC Academy’s executive director, and a letter sent to families Friday by Alfonso Carmona, the director of Chicago Public Schools’ Office of Innovation and Incubation.

EPIC enrolled 254 students as of Friday, according to preliminary enrollment data analyzed by Chalkbeat Monday.

“Despite our best efforts at trying to boost enrollment and trying to elevate our profile and kind of let the public know about some of our unique signature experiences and programming, we just have not been able to get enrollment back up to 500,” Khan said in an interview.

EPIC’s board notified CPS of the closure on Aug. 21, according to the board’s letter to CPS. The charter school held meetings for families on Friday and also sent them letters about the impending closure after CPS sent out its own letter, Khan said. André Golston, the head of security at EPIC and a Chicago Teachers Union member, said staff was notified a couple of weeks into the school year of the possible closure.

“Our ultimate goal is to provide school options that will meet the needs of all students for the 2026-27 school year,” Carmona said in the letter to families. “With that in mind, CPS will work with EPIC leadership to schedule a joint initial parent town hall, host town hall meetings on an ongoing basis, and provide individual student support.”

CPS’s letter also suggested that the school could close before the end of the school year, which Khan did not dispute but said is “not our hope.” Jennifer Conant, the charter division chair of the Chicago Teachers Union, said in an interview that a midyear closure would be “incredibly destabilizing and harmful” to the school community — a concern it has expressed to CPS.

The union and staff also plan to attend Wednesday’s EPIC board meeting to “demand answers,” including why leaders didn’t share sooner that a closure was possible, Conant and Golston said.

If EPIC Academy closes, it would be at least the 15th Chicago charter school to do so over the past six years and represents a continued trend of enrollment declines and financial problems in Chicago’s charter sector — issues the district also faces with its own schools.

The possible closure also raises questions about how, if at all, Chicago’s new school board might intervene as they did in another charter closure scenario earlier this year.

EPIC leaders hope for help from CPS

In February, about a month after the city’s new half-elected, half-appointed board was sworn in, the school board made the unprecedented decision to absorb and save five Acero charter schools planned for closure, following heavy protest from Chicago Teachers Union and Acero families. The district budgeted $20 million this fiscal year to absorb the Acero schools.

During EPIC’s July meeting, the board discussed CPS absorbing the school as one potential option instead of closure, as well as merging it with another charter, according to meeting minutes posted online.

“The only reason that idea was floated was because of the Acero thing,” Khan, EPIC’s executive director, told Chalkbeat in an interview.

Khan said she doesn’t know if CPS is willing to absorb the school, but “we’d love that” or other options “just so that our school community can stay together.”

Conant said the union would also support moving the EPIC students and staff together to another school as “a precedent of how you move a school into another school community to keep it whole, to keep the students and staff together.”

As a charter school, EPIC Academy receives public funding, but is privately managed. It operates under an agreement with the school district but is allowed to close so long as it provides notice to CPS. It wasn’t immediately clear how much time EPIC was required to give under its contract, but CPS said the charter operator followed legal parameters even with a new Chicago Board of Education resolution that aims to tighten oversight of charters.

Khan said the school’s leadership has been discussing dipping enrollment at board meetings and with its staff over the past several years. EPIC leadership informed CPS of its projected budget gap about nine months ago. She said the school used “every ounce of reserve” cash that it had left after investing in a new campus site that it’s now selling. During the July EPIC board meeting, board members discussed the charter network’s $1.4 million budget gap and the school’s six-year enrollment decline.

In May, the Chicago Board of Education approved a two-year contract renewal for EPIC, representing the shortest renewal term the board offered this year for charters. As conditions of EPIC’s renewal, CPS required the school to submit an annual report on disciplinary practices, show progress on properly serving students with disabilities, follow state and local laws on serving kids learning English as a new language, and ensure its teachers are properly licensed. CPS did not, however, flag concerns with the network’s finances or enrollment.

CPS reviewed EPIC’s financial performance for fiscal years 2023 and 2024 for this year’s contract renewal process, and rated EPIC’s financial performance as “meeting standards” on several indicators, which include the network’s net assets and how much cash on hand it has, a CPS spokesperson said. The network’s finances have received even higher ratings over the past eight years. CPS’s review looks at a “point-in-time” snapshot, the spokesperson said.

Conant said both EPIC and CPS failed to provide “oversight,” and neither “did that job well enough.”

“It’s really students and staff who will suffer if the school closes midyear or even at the end of the year,” Conant said. “It’s not fair to students, and so CPS really needs to come up with a plan to protect the school community.”

Like CPS, EPIC sees years of declining enrollment

EPIC Academy first opened in 2010 for a maximum student enrollment of 480, which was expanded to a maximum of 600 by 2015. But enrollment began to drop by 2019, when the school enrolled 521 students at the start of that school year. Enrollment at the school is about half of what it was before the pandemic.

Funding for the charter, which is more directly tied to the number of students, has dropped as the number of students has dropped, Khan said. Expenses have increased, including the cost of salaries, health insurance, and services for students with disabilities, she said.

Khan said the school tried spreading the word about EPIC Academy through radio and billboard advertisements, as well as home visits to potential students.

CPS enrollment has largely dipped over the past decade as birth rates have also fallen, but a wave of newcomers from Central and South American countries helped boost enrollment slightly over the past couple of years. That appears to have been temporary and preliminary data show the district’s enrollment is poised to drop again this school year.

In 2023, as EPIC’s enrollment dipped, Chicago City Council approved a $22 million renovation and addition for EPIC at the former St. Michael the Archangel Catholic School, which closed in 2018 due to low enrollment and is about a quarter of a mile from the school’s current site. Charter officials had hoped the new building would help grow the school’s enrollment to more than 600 kids in the short term, according to its website. The current school, located in a former CPS school, doesn’t have a gym, library, kitchen, “adequate” bathrooms, or computer labs, according to CPS.

But during its July meeting, EPIC officials discussed the sale of the St. Michael’s site, which is listed online for $3 million. An agent overseeing the listing told Chalkbeat that the site was listed for sale on July 5 and has attracted multiple offers.

Khan said a potential sale of the site could help save EPIC Academy for the next two years, but a structural deficit would still exist after that if student enrollment didn’t shoot up. She added that the South Chicago neighborhood where EPIC is located has three other high schools nearby, including Bowen, a neighborhood school. All are competing for the same students.

“So this is complicated: I don’t want Bowen to close, I don’t want EPIC to close, but we might have too many schools,” Khan said.

Conant, from the union, said that EPIC “used up important resources” when it tried to create a new facility, that should have been used on the current school site.

Golston, the school’s head of security, said most students are saddened by the possible closure and staff feel caught off guard.

“This news has devastated [staff], it has knocked the wind out of them, and so that’s why we’re going to push hard to try to keep our doors open and do what we have to do to continue to keep this building and these doors open,” Golston said.

Reema Amin is a reporter covering Chicago Public Schools. Contact Reema at ramin@chalkbeat.org.

‘We need a show of force’: Charter leaders plan massive rally ahead of NYC mayoral election

2025-09-15T23:08:43+00:00

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More than a decade ago, thousands of charter school families and staff marched across the Brooklyn Bridge in a show of strength one month before Bill de Blasio was elected mayor. They feared the progressive candidate would follow through on promises to make it harder for charters to operate in city-owned space.

Now, in an echo of that 2013 rally, charter leaders are gearing up to march across the bridge on Thursday as Zohran Mamdani, a Democratic Socialist and charter school critic, is the frontrunner to win November’s mayoral election.

The mayor, who oversees the New York City public school system, does not have direct authority to expand or shrink the charter sector. He can, however, set the tone on whether the city is a welcoming environment for charters, which are privately managed and publicly funded. The sector educates nearly 150,000 children, or 15% of public school students, up from 6% a dozen years ago. More than 40% of charter schools operate in Education Department buildings.

Mayor Eric Adams has not been a major booster of charters, but, unlike de Blasio, has avoided big clashes during his tenure. Mamdani, a Queens assemblyman, has signaled he might take a more antagonistic approach.

He argues charters divert resources away from traditional public schools and should not be granted space in city buildings. He has vowed to launch audits of them if he wins.

Success Academy, the city’s largest charter network, is canceling regular classes and sending students to Thursday’s rally, as it did in 2013.

“We need a show of force,” Success CEO Eva Moskowitz wrote in a message to families obtained by Chalkbeat. She urged them to contact their elected representatives to remind them that “charter schools are public schools.”

Although some charter staffers expressed uneasiness about the seeming political overtones of the rally, a Success spokesperson said the rally was not intended to influence the election.

The Mamdani campaign did not respond to a request for comment about the rally.

“Zohran knows that New York City’s public schools are the foundation of our communities, our economy, and our workforce,” Dora Pekec, a spokesperson for Mamdani’s campaign, told Gothamist. “Yet charter schools siphon resources away from public education, often without real accountability or oversight.”

Success, and some of the rally’s other leaders, have avoided directly linking it to the election. They have sent more generic messages about ensuring that charter families, nearly 90% of whom are Black or Latino, are heard and raising awareness about charters. In interviews, some charter leaders emphasized that Mamdani’s focus on affordability is a crucial issue for many of their families.

Mamdani’s platform “generally appears to be about equity and equality and making New York City work for everyone and particularly for lower-income families,” said Arthur Samuels, the executive director of MESA Charter High Schools, which operates two campuses in Brooklyn. “Overwhelmingly, families that send their kids to charter schools are those families.”

Other charter leaders said it was time for the schools to ramp up their advocacy efforts after years of relative quiet.

“We had lost touch with the advocacy part of our work,” said Lisa Margosian, the CEO of Achievement First, which operates 22 charter schools in New York City. “We need to lift up our heads and make sure people are aware of what we’re doing.”

More than 200 charters are expected to participate Thursday, organizers said. Some large networks, including Achievement First and Uncommon Schools, plan to hold classes as usual that day.

Mamdani has not made education a major part of his campaign, and he could largely sidestep contentious fights over charter schools if elected. But charter supporters worry Mamdani could undercut their aim of growing the sector by lobbying in Albany, especially when it comes to raising the charter cap, which currently prevents new charter schools from opening. He could also create more bureaucratic hurdles for schools that depend on city dollars and real estate, some worry.

Charters as a political lightning rod

Not all charter school staffers support the rally. Some educators have expressed concern that it could be construed as an effort to influence the election and felt uncomfortable that students and staff were expected to participate.

“The rally is at least somewhat politically minded,” said one Success Academy teacher who supports Mamdani and spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of retribution. “It just feels like a very specific political stance was taken by the network.”

Success Academy spokesperson Ann Powell disputed that the network was taking a position in the election. “We are not seeking to influence the mayoral race,” Powell wrote in an email. “We have asked our speakers not to mention the race or the name of any candidate.”

Asked about the network’s decision to cancel classes and send students to the rally, she wrote: “We are not canceling school; we are moving it to the streets.”

Charters have long been a flashpoint in city politics. Supporters argue the schools offer quality options for families who have often lacked access to strong public schools in their neighborhoods. The sector typically posts higher reading and math scores on state tests than traditional public school counterparts, particularly among Black and Latino children, though results can vary significantly by school.

Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is running as an independent, supports growing the sector and has proposed converting low-performing district schools into charters. During his time as governor, he won accolades from pro-charter groups for backing a state law that required the city to find space for charters in public buildings or subsidize their rent in private space. A spokesperson for Cuomo’s campaign indicated he did not have plans to attend the rally.

Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa also supports charter school growth. In 2013, the Republican mayoral candidate attended the charter rally; a spokesperson for the Sliwa campaign did not indicate if he would do the same.

Critics contend the schools tend to enroll a smaller share of students with disabilities and English language learners, and some employ strict discipline practices that can push families out. The city’s teachers union, a powerful voice in local politics, also opposes them, as the vast majority of charter schools are not unionized. The union endorsed Mamdani in the general election.

Some charters struggle with enrollment

Apart from the election, the charter sector is facing headwinds. Many New York Democrats have grown increasingly skeptical of charter schools and have resisted raising the charter cap. (In 2023 state lawmakers allowed several charters that closed or were never opened to be reissued to other operators but did not raise the overall cap.)

The sector, long known for explosive growth, has also struggled to maintain enrollment in many schools.

Four of the city’s largest networks — Success Academy, KIPP, Achievement First, and Uncommon Schools — all enrolled fewer students last school year than they did three years ago. Overall, the charter sector has grown about 6% over that time, in large part because some schools are still expanding to higher grade levels, while traditional public school enrollment in grades K-12 declined about 2%.

Rafiq Kalam Id-Din, the founder of Brooklyn’s Ember Charter School for Mindful Education and one of the organizers of the rally, said he still believes the sector has room to grow despite the enrollment challenges.

“We want to say we want less of the most innovative work, we want less of interesting options?” he said. “It makes no sense.”

Kalam Id-Din said he was unaware that Mamdani has criticized charter schools and argued that the schools should fit squarely within the candidate’s affordability agenda. Without charters, he said, some families would leave the city entirely.

Alex Zimmerman is a reporter for Chalkbeat New York, covering NYC public schools. Contact Alex at azimmerman@chalkbeat.org.

Denver-based DSST charter network to open two more schools in growing eastern part of Aurora

2025-09-09T21:16:10+00:00

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Homegrown Denver charter network DSST is expanding its footprint in neighboring Aurora, where a housing boom in the eastern part of the city is creating a need for more schools.

DSST already has one middle and one high school in Aurora, called Aurora Science and Tech. An agreement with Aurora Public Schools calls for DSST to open a second AST middle and high school in the district. The new AST schools will be co-located with a new district-run high school in the growing Aurora Highlands neighborhood.

The new AST middle school would open first, in the fall of 2028. The new district-run Aurora high school would open at the same time. AST would add a grade each year to its Aurora Highlands campus until it’s serving about 980 students in grades 6 through 12.

“A lot of Denver has been built up, but there is a lot of land between here and Bennett that developers are starting to build homes on,” said Brett Johnson, Aurora Public Schools’ chief financial and operations officer. “The need is substantial out there.”

The new AST schools reflect two distinct trends. One is that some Colorado districts, including Aurora, are seeing student counts decrease in some parts of the district and increase in others. While lower birth rates are causing enrollment to fall in established neighborhoods, the construction of affordable homes is causing enrollment to rise in newer neighborhoods.

The other trend is that charter school networks in Denver, which was once a hotbed for charter growth, are looking to expand outside of the city. Denver’s student enrollment is declining, and with little land to build new houses, it’s unlikely that enrollment will increase.

DSST’s latest strategic plan calls for expanding in Aurora and “a potential third market.”

“It is a tremendous gift to be able to educate more families,” said CEO Nella García Urban.

DSST opened its first high school in Denver in 2004. Today, it serves about 7,500 students across 14 schools in Denver — seven middle and seven high schools — and the pair in Aurora. The charter network focuses on science, technology, engineering, and math and is known for producing high state test scores and getting all of its students into college.

Fifteen of DSST’s 16 schools, including the two in Aurora, recently earned the highest state rating, signified by the color green. The ratings are largely based on state test scores.

DSST opened its first Aurora Science and Tech school in 2019. Aurora’s former superintendent invited the high-performing charter network to the district, which was notable because some Aurora school board members had been skeptical of charters.

Aurora Public Schools used voter-approved bond dollars to pay for half of AST’s building, Johnson said. The other half was paid for using a variety of funding mechanisms, including millions of dollars in fundraising by the school district and DSST, he said.

Although Aurora voters approved a record-breaking $1 billion bond measure last year, the district won’t use any bond dollars to pay for AST’s second building, Johnson said. A memorandum of understanding approved by the Aurora school board in June says DSST will cover more of the building costs this time and fundraise at least $8 million.

“The district has been generally pleased with the partnership with AST,” Johnson said. “We are supportive of authorizing an additional school, but financially, we’ll be less able to contribute.”

Aurora is using its $1 billion bond to build two new preschool through eighth grade schools in the Aurora Highlands neighborhood, as well as the new district-run high school. The bond money will also fund upgrades at all of Aurora’s existing schools, a renovation of Gateway High School, and a complete rebuild of Laredo Elementary School.

But there are benefits to AST piggybacking on the district’s new build, Johnson said, namely that Aurora will pay for the infrastructure on the site — think sewer lines and sidewalks. AST and the new district-run high school will also likely share some facilities like a cafeteria or gym.

For Aurora, partnering with AST will cost the district $50,000 less per seat than a brand new building built by the district, according to a district presentation.

García Urban said the current AST schools have waitlists of students who want to attend but can’t because there aren’t enough seats. The new AST schools will help remedy that.

“It’s a good thing, but it also breaks my heart,” García Urban said.

“What we’re doing is really reflective of two education organizations that want to work together to provide an excellent education to more families,” she said.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@chalkbeat.org.

Over 50 Indianapolis schools apply to collaborate on transportation, facilities

2025-09-08T20:56:03+00:00

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Over 50 Indianapolis charter and private schools have applied to share transportation and school building resources as part of a new pilot program.

The application submitted to the Indiana Department of Education is from TogetherEd, an Indianapolis-based nonprofit that assists charter schools. It lists a collective of 28 independent charter schools and 22 charters affiliated with the IPS Innovation Network as applicants, as well as the Oak Academy’s three private school campuses.

The pilot is supposed to help charters tackle some of their biggest challenges as they have grown in Indianapolis. As smaller entities, they have limited purchasing power for services such as transportation. And with historically limited access to property tax funding, they have frequently struggled to acquire and maintain building space.

Schools and school districts can opt into the pilot, which is statewide, to create independent boards that oversee school facilities and transportation across all pilot participants.

As part of the facility pilot, the schools would explore creating a catalog that tracks all available facilities across school partners, according to TogetherEd’s application. They would also consider coordinating the procurement of services and equipment — such as furniture, HVAC systems, and lab supplies — on behalf of multiple schools for potential cost savings through shared purchasing power.

Meanwhile, schools would consider pooling rides across multiple schools or collaborating on transportation to specialized learning experiences such as career and technical education, the application states. They would also look at improving transportation access for students experiencing homelessness.

Lawmakers created the pilot earlier this year, after a confrontational legislative session in which Republican legislators called for more efficiency in the Indianapolis school environment where there has been intense competition between Indianapolis Public Schools, charters, and private schools that accept state-funded vouchers.

Andy Seibert of TogetherEd said the application is not a step-by-step blueprint, but rather an opportunity for schools to collect data and an understanding of existing facility and transportation assets and challenges.

“Part of what we know is going to be true is really going to work to foster ongoing collaborative conversations with schools and partners,” Seibert said. “And the beautiful thing of the pilot is that we can be responsive.”

Seibert said TogetherEd hopes to hear from the state regarding its application in October.

One of the schools listed as a charter on TogetherEd’s application, the Cold Spring School, applied to become a charter, but IPS rejected the move in June. Cold Spring is part of the Innovation Network.

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

How social media fuels youth gun violence in Indianapolis

2025-09-08T10:20:00+00:00

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This article was co-reported by Chalkbeat Indiana and Axios Indianapolis as part of a reporting partnership about youth gun violence in Indianapolis.

As teenager Oswin Ortiz Jr. lay shot outside his home in 2019, his father approached him and asked who had shot him.

“All he could say was ‘Snapchat’ and pointed to his phone,” police wrote in a probable cause affidavit for the arrest of Joshua Grow.

After Ortiz’s death, police officers went through his and Grow’s Snapchat accounts. There, they found videos Ortiz took of THC he was trying to sell, according to the affidavit. And hours before Ortiz’s death, Grow was trying to find someone he could rob.

“Where a lick,” read a message from Grow’s Snapchat account to another acquaintance, using slang for a robbery target. “I need money.” Grow, who was 18 at the time, eventually pleaded guilty to a charge in connection with Ortiz’s shooting and was sentenced to several decades in prison.

Since 2018, over one-third of the gun homicides involving Indianapolis youth for which prosecutors have brought murder charges have featured social media in some form, according to a Chalkbeat and Axios analysis of 72 probable-cause affidavits. Teenagers use Facebook to set up drug deals that turn into robberies gone wrong. Trash talking that starts on Snapchat ends in gunfire. Police search Instagram messages and videos for clues.

Social media’s complex role in the city’s youth gun homicides makes for a daunting obstacle in curbing youth violence. Already, 21 people ages 19 and under have been killed by gunfire in 2025, more than all of last year. Since 2020, nearly 200 people in that age range have been killed by gunfire.

The algorithm of platforms like Instagram can feed vulnerable youth a fake reality in which violence is the norm, students and experts say. It can also amplify pre-existing drama between students before an audience of their peers both during and outside of school hours. And it can make communication between teenagers — whether to meet up to trade a gun or buy marijuana — instantaneous and discreet.

Each of these pieces contributes to a youth violence problem that’s difficult to solve, but not impossible, researchers say. And calls for the city to do more have reached a fever pitch after a mass shooting involving at least four teens in the heart of downtown during the Fourth of July weekend.

Paul Boxer, a professor of psychology at Rutgers and author of “The Future of Youth Violence Prevention: A Mixtape for Practice, Policy, and Research,” said there are effective strategies to combat youth violence that social media is exacerbating, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy. But they often come with a fairly significant upfront investment that communities don’t always want to make — despite cost effectiveness studies that show a positive return.

“We can prevent youth violence,” Boxer said. “We can prevent gun violence. Where there’s a will there’s a way.”

Social media aids meetups, makes private fights public

Ania Raines remembers her brother, 16-year-old Xavier Weir, arguing with people over Instagram live in the months leading up to his death in 2019.

Isaiha Funez, one of the two people charged with his murder, told police that Weir posted a $1,200 bounty on his head on Snapchat weeks before.

Weir, in turn, was being accused of giving information to authorities about car thefts in Carmel, Raines said.

“‘He’s calling you a snitch,’” one girl said to Weir in a video, according to Raines. He sent emojis of laughing faces back in response.

Michelle and Ania Raines, Xavier Weir's mother and sister, sit below a framed portrait of Xavier at their home in Indianapolis. They remember him as a loving, protective older brother.

All that time, Weir’s peers at Scecina Memorial High School watched the drama from their phone screens. After his death that April, a classmate showed Weir’s mother, Michelle Raines, the arguments that unfolded over social media — which the classmate had recorded. (Funez eventually pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.)

Since 2018, many of the gun homicides involving school-aged children that have reached the Marion County prosecutor’s office have involved social media in some form.

In at least 25 out of 72 of those homicides, police documented the use of Instagram, Snapchat, Discord, or Facebook in the moments leading up to or after the homicide, according to a Chalkbeat Indiana and Axios Indianapolis analysis of affidavits for those arrested for the deaths.

The analysis examined cases filed from 2018 through late January 2025, and includes all cases in which a defendant or a victim of gun homicides were ages 6 to 18. (Not all defendants arrested for these homicides were convicted of murder — some had their cases dropped, for example, while others pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.)

Data: Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, and probable cause affidavits.

Note: Not all defendants were found guilty as charges may have changed or cases may still be pending.

Chart: Kavya Beheraj/Axios

To teenagers, social media is a form of both entertainment and communication, students told Chalkbeat. Instagram trends can flood a school community. One account might be dedicated to publicizing school fights. Another account might post photos of students asleep in class.

Teens use social media apps in place of a classmate’s direct phone number, which can feel too personal. But that also means that communication between students is highly publicized.

Vague notes left on Instagram stories might be a “sneak diss” — an insult that does not directly name the target. Students fight through posts on their Instagram stories by screenshotting their aggressor’s post and writing their reply over it so that everyone can see.

“It’s one thing for someone to be rude to you,” said Noa Kaufman-Nichols, a recent graduate of Shortridge High School who was active in the school’s Key Club and student government. “But for someone to be rude to you in front of hundreds of people and possibly more if you have a public account, I think that adds a level of anger that [wasn’t] there before.”

Michelle Raines still keeps photos of her son, Xavier Weir, throughout childhood neatly packed in his room. He played football and was recruited by Xavier University before his death, she said.

The Chalkbeat and Axios analysis found that students also used social media often to meet in person and buy or trade guns or marijuana.

Hours before his fatal shooting in 2019, Weir advertised THC cartridges and marijuana for sale on Snapchat, one witness told police, according to the affidavit for Funez’s arrest. (Raines said that a detective later told her the cartridges contained nicotine, not THC). After Ortiz Jr. was shot the same year at age 17, police also found videos of THC he wanted to sell in his Snapchat account, according to an affidavit.

After Weir sold cartridges to girls at a westside gas station, a car followed him to a residential area in Beech Grove, where Weir was fatally shot.

Even after his death, Weir’s younger sister, Ania, faced bullying online, Raines said. One student at her private school sent a screenshot of Weir’s tombstone to her, asking her how her brother was.

“I told them, ‘This has got to stop, she’s going to end up retaliating,’” Raines recalled telling school officials before she pulled her from the school. “It’s not going to be good.”

Social media presents alternate reality to teens

Hours before his death in October 2021,17-year-old Abdulla Mubarak posted two videos to his Snapchat, according to police records. He was standing in a field, talking and laughing with 22-year-old Michael James, who is recorded shooting a handgun with a switch on it and emptying the gun’s magazine. Their bodies — along with the body of 18-year-old Joseph Thomas — were later found in the same field.

Social media can present an echo chamber for teens — one in which having guns, money, and marijuana is normalized, students and experts said.

“It’s one thing for someone to be rude to you,” said Noa Kaufman-Nichols, a recent graduate of Shortridge High School. “But for someone to be rude to you in front of hundreds of people and possibly more if you have a public account, I think that adds a level of anger that [wasn’t] there before.”

“It turns into something you see every day, basically. It influences you to be like these people,” said Ariyah Mitchell, a recent Southport High School graduate who previously served on the Mayor’s Youth Leadership Council.

Social media algorithms can also preference controversial, emotional, and violent content to drive activity and engagement, Boxer said.

“It’s making them believe the world is a violent place,” Boxer said, “and suspect guns are a good way to solve problems.”

These kinds of posts and references on social media can help police make an arrest.

In the early morning hours of Jan. 4, 2020, a Snapchat user police believed to be Treshawn Davidson, 17, was looking for 15-year-old Peter Lambermont.

“He took my gun I need u to find him,” lilbandz1219 said to another user, according to an affidavit filed in Davidson’s arrest. Davidson later pleaded guilty to theft of a firearm and assisting a criminal, charges connected with Lambermont’s death.

Later that afternoon, Snapchat messages show that Lambermont met with Treshawn and 18-year-old Jakeb Wells, who was later found guilty of Lambermont’s murder. After Lambermont was found dead on the city’s east side, Wells posted a video of himself singing on Snapchat.

“That little kid got murk’d, I had to put him on a shirt,” Wells sang, referencing slang for murder, according to the affidavit. “I shot his body, made him twerk.”

Indiana seeks solutions in and out of school

User guidelines for several social media companies technically prohibit content containing violence or threats. To avoid spreading harmful content, Snapchat moderates content in Spotlight and Discover feeds before it is recommended for distribution to a larger audience, according to Snap, the company that operates Snapchat.

Meta, which operates Instagram and Facebook, says that it hides certain content from teenagers, including offers from legitimate businesses to sell firearms.

But those policies alone can’t fix the problem.

Government officials have tried both in-school and out-of-school solutions to limit screen time or reduce the potential for youth violence.

"It influences you to be like these people," Ariyah Mitchell, a recent graduate of Southport High School, said of social media's algorithms.

Northwest Middle School Principal Nichole Morrow-Weaver told Chalkbeat last November that Indiana’s cell phone ban in schools, which took effect last year, had a positive effect.

“A lot of the issues that we have stem from social media outside of school,” Morrow-Weaver said. “Without having the cell phones in schools this year, we’ve seen a big decrease in that.”

Yet other potentially useful in-school approaches aren’t getting the same support from policymakers.

Social-emotional learning can be effective in improving student well-being and reducing violence, research has shown. But Republican lawmakers removed teacher training requirements related to social-emotional learning, cultural competency and restorative justice this past legislative session as part of a larger school deregulation effort.

“Teachers should focus on academic rigor, math, science, reading, and writing, technical skills, instead of this emotional regulation, empathy, and et cetera,” said Sen. Gary Byrne, a Republican.

Studies conducted in school settings have also found that cognitive behavioral therapy-based anger management interventions are effective. But Indiana had just one counselor for every 351 students last school year, higher than the recommended ratio of 1-to-250.

Ratios for other school-based mental health care providers are even worse, with 2,700 students per school psychologist and 1,829 students per social worker, according to Indiana University.

Outside of school, Indianapolis officials recently implemented a stricter curfew for youth — but even city leaders disagree on the effectiveness of such policies.

Weir’s bedroom is filled with childhood mementos — certificates of accomplishment from the private Catholic school he attended, a collection of Nike shoes stacked in boxes, and photos of him on the school basketball and football team.

Michelle Raines keeps Xavier Weir's room filled of childhood memorabilia, including multiple teddy bears. One of the bears the family has is programmed to play the sound of his heart beat. After his death, Weir's organs were donated to others in need.

His mother leaves it all packed up in remembrance of the life he lived. Her son played football and was recruited by Xavier University before his death. Last month, he would have turned 23.

Growing up, Raines said, she was outside playing with friends. Now, kids are texting each other from neighboring rooms.

“I wish we could just not have a phone,” she said.

Read the Axios Indianapolis story here.

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

Arika Herron is a reporter for Axios Indianapolis. You can reach her atArika.Herron@axios.com.

Andrew J. Brown Academy charter school celebrates new life in old IPS Forest Manor Middle School

2025-08-28T19:49:51+00:00

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The former Forest Manor Middle School was once rich in resources: Two fountains flowed on either side of the building and the 5.5-acre campus featured a baseball field and a pool.

But by the time Indianapolis Public Schools sold the building in 2020, it was in dire need of a makeover: The roof was deteriorating. Groundwater was leaching up from the pool. And the fountains — which rested in ponds tucked on both sides of the property — no longer functioned.

On Wednesday, over 500 students occupied the once-shuttered building as officials with the Andrew J. Brown Academy charter school celebrated building renovations in their second year on the property.

“We turned the pool into a gym,” School Director Garrett Gammons told visitors as they walked in for a tour. “You’ve got to check it out.”

The building dedication is the latest chapter in the transformation of the school, which last month joined the Paramount Schools of Excellence network that operates seven other charter schools statewide.

Forest Manor Middle closed in the early 2000s and was later used for staff training. It also housed a small charter school until 2022-23. The building is roughly seven miles west of the location Andrew J. Brown operated in for decades.

The school’s change in location follows a split from the for-profit charter operator National Heritage Academies that had run the school since its inception in 2003. Last year, the academy board tapped Paramount, a nonprofit, to run the school instead. But the shift meant that the school needed to leave its Far Eastside building, which was owned by NHA. (NHA, which attempted to open a charter school in the same building, told Chalkbeat it no longer plans to submit an application for a school).

Paramount used a loan to purchase the building for $4.25 million, moving students into the space last school year while investing $6 million in upgrades. Now, the leaky pool is one of two new gyms, the roof is new, and the fountains outside are flowing.

“It’s just phenomenal that we get a chance to ignite the community with high standards for our kids, high standards for our families,” said Gammons, who as a child participated in an old Forest Manor baseball league and played football at the Wheeler Boys and Girls Club just two miles away. “We’re going to continue the tradition and the data-driven efforts of Paramount here at Andrew J. Brown, and it’s going to be amazing.”

New operator hopes to boost test scores, enrollment

The change in operators and location cost the school some students and staff. Andrew J. Brown lost 135 students — the biggest dip in recent years of declining enrollment — from 2023-24 to 2024-25, according to state enrollment records. Over 50 of those students went to the neighboring Metropolitan School District of Lawrence Township, according to a district presentation in November.

Now, Reddicks anticipates growing back up to a population of 600 students next year while slowly increasing test scores on the state’s IREAD and ILEARN exams that have remained largely stagnant.

Roughly 50% of Andrew J. Brown students are Black, with another 41% Hispanic, according to state enrollment records from last school year. A little over half of the students are English language learners.

Facility renovations will continue at the school, which doesn’t yet occupy the building’s second level and is only using some of the building’s 16 boilers. Reddicks said he hopes one day to find a high school interested in partnering with Paramount and sharing the site for a full K-12 experience.

As part of its merger with Paramount, Andrew J. Brown Academy — named after a local civil rights leader — will have two board members on Paramount’s board, one of which will be a permanent legacy member, Reddicks said.

Physical classrooms or books aren’t the only things that make Andrew J. Brown special, eighth-grader Ja’layah Jackson told the crowd at the ribbon-cutting.

“What really makes our school special is the great sense of family,” she said. “When you walk through the halls, you feel welcomed. You feel like you belong.”

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

After public pushback, Irvington Community Schools board chair steps down

2025-08-28T02:12:57+00:00

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The board chair of the Irvington Community Schools charter network resigned her position on Wednesday and a second board member was voted off the board.

The board’s vote to accept chair Rashay Foster’s resignation and remove another board member, Ashli Adams, follows a contentious start of the school year for Irvington Community Schools, which faced criticism from parents, students, and staff over a CEO search that included Foster as a candidate.

After a protest earlier this month, the board reopened the search for the CEO while still calling Foster a “qualified and dedicated educational leader” who applied for the position in good faith. The CEO will lead the charter network, which typically serves over 900 students in K-12 across three separate schools.

ICS staff told Chalkbeat they found out that Foster, the chair of the network’s board of governors, was a “top” candidate at a virtual meeting in the first few days of the school year. Students and staff said that was a conflict of interest. At the protest, they voiced concerns that Foster participated in a hiring process for a position for which she had applied and questioned her qualifications for the job. Staff also took issue that Adams, perceived as a close friend of Foster’s, would vote to decide the next CEO.

In a statement submitting her resignation, Foster nodded to her qualifications. She said she had a teacher’s license, passed an administrator’s exam, and had completed a master’s program in administration and a school management and leadership program at Harvard University.

“My belief in Irvington remains unwavering. My passion lives here, and my commitment to our students has not changed,” Foster said. “That commitment does not depend on holding the title of CEO or board chair.”

Foster said after the meeting that she would not reapply for the CEO position.

In public comment after her removal from the board, Adams said the ouster was an act of retaliation in part for reporting a sexual assault against her by a staff member.

She told Chalkbeat that she reported the assault in May to the board chair and later to the school’s legal counsel. The school’s attorney did not confirm the initial report by deadline.

Earlier this month, she said she also expressed concern to the board that students were encouraged by adults to spread misinformation to the board about the CEO search process.

“Once I brought up both of those concerns, I was asked to recuse myself from further discussion because I was too emotional,” she said. “And so I did recuse myself, because I didn’t want to become a conflict of interest that had been insinuated against me.”

In her statement read before the crowd, Adams said she was not part of the hiring committee, its deliberations or scoring, or who it selected as finalists.

“Legal counsel and our authorizer were consistently consulted by the board throughout the process,” she said. “It is both inaccurate and unfair to shift blame toward me for decisions I had no role in.”

In a statement sent through its attorney after the meeting, the board said that its decisions to remove Adams from the board was for governance reasons and not connected to her public allegation of sexual assault.

“That decision was made for governance reasons—including the Board’s need to preserve impartiality, avoid the appearance of impropriety in ongoing leadership decisions, and maintain effective Board function,” the statement said.

The board said the network is treating the matter as a report following her public disclosure, and that it “immediately initiated the steps necessary for a formal investigation.

“Because these issues involve confidential personnel matters, ICS will not be discussing details publicly while the investigation is underway,” the board said. “We ask our community to allow this process to proceed without speculation.”

Board adopts conflict of interest policy, adds new members

The board on Wednesday also adopted a conflict of interest policy that would prohibit members from being employed by the district while holding office. The policy also states that a current board member cannot apply for any open employment position unless they first resign their position on the board.

The remaining four board members also passed an anti-retaliation policy for board members and appointed three new members.

While charter schools are public schools, the governance of charter schools is left to the charter school organizer, and their boards can be appointed.

In public comment, staff members asked the board for more transparency on board meeting dates and decisions moving forward.

Milo Kaminski, a sophomore at Irvington Preparatory Academy, asked the entire board to step down.

“I currently do not think this board is the right fit for our schools,” Milo said. “They have proven that unless we bring attention to their actions and hold them responsible, they will act on their own like spoiled, unsupervised children.”

The board invited other community members interested in serving on the board to reach out.

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

Years after New Orleans ditched district schools for charters, will Indianapolis do the same?

2025-08-26T17:18:55+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools leaders made a tough decision in 2008 to close six underenrolled schools.

“Each of the selected schools serves far fewer students than the building’s capacity can accommodate,” the superintendent said at the time. “We simply can’t continue to operate this way.”

One school is now a senior living center. Another is a private school. And two of them are charter schools.

This is how the education landscape has transformed in Indianapolis. Since the creation of charter schools in 2001, IPS — which had already been losing students for decades — has had to compete with other public schools within its borders.

Today, that landscape does not look favorable for the district. There are roughly 49,000 students living within IPS borders who attend public schools or get private school vouchers. Just 38% of them attend schools run by IPS, according to state transfer data from the spring of this year. The district is projected to go into the red by 2028, unless voters approve another tax increase. As the overall pot of property tax revenue available to public schools shrinks, IPS is projected to lose millions in property taxes as charters gain new access to those dollars.

Earlier this year, a bill in the state legislature called for dismantling the district completely in favor of charters. Although that proposal didn’t get far, lawmakers did establish a task force that must submit recommendations about the district’s future to the GOP-run legislature, which fully embraces school choice. Most members of that task force, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, have ties to the charter sector.

These realities have revived an existential question that some have wondered for years: Is it inevitable that IPS will be completely replaced by charter schools?

Education experts and local observers say that kind of transformation — akin to what transpired in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina — isn’t inevitable. But it’s more likely than ever, due to statehouse politics, shaky finances, and declining enrollment that recently led IPS to hire a public relations firm to recruit students.

Indianapolis Public Schools has faced intense competition for students, especially in the wake of the pandemic.

The influential pro-charter Mind Trust nonprofit, for example, has not called for IPS to become all charter. But it says giving schools and educators more autonomy, among other changes, would help IPS avoid collapse.

IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said in an interview that she doesn’t know what the future holds, but acknowledged that leaders must answer big questions.

“We are at a really critical juncture as Indianapolis Public Schools,” said Johnson, who is on the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, or ILEA. “And what do we mean by Indianapolis Public Schools? What do we desire for IPS to be?”

Key aspects of city public schools don’t look especially healthy regardless of who runs them. Across IPS-run schools and charters, test scores remain below the statewide average. One-third of charter schools have closed since 2001. IPS has closed at least 18 schools in that time, and many schools operate at well below their building capacity. And while IPS schools offer transportation, not every charter school can.

Although other outcomes are possible, Indianapolis may be one of several cities that are “slowly tipping towards becoming all-charter school systems,” said David Griffith, an associate director of research at the pro-charter Thomas B. Fordham Institute.

The challenging part, he said, is the period that Indianapolis is going through — the transformation.

“It may not be something that people want to say out loud necessarily,” Griffith said. But if the district continues to lose 3.7% of its students per year, Griffith said, “Then in 20, 25 years there will not be a district.”

ILEA weighs options for fractured education system

Although many charter schools have come and gone in Indianapolis, overall enrollment in charters has increased from roughly 3,000 students in 2005-06 to over 22,000 last school year. (That population includes those in IPS Innovation Network schools, the majority of which are charters.) Charters can get the green light to open by one of several authorizers.

Meanwhile, over that same time period, IPS has lost roughly 44% of students in the schools it runs directly, or over 16,000 kids, bringing enrollment to 21,055 at the start of last school year.

The future supply of students could dwindle even further: A 2020 demographic study commissioned by IPS predicted the student population would decline by anywhere from 152 to 478 students annually from 2025 to 2030.

Students already move freely to neighboring township school districts, and can also use private school vouchers in the state’s choice-friendly environment.

Figures from the city’s centralized enrollment system, Enroll Indy, indicate that Indianapolis had roughly 9,000 more seats than students enrolled in the 2024-25 school year in both IPS and charter schools. The majority of those — nearly 7,000 — were on the IPS side. And while excess seats can allow students to move to schools that may be a better fit for them, they can also spread resources such as teachers very thinly across schools.

That could mean more school closures for IPS, which has nearly one-third of its school buildings operating at less than 60% capacity, according to a review of state enrollment records and a building analysis the district conducted in 2020, the most recent available.

Perhaps 15 or 20 years from now, the system will have right-sized and IPS “will either have taken on a more efficient way of operating or given up,” said Paul Hill, founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education. He said certain charter school operators may leave.

“But in the meantime, the transition is pretty nasty,” he said, “and a lot of kids are getting less than they might.”

Unlike New Orleans, Indianapolis education has changed slowly

New Orleans and Indianapolis carry the same historical problems that have plagued urban school districts nationwide: the flight of white students from the inner cities, the subsequent underenrollment of the school system, and high rates of poverty.

In Louisiana, Hurricane Katrina triggered the complete transformation of New Orleans Public Schools.

After the storm hit in 2005, the state’s Recovery School District took over most New Orleans schools and eventually converted them all into charters. In 2017, the state began returning those charter schools back to the control of the local school board, which had a few charter schools of its own.

Today, all but one school in New Orleans Public Schools are charters authorized by the school board. A few other charter schools in the city are authorized by the state.

By contrast, in Indianapolis the transformation of schools has been slow but steady.

Students walk the halls of Victory College Prep, one of the largest charter schools in Indianapolis, in 2023.

Democratic Mayor Bart Peterson helped usher the creation of charter schools into state law in 2001. In 2006, he helped found the Mind Trust to build school leaders and launch charter schools in the city.

In 2012, pro-charter political action committees and out-of-state donors began boosting the profile of school board races, starting an ongoing trend of giving tens of thousands to IPS school board candidates. And in 2014, IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee forged a deal with charter schools that resulted in the Innovation Network of autonomous schools. Most of them are charters.

Now, the district’s future could be in the hands of the ILEA, which includes Peterson, Johnson, and others with experience in education reform.

To traditional public school advocates like Alejandro Samaniego, there has long been an unspoken plan to turn Indianapolis into New Orleans — just without the natural disaster to spur it.

“We’re being kind of sold the school choice [model],” said Samaniego, an IPS parent and teacher who is the lead member organizer for the local teachers union. “And it is a process of convincing people that this is the correct model.”

But Peterson said he viewed charters as a way to avoid the bureaucracy of a large district that can impede individual schools’ success, and not as a way to achieve some “final, ideal state.”

“There might have been some people who thought, you know, eventually every school would be a charter school, period. End of discussion. IPS wouldn’t exist,” he said. “I never thought that way, and I don’t think most people thought that way.”

Students at Shortridge High School, an IPS high school, walk to class on the first day of school in August.

Parents affiliated with charter-supportive groups, such as Stand for Children Indiana and EmpowerED Families, say they see an opportunity to create a system where every school is great, regardless of type.

Many charter schools are also underperforming and have low enrollment, said Katrina Anderson, an education advocate at EmpowerED Families, whose daughter and granddaughter attended charter schools.

“I don’t think it would be all charter — it should not be,” she said of the district. “There’s IPS schools that are doing well, just like there are charter schools.”

There are models Indianapolis could follow other than the one in New Orleans — like that of Washington, D.C., where enrollment is split roughly evenly between charter schools and the district.

Becoming an all-charter school district is not the sole path to success, Johnson argued.

“You don’t actually have to have that be the outcome in order for schools to come together and say, ‘Actually, we’re going to all operate by X system, X policy,’” she said. “Everyone would have to be committed to doing that in service to a greater good.”

Some say IPS governance, charter authorizing should change

While Indianapolis might not evolve to mirror the top-down approach in post-Katrina New Orleans that relied exclusively on charters, the idea of unified control in key areas could have broad appeal.

For example, having a single governing body oversee schools based on one set of standards could support good schools and shut down bad ones if they don’t improve, regardless of school type. And having just one charter authorizer, instead of the several the city has now, could be a strong gatekeeper and ensure there aren’t too many or too few charters.

Advocates affiliated with Stand for Children Indiana recently pitched some of these solutions to the ILEA, such as an accountability framework by which to determine school closures.

Their plan calls for a new IPS board of elected and appointed members that also has the sole power to authorize charter schools.

Johnson told Chalkbeat she would be open to the board acting as the one authorizer — like in New Orleans — because “it would create a level of coherence we don’t have right now.”

Whether current authorizers would easily give up power over charter authorizing is another issue.

The unified policies in New Orleans for day-to-day life in schools could be a goal for Indianapolis schools as they evolve.

For example, although nearly all New Orleans public schools are still charters, the school board has established a universal discipline policy, and a single district office conducts things like expulsion hearings. Meanwhile, IPS has its own discipline policy, while charters and charter networks in Indianapolis can adopt their own.

But opinions are mixed on whether New Orleans is a good model for Indianapolis. While test scores and graduation rates have improved overall since the hurricane, the city still struggles with transportation costs and declining enrollment, according to a 2025 report from the Cowen Institute at Tulane University. Wealthier and white students enroll in the city’s higher-performing schools at a disproportionate rate.

The approach in New Orleans is designed to ensure equity across schools, said Carlos Luis Zervigón, the vice president of the Orleans Parish School Board, which oversees New Orleans schools.

“If they want to be like New Orleans, I’d say an elected body is responsible under a unified structure of governance under a guardrail of equity measures, to make sure everyone is playing by the same playbook in the interest of fairness to children,” Zervigón said. “No one gets left behind. No one gets different treatment.”

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

Indianapolis Public Schools to sell a building, put another up for sale or lease to end legal battle

2025-08-25T15:06:26+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools will put one closed school building up for lease or sale to charter schools for $1 and will sell another to a local nonprofit, the district announced Friday.

The transfer of the buildings that used to house Raymond Brandes School 65 and Francis Bellamy School 102 stems from an Indiana Court of Appeals ruling in a lengthy battle over the state’s so-called $1 law, which requires districts to transfer unused school buildings to charter schools for the sale or lease price of $1. The court ruled in May that IPS must sell School 65.

The announcement also comes as the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance ponders how to solve facility challenges for both IPS, which continues to lose students in its traditional schools every year, and charters, which frequently struggle to acquire school buildings.

The district said in a statement that Damar Charter Academy, a school for students with developmental and behavioral challenges in Decatur Township, had reached out to IPS to express interest in School 65 — which is located on the southeast side of IPS. The district does not have the power to pick which charter school it will sell a building to — if more than one charter school is interested, state law requires a committee to decide.

On Monday, Damar confirmed to Chalkbeat that it is interested in School 65.

In the statement, the district said it would prefer to “move forward with disposition” of School 65 through a collaborative community process.

“But, we respect the court’s decision and will proceed in full compliance with that order,” IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said. “If the building is claimed by a charter school, we think Damar has a strong record of serving some of the most vulnerable and underserved students in our city and I have confidence that acquiring Raymond Brandes will allow them to expand their operations to serve even more students.”

Meanwhile, the district will sell School 102 to Voices, a nonprofit that works with youth, for $550,000. The district had already leased the school on the Far Eastside to Voices, which also shares the space with two other youth programs.

“Indianapolis Public Schools is committed to continuing to engage with our community on thoughtful re-use of our facilities and to being good stewards of our public assets,” Johnson said in a statement. “We are excited to move forward with our planned sale of the Francis Bellamy 102 building to VOICES and to see their impact in serving our community continue for many years into the future.”

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

IREAD scores jump for IPS-run schools and charters, get close to pre-pandemic levels

2025-08-22T11:00:00+00:00

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Spanish flows easily between students during recess at Enlace Academy on the west side of Indianapolis.

The school has a large Spanish-speaking population, as well as students who speak other foreign languages. Here, the Haitian-Creole speaking population is roughly equivalent to the English-speaking population, school leaders say. In class, teachers sometimes flip between English and Spanish.

The charter school in the International Marketplace neighborhood has historically had a majority of English language learners as its student population. That made this year’s administration of the third-grade literacy test particularly stressful: Under state law, 2025 marked the first time students could be held back for failing to pass the IREAD exam. And at the time of the test, lawmakers hadn’t yet passed an extension on the retention requirement for certain schools that would ultimately give Enlace some relief.

Despite the odds, Enlace posted significant improvements on the test. The percentage of students passing the exam increased from 40.5% to 60%, while the share of English language learners who passed the test jumped from 38% to nearly 61%.

The results mirror trends across Indianapolis Public Schools and charter schools in the district’s borders, the majority of which had higher IREAD pass rates over last year. The pass rate for IPS jumped about 10 percentage points from 59.8% to 69.8%. And the share of English learners in the district passing the IREAD rose from 42.4% to 56.7%. For independent charters and those in the IPS Innovation Network, the combined pass rate was about the same as in IPS at 70%.

The increase did not come out of nowhere. Pressured by the new retention law and a statewide requirement to adopt science-backed literacy curriculum, schools focused an infusion of funding on second- and third-grade literacy in the years following COVID. Lawmakers also tweaked the law to add more supports this year, required summer school for students who did not pass, and gave students up to five chances to pass the test — extra retakes that staff at Enlace say also helped.

After Enlace’s students took the IREAD, legislation passed in the spring that exempts schools from retention until 2027 if at least 50% of their third graders are English language learners. That exemption applies to 17 IPS and Indianapolis charter schools, including Enlace, and 38 statewide, according to an Indiana Department of Education memo.

Without the extension, roughly one-third of Enlace’s third graders would have been retained this year.

Enlace staff give the most credit to their students.

“They knew what the end goal was, and I think that really helped them,” said Enlace third grade master teacher Bailey Rager. “But also, they had a very good work ethic when it came to learning to love to read.”

IPS, charters schools post similar IREAD gains

Within the charter sector, independent charters posted a slightly higher overall pass rate at roughly 73%, compared with 66% for Innovation Network charters.

The latest improvements still leave the IPS and charter sector just below the pre-COVID proficiency rates of 2019.

The IREAD gains follow a number of early literacy initiatives that district and charter schools adopted in the years following COVID. They include overhauls to literacy curriculum, the Circle City Readers program that will operate at 10 schools this year, the Indy Summer Learning Labs that offered summer school at over 50 sites across Marion County this summer, and several tutoring programs that IPS has launched at certain schools.

The district’s largest tutoring initiative, led by Tutored by Teachers, paired second- and third-grade students at 19 IPS schools with virtual tutors multiple times a week for small group instruction.

IPS Chief Learning Officer Lela Simmons credited the jump to a variety of measures, including last year’s new literacy curriculum — Amplify Core Knowledge Language Arts — that was paired with a K-2 phonics curriculum the district adopted in 2023. The district also created IREAD plans for students that did not pass.

“It’s really a very intentional daily effort with our kids and our families and our teachers to ensure that we are intentionally teaching these skills — and then assessing whether or not they’ve learned them in a very cyclical way,” Simmons said.

The district has since announced a $10.5 million investment from the Lilly Endowment that will be used to support reading proficiency in elementary schools over the next five years. The money includes continued funding for Tutored by Teachers, which will serve high-risk second- and third-graders across 23 schools in preparation for next year’s IREAD exam.

Struggling schools improve, as do students of color

Chronically underperforming schools also largely showed improvement in both the district and charter sector.

All eight of the district’s “restart schools” — chronically underperforming schools in the Innovation Network of autonomous schools through the IPS turnaround process — improved from last year. Nearly all of these schools also surpassed pre-pandemic levels of 2019, and all but one of them are charter schools.

Among the district-run chronically underperforming schools, known as “emerging schools,” all nine that enrolled third graders also improved their IREAD scores over last year. Four of those schools have reached or surpassed pre-COVID pass rates: Eleanor Skillen 34, James Whitcomb Riley School 43, Brookside School 54, and Charles Warren Fairbanks School 105.

Nearly all student subgroups in IPS saw improvement over last year, including double-digit percentage point increases for Hispanic, Black, and English learner students.

Within IPS, white students have exceeded pre-pandemic proficiency levels with a pass rate of 87.9%. Black students are just behind their 2019 rates at 65.7%, while Hispanic students still have not caught up to pre-pandemic levels of 67.6%.

Racial breakdowns for charter schools and the charter sector as a whole are less reliable because public-facing data for those racial subgroups are often suppressed for student privacy, due to the small number of students tested in those subgroups.

Enlace embraces extra funding for English language learners

Enlace Academy hit a post-COVID low in 2023 with an IREAD pass rate of 38.7%. Today, it’s in the fourth year of its literacy initiative that focuses on the science of reading and has also trained all K-3 staff in the Orton-Gillingham approach that features systematic lessons on phonics.

Students in grades K-3 were separated into phonics and small-group reading instruction every day. Extra funding from a $3.3 million federal grant paid for multilingual instructional assistants, a reading interventionist, and high-dosage tutoring. And the school partnered with the National Center for Family Learning to provide English classes for families.

All those changes were put to the test when students began taking the IREAD in March, before lawmakers gave schools like Enlace a two-year extension on the retention requirement until 2027.

“I’ve given IREAD so many times over so many years, but this year, I think our kids were really feeling the anxiety,” said Lauren Perkins, the K-8 reading specialist who helped craft the school’s literacy plan. “I could just really see it on their little faces on test day in March. Some of them had that throw-up look on their face.”

As the school prepares for 2027, another $338,000 from the Lilly Endowment will help maintain some of the school’s literacy efforts. Staff will also focus on making sure kindergartners and first graders are on grade level.

“I think what fuels us every day is we’re looking at the whole picture,” said school leader Stephanie Campos.

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

As ILEA discusses facilities, community members call for unification of IPS, charters under one board

2025-08-21T03:38:38+00:00

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Community members urged the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to share data on school facilities as the state-mandated alliance pondered questions surrounding building capacity and efficiency on Wednesday.

The 103 public schools within the borders of Indianapolis Public Schools operate with a variety of different building arrangements that pose a complex challenge for the state-mandated group tasked with solving for inefficiencies across IPS and the charter sector.

Some charters that are part of the IPS Innovation Network of autonomous schools operate in IPS buildings at no cost — an in-kind service that, combined with security services, the district estimated at $38 million in 2023-24, according to a report compiled by the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation. Other charters lease space, while others are co-located with another public school. Some charters have purchased their buildings, with remaining long-term debt ranging up to $22.9 million across multiple schools in the same charter network.

The findings on facility challenges for charter schools, laid out in a report submitted to the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance this week, will guide the ILEA as it considers recommendations to make to state lawmakers about the future of the city’s public schools.

At the meeting Wednesday, the group heard from IPS and charter partners about building usage as members questioned how to maximize efficiency.

Former mayor Bart Peterson, a member of the alliance, said the group must decide how to proceed with a shrinking pot of public funding.

“We are going to have to ... place efficiency pretty high on the priority list, given the environment that every public school in Marion County is going to be facing,” he said.

In public comment at the meeting, education advocates affiliated with Stand for Children Indiana — a nonprofit that has been supportive of charter schools — delivered a plan that calls for a data-driven accountability framework for all schools and the unification of all public schools under one governing board with both elected and appointed members.

“If we want to eliminate barriers, we can’t keep dividing students into separate systems,” Bony Georges, an IPS teacher who worked on the proposed plan, told the group. “The debate over charter versus traditional schools is the wrong debate. We need one public education system in Indianapolis that works for every child in every neighborhood.”

Parents affiliated with the IPS Parent Council, which has advocated strongly for traditional IPS schools, reaffirmed their call for a moratorium on new schools through 2035.

“The current system of competition and choice in schooling damages the fabric of our communities, creating a devastating dynamic where parents are pitted against each other, scrambling for increasingly scarce resources rather than uniting for a common good,” parent Katherine Harkov told the group.

With facility challenges for charters, facility costs vary

The city’s Innovation Network model and its embrace of school choice has produced a variety of different building arrangements and capacities. The OEI report included building arrangements as well as enrollment and capacity figures for charter schools.

Of the district’s 30 Innovation schools, 13 are in an IPS building, with and two are co-located in an existing IPS school, Deputy Superintendent Andrew Strope told the group Wednesday.

But beyond its partnerships with IPS, charters face a daunting challenge in trying to acquire buildings.

Different building arrangements have pros and cons, according to the OEI report. Ownership providers long-term stability, but limited access to revenue sources such as property taxes can lead to higher borrowing costs.

While leasing offers lower initial costs, it can lead to higher long-term expenditures, according to the report. And while schools operating in IPS buildings can benefit from reduced upfront costs, they have less autonomy over the buildings and less long-term security if the district does not renew legal contracts with the charter.

Charter schools that occupy IPS buildings as part of the district’s Innovation Network of autonomous schools do so at no cost. But among Innovation charters, they bore the highest average building cost per pupil at $4,476 in 2023-24, according to the OEI report.

Charters that leased their own buildings had a higher average per-pupil facility cost than those that owned them, paying $3,619 per student compared to $1,672.

Independent charters posted a lower average per-pupil building cost, with those leasing buildings paying $1,157 per student and those that owned buildings at $1,047.

Charter schools provided Enroll Indy, the city’s centralized enrollment system, with a program capacity of roughly 25,000 total seats for the 2024-25 school year, according to the report. They enrolled roughly 22,000 students.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said she hopes the ILEA recommends the repeal of the state law that requires the district to sell unused school buildings to charter schools for $1. That law only holds traditional public schools accountable for utilization rates, she said, and does not consider utilization rates for charters.

Johnson said the group must consider whether it recommends all schools operate in a way that maximizes resources — such as facility space — or whether it recommends giving schools flexibility that may let them operate in a building that is bigger than needed.

“We have to be clear on what is it that we desire to be true,” Johnson said. “That will drive how we come up with our solutions.”

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

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to host more public meetings this year

2025-08-19T20:02:54+00:00

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The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance will host at least four more public meetings in addition to the three that were previously announced, including Wednesday’s meeting at Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School.

The nine-member group established by the state legislature must recommend how to improve efficiencies across both Indianapolis Public Schools and the many charters in its borders. The group will suggest plans for facility and transportation usage across school types, and could suggest new governance models for the city’s fractured education landscape. It could also recommend school closures.

The group is exempt from the state’s Open Door Law that requires government entities to hold meetings in public. However, the group must publicly vote on the final plan it submits to lawmakers. Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office initially announced three public meetings earlier this year.

The mayor’s Office of Education Innovation confirmed four other tentative meetings on the group’s website will be public, but it’s unclear when the group may hold closed-door discussions and how often.

The remaining meetings on the schedule that the group has confirmed will be public are set for 6 p.m. for the following tentative dates, with locations shared closer to the date:

Sep. 24, 2025.
Oct. 22, 2025.
Nov. 19, 2025.
Dec. 17, 2025.

The group’s Wednesday meeting at Emma Donnan will also take place at 6 p.m. The group has met two times so far. At its last meeting in July, it faced calls from the public for a moratorium on charter schools and heard from charter school leaders who want to buy IPS school buildings that they already occupy.

Those who would like to give in-person or online public comment and sign up to do so using this form. Comments may be submitted starting at noon two business days before each meeting and must be submitted by noon on the day of each meeting. Speakers are limited to three minutes per person.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance must submit its recommendations to the state legislature by the end of the year.

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

Irvington Community Schools charter network restarts CEO search after staff absences, public protest

2025-08-13T18:11:41+00:00

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Irvington Community Schools will restart its search for a new CEO after pushback from staff, students, and parents over a hiring process that included the network’s board chair as a top candidate.

The decision announced by the charter network’s board of governors on Wednesday follows a rocky return to school for ICS, which typically serves over 900 students at three separate elementary, middle, and high school campuses on the eastside of Indianapolis. Former CEO Häns Lassiter resigned from the position in February, although a message to parents from the board chair did not explain why.

ICS staff say the board hosted a virtual meeting Aug. 4 in which Rashay Foster, chair of the network’s board of governors, was presented as a “top” candidate for the CEO job. In response, staff at the high school called out sick en masse before a public meeting of the board on Aug. 8, which was later canceled. The call-outs forced students into a virtual learning day, and drew parents’ attention to a search that some of them did not know much about.

“The concerning thing is that we don’t know what’s going on,” parent Shannon Abbott said on Friday, when she was trying to figure out why in-person learning was canceled. “As a parent, I feel like I should know what’s happening in my child’s school system. We were promised transparency, and there has been a great lack of transparency in this entire process.”

Dozens of students, staff, and parents gathered outside Irvington Preparatory Academy, the network’s high school, on Tuesday to demand a different CEO, citing staff concerns that Foster participated in the hiring process for a position for which she had also applied. The board also met in a closed-door session Tuesday to discuss the network’s leadership plan.

Staff and students at Tuesday’s protest also expressed concerns with Foster’s qualifications for the job.

Foster has previously served as a teacher and a literacy coach and consultant, and is listed as a manager for The New Teacher Project Teaching Fellows program in Indianapolis. Staff told Chalkbeat they desire a candidate with experience as an administrator.

A day after the protest, the board said in a statement that it was reopening the search for a new CEO. It acknowledged that school leadership must be supported by ICS in order to be successful.

At the same time, the board’s Wednesday statement also called Foster a “qualified and dedicated educational leader” who applied for the position in good faith and participated in a thorough interview process just like other highly ranked candidates.

The board’s statement did not lay out a timeline for the next steps of the search process. It also did not indicate whether Foster participated in the hiring process for other candidates.

Foster did not respond to multiple attempts to reach her for comment.

“I feel like with what’s happening, you’re just kind of ruining the essence of what the school is and not listening to the people who matter at the school, which are the teachers,” senior Oliver Lutzke said at the protest Tuesday. “And those teachers aren’t really being heard.”

Parents also questioned whether the hiring process was ethical.

“How are we teaching children, especially this age group, to grow up to be adults without teaching them integrity?” parent Danielle Beam said during the protest. “This is unethical, what they are doing. How they are handling it is wrong.”

But the board said its members are “deeply concerned” about the tone and content of recent public and social media commentary regarding Foster.

“While healthy discussion about school leadership is important, certain statements have crossed the line into personal attacks and unfounded allegations, including claims that are not supported by fact,” the board said. “This kind of rhetoric undermines not only the integrity of our process, but also the example we set for our students.”

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

First day of school in Indianapolis showcases evolution of student transportation

2025-08-04T18:08:56+00:00

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On her first day of third grade Monday, Aravis Flora waited for her yellow Indianapolis Public Schools bus sporting a scrunchie decorated with school buses and stop signs.

Her mother, Vanessa Flora, had glanced at her phone minutes earlier to check when a different IPS bus would arrive in their Fletcher Place neighborhood to pick up her middle child Emmett, who was starting seventh grade. She gave him an update on its estimated arrival time as he ate breakfast.

Vanessa Flora takes a photo of her three children, Elias, Emmett, and Aravis, on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025, the first day of school in Indianapolis.

But it was Elias, her oldest child who was starting junior year at Shortridge High School, who got out the door first. He took the city’s public transportation system. He walked about five minutes to the nearest IndyGo bus stop on the Red Line.

His classmate Darrick Colon gets off at the same Red Line stop by Shortridge, but his path to get there is different. As he rides the IndyGo 8 bus across the White River to get to the Red Line, he sees downtown businesses and the Indianapolis Zoo waking up. Despite a brief delay, he got to school before the 9 a.m. bell.

One mile up the road from Shortridge, some students arriving at Believe Circle City High School this week have the option of using the charter school’s bus service.

Thousands of Indianapolis students are returning to school this week, but how they get there can vary greatly. That’s one outcome of the evolving education environment in Indianapolis. On the one hand, there’s the traditional IPS district. On the other are nearly 60 charter schools spread out within or near the district borders.

Elias Flora walks to the IndyGo city bus on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

A new state-mandated group, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, is tasked with addressing an unequal environment in which IPS schools offer transportation, but not all charter schools can afford to do so. As the group ponders solutions, current partnerships could offer some ideas for the group to scale up.

On his commute, Elias reflected on the prospects of junior year — the hardest year, he admitted.

“I should be able to work through everything,” he said. “All I need to worry about is keeping up with the work load.”

Elias Flora rides the city bus on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025. Elias is a junior this year, and he said it'll be the hardest year.

Existing transportation partnerships could inform ILEA’s proposals

This year, more than 1,400 IPS high school students will ride IndyGo through a partnership that began with a pilot program in 2018. Over 19,000 students will ride the yellow school bus service that the district pays First Student for.

IPS estimates spending roughly $2,300 per student for transportation annually.

Elias Flora waits for the city bus on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025.

In the charter sector, the transportation picture is less straightforward. Some charters in the district’s Innovation Network receive transportation from the district at no charge. Other independent charter schools contract for their own yellow bus service — but at prices that can be steep for a smaller school entity. And some even run their own passenger van bus service and hire drivers.

But this year, the Rooted School and IPS have teamed up to give kids a way to and from school.

The independent charter school on the eastside that starts classes on Wednesday will partner with IPS this year to bring First Student transportation to 200 students at a lower cost than what it would pay for under its own contract with the company. It’s the charter’s latest attempt to solve the challenge. Previously, it operated its own 14-passenger van and contracted through a different company.

Shortridge High School students get off the bus for the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 4, 2025 in Indianapolis.

To school founder Ma’at Lands, the partnership is a perfect example of picking collaboration over competition.

Some of the school’s students have siblings who attend Sankofa School of Success at Arlington Woods 99, an IPS Innovation Network school that is just across the street. The new arrangement will remove a barrier for families with students attending multiple schools in the neighborhood, Lands said.

But making the partnership work also means adopting flexible schedules. Rooted School is moving its start time an hour earlier this year to 7:30 a.m. so that the buses can shift to serving IPS students afterward, Lands said.

“Now, being up under IPS ... we have this cost savings,” Lands said. “They just have a robust transportation department that really is just not a heavy lift on our school.”

Other charter school leaders are trying to collaborate with each other.

The recent merger of Ace Preparatory Academy with Circle City Prep allows the schools to provide transportation to older siblings who have been dropped off by families at Ace Prep, a K-6 school, and are continuing their education at Circle City, a K-8 school.

The solution helps Ace Prep become an option for families with multiple students looking for a more streamlined K-8 experience.

When IPS broke up its K-8 schools last year, Circle City Prep received a lot of families who still wanted to have their elementary and middle school child at the same school, Circle City Prep founder Megan Murphy told Chalkbeat in May after her school merged with Ace Prep.

“Now at Ace Prep, yes they won’t have the eighth grade there, but you can have one site in which your kids are going to second grade and eighth grade, and we provide that transportation to the eighth grader,” Murphy said. “I think it helps a little bit to make a one-stop shop for families.”

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

‘Fight for the future’: Why education has become a key topic in Detroit’s mayoral race

2025-08-04T13:52:34+00:00

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High absenteeism rates, youth fearing for their safety, and a fragmented education scene with dozens of governing bodies overseeing 185 public schools mean Detroit’s next mayor will have their hands full if they want to improve outcomes for young people.

Next week’s primary is the first open race for mayor in more than a decade, and nearly all of the candidates racing for the top two vote-getting spots say they have plans for how the mayor can play a more effective role in education.

But it will be a tough challenge in Detroit, because the scope of the problem includes low academic achievement and high rates of students missing far too much school, and also because factors such as extreme poverty, housing instability, and transportation woes impede school success for a majority of students.

Community leaders like Angelique Power, the president and CEO of the Skillman Foundation, see this election as a “liminal moment” for Detroit public education, because along with a new mayor, the city will elect new city council members. Next year, Michigan residents will elect a new governor.

“This is sort of a fight for the future and the soul of Detroit.”

While Detroit’s mayor doesn’t have control or oversight of schools, the person elected in November will need “political will” to create cohesion in the city’s schools when there is pushback, Power said. (The Skillman Foundation is a Chalkbeat funder. To learn more about our funding, go here.)

That’s important considering the city has 185 public schools. That translates to one elected school board overseeing more than 100 schools in the Detroit Public Schools Community District, and 56 appointed school boards overseeing charter schools. Meanwhile, city leadership must take into account the nearly 30,000 school-age children who live in Detroit but leave the city every day to attend suburban schools.

“There’s no cohesive vision or strategy that crosses over the different types of public schools that we have here,” Power said.

That matters greatly. While DPSCD can boast of some high-performing schools, and charters can too, many schools in the city are struggling academically.

Nine Detroiters are running for mayor. They are Jonathan Barlow, James Craig, Fred Durhal, Joel Haashiim, Saunteel Jenkins, Solomon Kinloch, Todd Perkins, Mary Sheffield, and DaNetta Simpson.

Just five of them (Barlow, Durhal, Jenkins, Perkins, and Sheffield) filled out a Chalkbeat Detroit survey first sent to the candidates July 2. Between those responses and a candidate forum hosted recently by the Detroit Federation of Teachers, Chalkbeat got a clear picture of what the candidates would prioritize on education.

They say there needs to be better coordination between the city and schools to align resources. They want to improve attendance and other outcomes such as safety for city students. They want to work to ensure that schools receive adequate state and federal funding. They want to improve access to a number of services, including after-school programs and career and technical education programs. You can read their responses below.

“The need to fix the broken bridge and communication between City government and schools is pressing,” Durhal wrote in his response.

Wayne State University researcher Sarah Lenhoff, whose team has done extensive research about Detroit education issues, including chronic absenteeism, enrollment, and housing, is pleased to see candidates making education a focus. She’s long believed that Detroit’s mayor should play a bigger role in improving the city’s education landscape as well as the conditions that support student success.

“It should be the responsibility of the mayor,” said Lenhoff, director of the Detroit Partnership for Education Equity and Research, or Detroit PEER. “Just because they don’t have direct authority over the schools doesn’t mean they don’t have a lot of influence over how well the schools are doing, how well students are doing in the city. It’s overdue, and I’m hopeful that whoever becomes mayor will carry that through into action while they’re in office.”

Playing a role, but leaving control to the schools

If Detroit’s next mayor plays a key role in education, they’ll have to overcome skepticism from residents who may still be wary after more than two decades of reform attempts.

Helen Moore, a longtime education activist in the city who has pushed back against school takeovers, said she’s not opposed to the next mayor having some input on education issues.

Detroit’s mayor “should have a role, but they should not be taking over,” Moore said. “That’s happened before,” and it didn’t work, she said.

Moore said the mayor needs to send their representatives to school board meetings to listen to the public and understand the district’s challenges. They need to be focused on helping students succeed, she said.

“We’re going through hell trying to get them (students) to the place they should be,” Moore said. “There are too many people trying to keep our children from getting the quality education they deserve.”

Mayoral control became an early reform effort when Michigan lawmakers transferred control of Detroit Public Schools to the city mayor in 1999, allowing then-Mayor Dennis Archer to appoint a seven-member school board that answered to him.

That experiment ended in 2005, when Detroit voters approved a ballot initiative to return to an elected board. But in 2009, mounting debt in DPS led then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm to appoint the first of what would become a series of emergency managers who had almost complete control of the district. By the time emergency management in the district ended in 2016, the debt had ballooned to catastrophic levels.

To ward off bankruptcy and unsaddle classrooms from the debt, Michigan lawmakers implemented a controversial plan to create a new district — DPSCD — to educate students and operate schools, while DPS remained intact to collect tax revenue and pay off debt. DPSCD has been on relatively solid financial footing since it had that fresh, debt-free start.

But the many years of state and mayoral oversight decimated the district. Enrollment declined from around 160,000 just a few years after mayoral control began to around 49,000 today. Dozens of schools closed, leaving some areas of the city with no neighborhood schools.

And the emergence of charter choices, which began opening in Michigan in the mid-’90s, has created intense competition in Detroit, giving parents a plethora of often dizzying options for where to send their children. It’s also created instability in the system as parents move their children frequently from school to school, often in the middle of the school year. Those frequent moves happen for a number of reasons, including a desire to find the best option for their children but often because housing instability forces families to move unexpectedly.

In a 2018 special report on the effects of frequent moves, Chalkbeat Detroit and Bridge Michigan explored how they create instability and makes it difficult for schools to improve academically.

Tackling chronic absenteeism will be a key issue

Lenhoff and Jeremy Singer, her colleague and fellow researcher, coauthored a book released earlier this year about chronic absenteeism in Detroit in which they argued that schools alone can’t solve the intractable problem and called on city and community leaders to get more involved. Detroit PEER recently released several fact sheets that highlight areas where it sees the mayor having “the most direct influence over the conditions for learning and education in the city.”

About 60% of DPSCD students were chronically absent during the last school year, meaning they missed 18 or more days of instruction. Citywide, the rates have hovered around 50%.

“Many of the big reasons why kids miss so much school in Detroit have little to do with the schools themselves and have much more to do with the conditions in which they’re living, with their access to transportation, with their housing and neighborhood situations,” Lenhoff said.

Those are mostly within the control of the mayor and city government.

So what could the city do? According to Lenoff, it could make it easier for kids to ride public transit to and from school, strengthen the safety of neighborhoods so students who live close enough can feel safe biking or walking to school, and invest in family-friendly affordable housing.

The city has invested in affordable housing, but for Lenhoff, the key question is whether there’s an emphasis on housing that can accommodate families and is located near schools.

Those housing efforts, she said, don’t necessarily require working with school systems, but they might be more effective if they were coordinated with DPSCD and major charter school operators “to ensure alignment between where the city’s investing and where schools are prioritizing their efforts.”

Many families in Detroit lack reliable transportation, making it difficult for kids to get to school every day. The Detroit PEER fact sheet on the top notes that a third of families in Detroit don’t own a car, and 30% of families don’t have a fixed way to get their children to school.

DPSCD doesn’t provide yellow school bus transportation for most high school students, who can receive bus passes to take city buses. But just 4% of students use those bus passes to go to school daily, according to the fact sheet.

The city can look for ways to make riding city buses more palatable and convenient for teenagers, perhaps by letting teens use their student identification cards instead of bus passes, Lenhoff said. Crucial steps would be researching bus routes to ensure they are located in areas that are more easily accessible for students, making sure buses arrive on time, and making sure bus stops are safe.

Another area the next mayor can collaborate on is promoting district schools. DPSCD and charter schools in the city would be far more stable enrollment-wise if they were able to reengage with students who leave the city to attend suburban schools.

“Our city’s leaders have an interest in those children coming back to the city for school, and, you know, for neighborhoods to have thriving community-based schools,” Lenhoff said. “So figuring out ways to promote that … could be really worthwhile.”

Editor’s note: This story was updated after a fifth candidate, Jonathan Barlow, filled out Chalkbeat’s candidate survey after publication.

Lori Higgins is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Detroit. You can reach her at lhiggins@chalkbeat.org.

Charter leaders want IPS to transfer building ownership to their schools

2025-07-24T02:37:29+00:00

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Charter school leaders running schools in Indianapolis Public Schools facilities say transferring or selling the buildings to them could save the district over $37.5 million annually.

Yet supporters of traditional public schools say the district must be allowed to charge charter operators the full cost of services the district provides to charters in its Innovation Network, such as the opportunity to operate in IPS buildings.

The requests are some of many that the nine members of the state-mandated Indianapolis Local Education Alliance must contend with as it works to submit recommendations on transportation and facility usage to city, state, and district leaders by the end of the year. The requests came during the ILEA’s second public meeting on Wednesday.

Leaders for 20 of the 25 charter schools in the district’s Innovation Network — and one Innovation school that just won approval to become a charter school — floated the building transfer idea to the ILEA in a letter submitted as public comment.

The alliance, which is tasked with reducing inefficiencies across the multiple traditional and charter schools in IPS borders, should consider this option as it brainstorms future facility plans, the letter said. The ownership change would give school leaders complete control to make decisions about the buildings they occupy, the leaders said.

“We know that there is a moment of urgency for our city and for the decisions that the ILEA needs to make,” Eddie Rangel, CEO of Adelante Schools, which operates in Emma Donnan, told Chalkbeat ahead of the meeting. “And we want to be good stewards of what needs to happen for the facility at Emma Donnan.”

Innovation schools are independently run but contract with the district for services such as custodial and transportation. Some services — such as rent and transportation — are offered to Innovation schools at no cost, while others may come with a charge. Most of the district’s 30 Innovation schools are charters. A law passed last year restricted how much IPS could charge Innovation schools for services.

Earlier this month, the IPS Parent Council — formed as IPS faced existential threats in the most recent legislative session — called for IPS to charge charter schools the full cost of operating in an IPS school.

The group also called for a repeal of the $1 law that requires IPS to sell vacant school buildings to charters for $1. Instead, the district must “regain full authority” to lease or sell buildings at market value, the group urged.

Accountability system crucial to future decisions, some say

At its second public meeting on Wednesday, ILEA members reviewed school enrollment and property tax data, focusing in part on how schools are funded and implications that the state’s latest tax reforms could have on schools.

Beyond facilities and funding, several public commenters called for a universal accountability system by which to determine whether to close underperforming schools regardless of type.

Virginia Ramos told the alliance during public comment that her grandson was failed by both IPS and charter schools.

As a teacher, she said, one of the most important things to be recommended is an accountability system that looks not only at state test scores, but teacher retention rates, teacher credentials, attendance rates before and after count day, suspension rates, and the achievements of English as a second language and special education students.

“It’s not until we hold all those things, all those data points, can you have a complete picture of how schools are doing,” she said.

Charter leaders cite Innovation contracts in bid for building ownership

The letter from charter leaders referenced a clause in some Innovation contracts for the schools represented in the letter. The clause indicates the district could be open to selling or transferring the buildings to the operators in the future, and states that by the end of this year, the district will develop criteria that the operator must meet to be eligible to own the building. The letter did not address how much, if anything, charters would pay for the buildings.

“For those of us ready to pursue this option, owning facilities presents exciting opportunities for our school communities,” the letter said. “Having complete control over the space where our educators teach, students learn, and families connect would benefit both the district and the city as a whole.”

Rangel said the leaders estimated $37.5 million in cost savings to the district across all of their schools based on district cost estimates for running those buildings.

At Adelante, Rangel said, owning the building would allow the school to expand its fine arts programming by building a stage.

Another option, the leaders said, could be using the facility authority created as a three-year pilot program under newly enacted state law. The authority, a seven-member board, was written into the same bill that created the ILEA, giving other school districts the option to participate in a pilot program. The pilot would make the authority responsible for overseeing and managing school facilities.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson, who is also an ILEA member, said after the ILEA meeting that the district has engaged with a couple of schools that have expressed interest in ownership but is examining whether all the signatories to the letter would like to acquire their buildings or would be supportive of an independent authority.

It’s unclear how or whether the charter schools could afford to pay for those services on their own. Rangel said charter leaders have been discussing the potential of individual schools to band together to purchase services.

The leaders also asked that future facilities assessments be conducted by experts “who understand the unique education landscape in our city” and called for that report to be made public.

Four Innovation charter schools operating as the only school in IPS buildings — Global Prep, Matchbook Learning, KIPP Indy, and Phalen Leadership Academy at Francis Scott Key 103 — operated at over 100% capacity for the 2024-25 school year, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of state enrollment data and the target capacity of IPS buildings provided in a building assessment that the district commissioned in 2020.

Across all IPS buildings that are still operating as schools, 17 of 57 buildings are operating at below the district average of 60% capacity, according to the data. That includes a few Innovation charters, including Liberty Grove Schools, Phalen Leadership Academy at Louis B. Russell School 48, and Adelante Schools at Emma Donnan Elementary and Middle School.

Parent council calls for limitations to charters

Parents with the IPS Parent Council also called for the group to consider a moratorium on all new charter schools through 2035.

“This pause will allow time to assess long-term needs and avoid unnecessary school closures that … disrupt families and communities,” said Anh Nguyen, a parent of two IPS students.

The request is more stringent than a state law legislators passed this year that only allows the mayor’s office to open new charter schools through the rest of 2025.

The group’s petition calls for Innovation and charter schools to employ licensed staff, offer school counselors, and provide transportation and uniform assistance in order to partner with IPS and share its resources. State law requires at least 90% of a charter school’s teaching workforce to be licensed or in the process of obtaining a teacher’s license.

The group also wants all Innovation contracts to be limited to a five-year renewal limit to “ensure safeguards to guarantee accountability.”

The next public meeting of the ILEA is August 20 at the City-County Building.

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

Tricia Noyola resigns as CEO of Denver-based charter school network Rocky Mountain Prep

2025-07-23T23:10:06+00:00

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Denver-based charter school network Rocky Mountain Prep announced Wednesday that CEO Tricia Noyola has resigned.

“The board respects Ms. Noyola’s decision to step down and appreciates her commitment to ensuring a smooth transition,” an announcement on the charter network’s website said, referencing the Rocky Mountain Prep board of directors.

Noyola did not respond to a request for comment. In the announcement, she said that Rocky Mountain Prep’s future “remains bright.”

“This network is filled with mission-driven, unstoppable leaders who will continue to carry our vision forward,” Noyola said. “I’ll be cheering from the sidelines and ready to celebrate the wins, carrying everything I’ve learned here into the next chapter of my life and leadership.”

Rocky Mountain Prep serves more than 5,000 students in preschool through 12th grade at 11 schools in Denver and one in Aurora. The network is the second largest in Denver after DSST.

Noyola was hired as CEO in 2021 following the departure of Rocky Mountain Prep’s founder, James Cryan. In 2022, Rocky Mountain Prep announced that it would merge with another Denver-based charter network, STRIVE Prep, the following year.

The merger posed some challenges, including high staff turnover. Some of the departing staff criticized Noyola’s leadership style. Board members praised her. Noyola told Chalkbeat in 2023 that “I may be demanding, but I always strive to be fair.”

In the announcement about her departure, Pat Donovan, chair of the Rocky Mountain Prep board, thanked Noyola for her service.

“Tricia’s leadership has positioned us well for the future, and Rocky Mountain Prep has never been stronger – financially, academically and culturally,” said Donovan, who is president of the advocacy organization Denver Families for Public Schools.

Donovan declined Wednesday to comment further.

Rocky Mountain Prep will name an interim CEO while it conducts a nationwide search for its next leader, according to the announcement.

Melanie Asmar is the bureau chief for Chalkbeat Colorado. Contact Melanie at masmar@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

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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.

Indianapolis charter board approves new Legal Prep school for grades 6-12

2025-06-25T01:40:19+00:00

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The Indianapolis Charter School Board approved a legal-themed, college prep charter school on Tuesday, marking the first new school to open in Indianapolis since the end of a heated legislative session this spring that gave charter schools more local funding.

Legal Prep Charter Academy, which currently operates one high school on the west side of Chicago, would open in 2026 with 225 students in 6th and 9th grades, according to its application. The enrollment would grow to 825 in grades 6-12 by 2029-30.

The addition of another charter school is the latest change in the city’s evolving educational landscape. Beginning in 2028, charter schools — which have grown as Indianapolis Public Schools has shrunk — will receive a portion of property tax funding that has historically been reserved for traditional public schools. The legislative change made this year came amid tense opposition from supporters of traditional public schools, while IPS itself called for a moratorium on new schools in its boundaries.

Lawmakers did write into law a prohibition on new charter schools from July to December of this year, except for those schools approved by the mayor’s office.

The 6-1 vote to approve the school came with written support from current Legal Prep students and staff in Chicago.

The school hopes to open near the Monument Circle downtown and build partnerships with the city’s nearby legal community, according to its application. But leaders plan to recruit students across multiple zip codes, particularly those who are from low-income households and historically underserved neighborhoods.

The school faced a variety of concerns and questions from board members, particularly about its ability to recruit enough students and survive financially.

Staff, however, stressed the existing relationships they already have built with a variety of community organizations and law firms. They also pointed to experience at their school in Chicago, which opened in 2012.

“We went through years in Chicago where we had midyear budget cuts, where we had the rug pulled out from under us (in the) fourth quarter,” CEO and co-founder Sam Finkelstein told the board. “We’ve seen a lot when it comes to the way finances can change in a heartbeat, and what we do is we plan conservatively, we fundraise aggressively, and we stockpile for a rainy day.”

In Illinois, the school has a “commendable” rating in the state’s school accountability system — the second highest. The school also boasts a suspension rate under 2%, with only one expulsion since 2021, according to its application.

Legal Prep emphasizes social-emotional learning and a low student-to-counselor ratio that allows staff to adequately respond to student needs and trauma, the school said in its application. The proposed ratio of 70 students for one counselor provides a much lighter case load than the recommended 250 students per counselor.

Amorrie Parchman, an incoming senior at Legal Prep in Chicago, told the board she appreciated the exposure to the legal field and the opportunity to participate in groups such as National Honor Society.

“Being there I realized that if you work hard, you will receive numerous benefits in the end,” she said.

Marquan Morrison, a staff member who was in the school’s first graduating class of 2016, said he’s never doubted the belief and investment he’s received from the Legal Prep family.

The school taught him skills and gave him lasting relationships that ultimately helped him serve his community, he said.

At the Tuesday meeting, outgoing charter board member Andrea Neely cast the sole opposing vote after stressing to school officials that the city’s educational community is approaching a very difficult time. A state-mandated group known as the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is tasked with providing lawmakers with recommendations on how both charter schools and Indianapolis Public Schools can use buildings and transportation efficiently.

“The model is amazing, but again it’s coming at a time of challenge,” she said.

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

Schools prep students for summer IREAD test as tougher third grade retention law takes effect

2025-06-24T16:35:33+00:00

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All hands were on deck at the PATH School at Stephen Foster School 67 on Monday.

In Destiny Patterson’s room, students used context clues to find out the meaning of the word “pliable.” Down the hall, the definition of “adjective” was on the board as students deconstructed a reading passage.

It was two days before the students began their retake of the state’s third grade literacy exam known as IREAD, and this was the very end of the charter school’s IREAD boot camp. The goal is for students who just finished third and even second grade to pass the test.

The PATH School is one of 55 Indy Summer Learning Lab sites that have enrolled 5,300 Indianapolis students this summer. While the program, which is run by the Mind Trust, focuses on improving students’ math and English skills, they could now play a crucial role for students at risk of being held back based on their literacy skills.

This summer is a critical point for an unknown number of students: a final chance to pass the IREAD in order to avoid repeating third grade.

For many years, Indiana has had a policy on retaining students who do not pass the test — but few students were actually held back thanks to an allowable practice known as “social promotion.” In 2023, over 13,000 students statewide moved on to the fourth grade despite not passing the test, according to Indiana Department of Education data.

Amid concerns about the state’s literacy rates, lawmakers last year mandated retention in law, which makes it more likely that more students will be held back. Those changes take effect for the upcoming school year, though there are still a few exceptions for certain students.

Research suggests that reading by grade 3 is critical to a child’s future academic success.

Still, the retention requirement has garnered concerns from educators, and has reopened a longstanding debate on whether students should be held back.

In even more revisions to the retention law this year, lawmakers allowed students to retake the test twice rather than just once in the summer. The revised law also exempts schools from retaining students until 2027-28 if at least 50% of their third graders are English language learners.

PATH falls under that exemption. But that hasn’t stopped the school from prepping all students for the test. Both third and second grade students who did not pass during the second and third grade are enrolled in the Indy Summer Learning Lab.

“The first core belief of the PATH school is that all scholars can thrive when given the necessary supports to do so,” said Ann Shields, the school’s director of literacy. (PATH is part of the Innovation Network in Indianapolis Public Schools.)

IPS, meanwhile, has summer school sites targeting students who did not pass the IREAD in third grade.

And in Warren Township, the school district has one summer school site for third grade students who did not pass.

“We don’t want to try to communicate the retention piece as a punitive measure, even though it certainly feels that way from a parent’s point of view,” said Associate Superintendent Ryan Russell. “So we try to communicate how critical a student’s ability to be successful on this examination is to their educational outlook.”

Indiana reading retention law does include exemptions

The law’s impact on classrooms will be unclear until after the summer testing window ends Friday. Until then, schools across Indianapolis have been prepping for one final retake.

Schools and districts likely won’t know the total number of students held back until they get IREAD results back around the end of June. IREAD results are typically made public in August.

There are several elements of the law that in theory make it easier for students to avoid being held back.

Schools must give the IREAD test in second grade, and those who pass it are exempt from taking it in third grade. They’re also counted in the following year’s pass rate.

Districts must also offer summer school for third graders who did not pass the IREAD, and to second graders at risk of not passing it. This year, the state budgeted $17.4 million statewide for summer school, with priority given to programs focusing on IREAD.

Students who’ve been English learners for less than two years are exempt from being held back. Those who’ve already been held back or have an intellectual disability or an Individualized Education Program that specifies retention is inappropriate are also exempt. Other exemptions cover those who reached proficiency in math on the state ILEARN exam, and those who have been retained multiple times and have received intensive reading intervention for at least two years.

But educators are particularly concerned about the requirement’s impact on English language learners and have argued that it takes longer than two years to appropriately master English.

In IPS — where nearly one-third of students are English language learners — the district’s IREAD pass rates have dipped from 59.9% in 2021 to 59.8% last year. Since the pandemic, the district has annually promoted upwards of 289 students who did not pass the IREAD and did not receive an exemption to fourth grade, according to state data.

IPS did not respond to requests to visit a summer school site and speak to an official by deadline.

But in April, Chief Learning Officer Lela Simmons told the school board that the district was tracking students who did not pass IREAD to determine areas of improvement.

“This mandate for retention is life-changing for every one of those kids,” she said. “And so we are taking it with that level of seriousness.”

In Warren Township — where IREAD pass rates have increased from 62.7% in 2021 to nearly 82% last year — the district’s work to increase IREAD proficiency has made it “far less anxious” about the number of students facing retention, said Russell.

“But tell that to a family who falls in that category,” he said. “That’s high pressure, high anxiety.”

Summer school attendance can be challenging

In Warren Township, students at Eastridge Elementary rotate between classrooms focused on the three sections of the IREAD test: foundational skills, nonfiction, and literature.

The law requires such summer school programs to be staffed by teachers with training in the science of reading, which the state defines broadly as a body of scientifically based research on literacy instruction. The district has seen scores grow as much as 10% over the summer, according to Russell.

Third grade students in Warren Township who did not pass Indiana's IREAD exam work on summer school assignments at Eastridge Elementary.

After applying exemptions, Eastridge Elementary Principal Tomeka Johnson estimates retaining only two of the nine students who qualified for summer school this year.

One major challenge of summer school: convincing families to show up. Shorter summer school hours and summer travel can lower attendance.

Students who do show up are on a tight timeline, said Monica Shellhamer, a third grade teacher and second vice president of the Indianapolis Education Association who is teaching at one of the IPS summer school sites.

“We really only have three weeks to make a huge gain for some of our students, and a lot of that’s not realistic,” she said. “Some of them are pretty far off and don’t have an exemption and will be retained based on a multitude of factors.”

At PATH, though, the school has seen good engagement, said Shields. And for second graders, staff have pitched summer school as an opportunity to cross off the IREAD requirement.

“And then once they pass it,” she said, “we tell them they never have to see that test again.”

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

Newark’s district and charter schools received over 10,000 applications for enrollment this fall

2025-06-10T21:26:30+00:00

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More than 10,000 students applied to Newark schools for the upcoming school year, with charter schools seeing the highest number of applicants through their recently launched enrollment system.

Newark Public Schools received 7,400 applications through its enrollment platform, Newark Enrolls, while city charter schools had a record-high 3,454 applications submitted through the Newark Common App, which was launched three years ago.

Newark parents must apply for a school if their student is enrolling for the first time, wants to switch schools, or is in the final grade of their current school, for example, a preschooler who will start kindergarten next fall, or an eighth grader who will be starting high school.

For years, the only way to apply to most public schools in the city was through the Newark Enrolls website, but in 2022, 10 Newark charter schools broke ties with the district’s enrollment system and created the Newark Common App. But the Newark school district requires all students, including those attending charter schools, to submit residency documents before formally enrolling in a matched school.

The open enrollment period for Newark Public Schools and charter schools began on Nov. 2, with families receiving school match letters in April.

The application data does not reflect actual enrollment for the 2025-26 school year, but it provides schools with an early projection of how many students to expect. The projections are important because enrollment impacts school funding, staffing decisions, transportation planning, meals, services for students, and school facilities needs.

Public school enrollment in districts across the country has decreased since the pandemic, while rates in some school districts are holding steady, according to data released in December by the National Center for Education Statistics. Across the country, public school enrollment reached 49.5 million students for fall 2023, which represents a less than 1% decrease compared to fall 2022 and a 2.5% decline from pre-pandemic levels in 2019.

Newark Public Schools enrolled over 40,000 students this school year, while city charter schools enrolled over 20,000. As districts dealt with the fallout of the pandemic and declining enrollment, Newark’s public schools surpassed charter school growth in 2023, according to a Chalkbeat analysis of state fall enrollment data between 2019 and 2024. In Newark, charter schools educate more than a third of the city’s public school students, and across the state, they represent about 5% of all public school enrollment.

Among district schools, Newark Enrolls applications slightly decreased from 7,407 for the 2024-25 school year to 7,400 for the upcoming year, according to Newark Enrolls data obtained by Chalkbeat through a public records request. Of the applications for enrollment this fall, 3,981 were for high school grade levels and 3,419 were for pre-K-8 grade levels, according to the data. On April 18, 7,377 match letters were sent to students, according to the figures.

Before the pandemic, Newark Enrolls received 11,800 applications for the 2020-21 school year, but that number dropped sharply to about 7,800 applications for 2021-22. Those applications were submitted before the creation of the Newark Common App in 2022.

Among the charter schools, the Newark Common App applications increased from 3,092 for the 2024-25 school year to 3,454 for the upcoming year, an increase of 362 applications, according to recently released Newark Common App data. Ninth grade received the highest number of applications, followed by kindergarten, according to the data. Overall, 82% of Newark Common App applicants were matched to schools, and 71% received their first choice, according to the figures.

District leaders are preparing for new and expanded costs to support rising enrollment and services for Newark’s most vulnerable students. The costs also include payments to charter schools, which are privately run but publicly funded schools. Under New Jersey law, school districts must provide charter schools with at least 90% of per-pupil funds for students who live in the district.

Since his appointment in 2018, Superintendent Roger León has been vocal about his attempt to stop the expansion of charter schools, while district leaders have raised concerns about the high costs associated with funding them.

Newark Public Schools’ payments to city charter schools are rising by $24.8 million, totalling $416 million for the upcoming school year.

District leaders have also raised concerns about charter schools serving a disproportionate number of vulnerable students, such as English language learners and students with disabilities, which costs schools more money to educate and provide services for them. Newark Public Schools expects more than 11,000 English language learners and over 7,000 students with disabilities next school year.

In New Jersey, enrollment has gradually increased over the last three school years, according to fall enrollment data. The 2024–25 school year marked the highest district and charter school enrollment in recent years, per state data, but those figures do not account for private or homeschool enrollments.

Jessie Gómez is a reporter for Chalkbeat Newark, covering public education in the city. Contact Jessie at jgomez@chalkbeat.org.

Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to host 3 public meetings where people can comment

2025-06-09T21:40:40+00:00

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A group that could shape the future of charter and traditional public schools in Indianapolis will hold at least three public meetings that allow public comments, Mayor Joe Hogsett’s office has announced.

The state-mandated group is tasked with examining solutions for facility and transportation management across both Indianapolis Public Schools and the charter schools within its borders. The set of recommendations that the group must provide to state leaders by the end of 2025 could feature more resource-sharing between IPS — which has gradually lost students for years — and the charter sector.

Although the group will hold public meetings, it is still exempt from the state’s Open Door Law — a caveat that sparked criticism from community members. The group could still meet in private “due to some of the complexities associated with the work and the definitive timeline to produce recommendations,” a spokesperson for Hogsett’s office said in an email.

Public meetings will take place at 6 p.m. at the City County Building at 200 E. Washington St. on the following dates:

June 25, 2025.
July 23, 2025.
Aug. 20, 2025.

Other dates will be shared when they are finalized, according to the mayor’s office.

Members of the public who would like to provide in-person comment can sign up to speak beginning at noon on the business day before the meeting. Each speaker will be limited to two minutes. The public can also use the same link to submit online comments at that time, the mayor’s office said.

The public can also share their experiences with school transportation by completing a survey, and can send general feedback on the group to ILEA@indy.gov.

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

Former superintendent of Indiana virtual charter schools pleads guilty to wire fraud

2025-06-05T20:29:59+00:00

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The former superintendent of the two virtual charter schools at the center of a statewide enrollment scandal has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud.

Percy Clark has agreed to pay a judgment of roughly $1.3 million, the amount he received as part of what federal prosecutors have called a broader conspiracy to defraud the Indiana Department of Education, according to a plea agreement submitted to a federal judge last week.

If accepted by the court, the plea deal would be one step towards recovering funds from the alleged scheme that generated both a federal indictment and a separate lawsuit from Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita.

Both cases allege that Clark, along with school founder Thomas Stoughton and other defendants, falsely inflated enrollment figures at Indiana Virtual Academy and Indiana Virtual Pathways Academy. Federal prosecutors allege they defrauded the state of $44.6 million. Rokita’s lawsuit has alleged $154 million in fraud.

The legal actions follow a 2017 Chalkbeat investigation that found enrollment at the schools ballooned, and that state funds went to a for-profit company founded by Stoughton. After both schools closed in 2019, a 2020 Indiana State Board of Accounts report called on the schools to repay over $85 million in state money.

It’s unclear what party would receive Clark’s $1.3 million payment.

Clark has agreed to forfeit other assets if he is unable to pay back the judgment in full. He has also agreed to 60 months of probation, the first 24 of which he would be confined to his home without an electronic monitoring device.

Clark initially faced 18 counts of wire fraud and 11 counts of money laundering in the federal indictment, but prosecutors have agreed to dismiss the remaining counts.

Clark’s attorney did not respond to a request for comment. A person who answered a phone number listed for Clark said that he was not home.

Plea agreement acknowledges ‘high probability’ of fraud

In the plea agreement, Clark admits that there was a “high probability” that the schools inflated enrollment and that “he avoided learning whether or not that was in fact the truth, which it was.”

Separate from the monetary judgment, Clark has also agreed that the scheme ultimately requires $44.6 million in total restitution which he and other defendants in the federal case are responsible for repaying. But it’s unclear how much of that he could end up paying, or whether the $1.3 million monetary judgment could count toward his portion of the total restitution. The federal case involving Stoughton and a third defendant, Phillip Holden, is ongoing.

Other former employees who also faced federal legal action will be responsible for paying back the $44.6 million in restitution as outlined in their plea agreements — although exact amounts per defendant are unclear.

School operations manager Christopher King pleaded guilty in November 2023 of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, according to court documents. Kyle Schroeder, a manager of student service representatives, also pleaded guilty to concealing a felony in March 2024, according to court documents.

Federal prosecutors have also alleged that Stoughton ultimately used state money to make over $40,000 in campaign contributions to Republican candidates in 2018. He is also accused of using state funds to purchase a Cadillac, gold coins, Tiffany jewelry, and tuition to the private Park Tudor school.

The state’s lawsuit — which also lists Stoughton’s wife, Rhonda Stoughton, as a defendant — is ongoing.

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

As Indy charter struggled, ex-CEO’s school credit card shows charges for steakhouses, wine, StubHub

2025-05-28T17:29:38+00:00

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Thousands of dollars in alcohol, travel, restaurant, and entertainment expenses were charged to the company credit card of a leader of an expanding Indianapolis charter school network who was terminated in February, according to school records.

The more than $200,000 in charges were on the card assigned to Amy Swann, who was most recently Matchbook Learning’s chief compliance officer but served as its CEO from July 2019 to around the spring of 2024. They included over $40,000 in airfare, over $3,000 in alcohol purchases, over $10,000 in restaurants, $6,091 for a luxury hotel in India — and even $1,678 in charges for sommelier courses, according to a record of charges that occurred between December 2023 and June 2024.

Matchbook officials say that some of the charges benefitted students — such as nearly $45,000 in Amazon purchases. But they say they did not know the purpose of other purchases, such as $1,080 for the Daytona International Speedway, and did not authorize spending of school funds on alcohol. They also say they were initially unaware that Swann moved to Florida in 2023, which she said she made for health reasons.

Chalkbeat obtained the credit card charges through a public records request.

The lengthy period of questionable transactions raises concerns about oversight of Indianapolis charter schools, which receive state funding like other public schools. Charters will also begin receiving local property tax revenue in the coming years through a legislative win this year that angered supporters of schools run by Indianapolis Public Schools.

Matchbook Learning took over IPS’ K-8 School 63 in 2018 as part of the district’s Innovation Network — but the turnaround strategy has largely failed to improve academic results, according to state test scores. Matchbook opened its second school, a high school, last year.

The K-8 school has one of the highest shares of students from low-income backgrounds among all schools in Marion County, according to demographic data. It is also one of the most underperforming schools in the city, according to state math and reading test scores.

Swann was officially let go through a board vote terminating her employment with cause in February, records show — only about two months after Matchbook received a renewal of its charter from Mayor Joe Hogsett’s Office of Education Innovation in December 2024.

Swann, who was a 2017 fellow with the Indianapolis-based non-profit the Mind Trust along with Matchbook founder Sajan George, had been with the school for over a decade. She oversaw the K-8 school and the construction of the new high school.

She said that some of the expenses the board said weren’t authorized were for school purposes, such as alcohol for staff events and dinners with board members and vendors. Others she said were accidental, such as the trip to India. Swann said she reimbursed the school for the cost of the hotel for that trip, which the school confirmed. The sommelier charges, Swann said, stemmed from plans to do wine-based fundraisers for Matchbook. (Matchbook board minutes from August 2024 indicate the board discussed “Wine + Welding” when reviewing possibilities for investor tours and events.)

Swann also said multiple people had access to the card, and that she did not review bank statements. She said some charges she was not aware of — such as $1,629 for Stubhub and $915 to Ticketmaster — and that these might have been fraud. But according to the school, the records reviewed by Chalkbeat were only for a card number assigned to Swann. While Swann could have given her card to others, she was not supposed to, said Matchbook Learning Chief Operating Officer Don Stewart.

“I’m happy. I’m actually a lot better off,” Swann said of her termination from Matchbook. “Now I feel like I’m going to be made out to be this evil person.”

George, now chair of the Matchbook board, said he couldn’t elaborate on Swann’s termination, but that the spending in the expense reports was a factor. He said Swann’s role with the school was scheduled to end in April, but that the school terminated Swann in February in part for the unauthorized trip to India that included the luxury hotel stay, a timeline that Swann confirmed. Swann did not have approval to take time off or charge her company card for that trip, George said.

“You’re catching us where we should be, which is we took action on the things,” George said. “And honestly, if we had known some of these things, we might have taken that action earlier.”

It’s not clear whether the school will seek to recoup any of the other costs.

George also said school leaders were unaware of Swann’s move to Florida in 2023 and that it was among the reasons the network changed her title last summer from CEO to chief compliance officer. Swann said the title change occurred because she moved to Florida.

The 2024 charter renewal process included a review of financial information, such as the school’s annual audited financial statements, according to the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation. Officials there were aware of a “leadership transition” at Matchbook but were not made aware of “spending concerns” until after Swann was terminated in February, according to an OEI spokesperson.

George denied that the charter school waited to terminate Swann until after the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation renewed its charter to avoid disrupting that process. George said that the school’s authorizer was aware that Swann had moved to Florida and that the school had new leadership.

Charter school leader took frequent flights from Florida

The more than $40,000 for airfare on the credit card is the one of the largest categories of spending.

Much of that, George said, was to pay for Swann’s commuting expenses between Indiana and Florida, where she moved in the summer of 2023.

The board initially did not realize that Swann moved to Florida, he said, but agreed to retain her until she could finish some of her assigned projects — like the construction of the new high school. George said Swann flew from Florida to Indianapolis once or twice per month.

Swann said she moved to Florida in the summer of 2023 for health reasons, and in part due to a shooting that affected the school community in March 2023.

During that shooting, which occurred after a school basketball game, two gunmen targeted a Matchbook student. Swann said she walked toward two gang members with guns out who came into the gym looking for the student and convinced them to leave.

Swann said that some airfare charges were also for school board members who live out of state to travel to Indiana. State law does not have any residency requirements for charter school board members.

George said the school began to notice that the charges for the flights were not the least expensive possible, as required by the school’s policy. Among the travel expenses is a nearly $1,500 charge for the Delta lounge.

Still, George said it was important to the school to retain Swann because of her long tenure with Matchbook Learning, and because of the ongoing construction project she was overseeing. But after it became clear she would not return, the school changed Swann’s title and duties.

“School leadership is not a remote or hybrid job,” George said.

In the public records obtained by Chalkbeat, the school listed Swann’s salary at $187,000.

Swann is the third Mind Trust fellow to attract controversy in recent years.

In 2019, the nonprofit ended its fellowship with Tariq Al-Nasir after Chalkbeat uncovered his financial troubles and questionable academic credentials. A school launched by another Mind Trust fellow, Shy-Quon Ely, also faced a discrimination lawsuit in 2021 before the IPS school board voted to remove it from the Innovation Network later that year. The school later settled the lawsuit for $48,500, according to WRTV. The Mind Trust later supported the district’s decision.

In a statement, Mind Trust spokesperson Kateri Whitley said the vast majority of the organization’s more than 80 fellows have a “strong track record of leadership for the students and families they serve.”

The Mind Trust “had no knowledge of any allegations of misspending” regarding Swann, Whitley said, and noted that the group had no formal relationship with her once her fellowship ended in 2018.

“As with any school, whether it be traditional, charter, or private, we strongly believe excessive spending for travel, meals, and other expenses that are not directly related to student learning are not prudent uses of school funds,” the statement said. It also said the organization supports the Matchbook Learning board’s decision to terminate Swann’s employment if they found misconduct.

Charter school founder: Ex-CEO lacked good judgment

The credit card charges include roughly $1,525 for two meals at Harry and Izzy’s, $2,076 for two visits to Ruth’s Chris Steak House, and nearly $1,600 in charges to seafood restaurants in Florida.

Swann attributed these costs to meals with community partners, vendors, and staff.

She attributed roughly $1,343 spent at a Florida Costco to materials she would purchase for the school to later bring up in her suitcase for events. And while she was uncertain about charges totaling $1,080 for Daytona International Speedway, she later said that the school explored partnerships with Indy Car and NASCAR.

The card records also show charges to wine stores like Vivino and Total Wine in the first six months of 2024. These purchases were made after George told school leaders to stop paying for alcohol on the school’s tab in 2023, said Stewart, Matchbook Learning’s chief operating officer.

“It’s fair to say that any alcohol charges on the credit card after that were against what the board’s directive was to myself and the leaders in the school,” Stewart said.

But Swann said the policy not to purchase alcohol for staff was adopted after the charges, in the summer of 2024.

George and Stewart also said that board dinners took place once a year and only in Indianapolis. But the card charges include dozens of dinners at higher-end restaurants in Indianapolis and Florida.

Swann said the charges for high-end Indianapolis restaurants were for when board members who live outside of Indianapolis would come to visit, or to celebrate when teachers made good academic progress or other milestones. The Florida dining charges, she said, were for when community partners, vendors, and other people the school was working with would visit the state.

George said he was unaware of some of these charges until Chalkbeat highlighted them, adding that “we just don’t look at that level of detail” with the credit card statement. Yet he indicated the school previously had some concerns that led to Swann’s change of roles at the school.

“The details might be surprising or unknown to me previously, but the general lack of transparency and good judgment is not new to me, which is why we made those [title] changes,” George said.

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

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

Indianapolis Public Schools announces public meetings to collect input on legislative session

2025-05-27T15:52:18+00:00

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Indianapolis Public Schools will host a series of “community conversations” to hear feedback about the state’s recent legislative session in which lawmakers created the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance.

The district said in a press release on Friday that the meetings will collect insight that will inform how the district will engage with the ILEA, which will offer recommendations for lawmakers on how the district and charter schools can share transportation and facility resources. The meetings are open to families, IPS staff, and other community members.

The session, in which legislators also redirected some property tax revenue from the district to charter schools, helped create unprecedented acrimony between supporters of IPS and charter backers.

The time and location of the meetings are as follows:

6-8 p.m. on June 3 at Lew Wallace School 107.
6-8 p.m. on June 5 at James Whitcomb Riley School 43.
6-8 p.m. on June 11 at James Russell Lowell School 51.
6-8 p.m. on June 17 at William McKinley School 39.

IPS school board members will host each conversation, and the district will also give a presentation on the history of IPS and the ILEA, the district said in the release. Attendees will also break out into smaller group discussions.

The public can register to attend these meetings at www.myips.org.

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

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.

Religious charter schools blocked after U.S. Supreme Court deadlocks

2025-05-22T22:55:09+00:00

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Religious charter schools will continue to be illegal after the U.S. Supreme Court tied 4-4 in a case that many observers considered one of the most consequential education cases in decades.

The deadlock means an Oklahoma Supreme Court decision that blocked the opening of St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School stands. It also means that the thorny issues about church and state and about what constitutes a public school remain undecided by the high court.

Many charter school advocates cheered the outcome. They had feared a ruling in favor of the proposed religious charter school would upend charter laws in dozens of states and potentially lead to new restrictions on the sector.

Supporters of St. Isidore had argued that charter schools, which are publicly funded but independently run, are more like private entities that contract with the government. Not allowing for explicitly religious charter schools would amount to religious discrimination, they said.

But charter sector advocates have long held that they are public schools, and state laws describe them as such. The lack of a decision leaves the status quo unchanged.

“Today’s decision from the Supreme Court leaves the lower Court’s ruling in place and sends an important message: public charter schools are just that, public,” Starlee Coleman, president and CEO of the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, said in a statement. “This case may not be the last time the Court takes up the question of religious charter schools, but today’s outcome offers clarity for families and educators.”

The Supreme Court decision provided no arguments on either side and did not say which justices took which side. During oral arguments last month, the Supreme Court’s conservative majority seemed receptive to the idea of religious charter schools and uncertain that charter schools constitute “state actors” in a legal sense. But of the conservative justices, Chief Justice John Roberts seemed the most skeptical.

Justice Amy Coney Barrett recused herself from the case, setting the stage for the tie decision. She is close personal friends with Notre Dame law professor Nicole Stelle Garnett, who advised St. Isidore and authored an influential brief in favor of religious charter schools.

“Public schools remain public. That’s the headline,” said University of South Carolina law professor Derek Black. “This threatened to be the most consequential school case since Brown v. Board. We can breathe a sigh of relief and see if another case comes up.”

The St. Isidore case was the most recent in a string of Supreme Court cases that eroded the traditional line between church and state. In Carson v. Makin in 2022, the court ruled that states that have private school choice programs can’t exclude religious schools from participating. That case set the stage to consider religious charter schools.

While charter school supporters have always described them as part of the public school system, critics have charged that they represent a stepping stone toward privatization. Different lower court decisions have treated charter schools as more like private or more like public schools for matters of employment, student discipline, and open meetings laws.

Supporters of charter schools feared that a ruling that these schools were closer to private entities, and thus could be religious, would give fodder to critics and lead to intense backlash in blue states where charters have traditionally enjoyed broad support.

Some supporters of religious education believe charter status would inevitably erode the independence and faith-based character of religious schools. But others say parents who want this education for their children should have the same access to taxpayer-funded schools that public school families enjoy.

The prospect of public funding remains appealing for some religious schools, especially those serving low-income families or struggling with enrollment. A new school proposal could emerge to put the issue back in front of the Supreme Court.

“This case raised some novel issues involving the First Amendment’s religion clauses and could be resolved in several different ways,” said Thomas Jipping, a senior legal fellow at the conservative Heritage Foundation, in a statement. “With no majority and no separate opinions, we can’t know how the Justices wrestled with these different options. The issues raised here will likely return to the Court, perhaps in a case better suited for resolution.”

Erica Meltzer is Chalkbeat’s national editor based in Colorado. Contact Erica at emeltzer@chalkbeat.org.