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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.
