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Two current Indianapolis Public Schools leaders, and two former architects of the city’s charter school policy are among the candidates for a top job overseeing key aspects of both systems.
Along with a current IPS school board member and a former state legislator, they are in contention to lead the work of the Indianapolis Public Education Corporation, a newly appointed board responsible for decisions about IPS and charter schools’ finances, buildings, and accountability.
On Thursday, the board announced six finalists for the job, which is expected to pay between $235,000 and $325,000, according to the job listing. The board’s working group chose the finalists, but Indianapolis Mayor Joe Hogsett will make the final recommendation for an executive director, which the board will then vote on.
The executive director will oversee the work of the board during its pivotal first year, which includes passing a tax increase that would be shared between the district and charter schools this November. The board is also due to submit an update on its development of a school accountability system for city schools to state lawmakers by Aug. 1. A final version is due Nov. 1.
The finalists are:
- Karega Rausch, the current president and CEO of the National Association of Charter School Authorizers, who previously led charter school policy in the Indianapolis mayor’s office.
- Andrew Strope, currently the deputy superintendent at IPS and board member at Teach for America Indianapolis and Enroll Indy.
- Zach Mulholland, who currently serves as the executive director of operations at IPS.
- Deandra Thompson, a current member of both the IPEC board and the Indianapolis Public Schools board, and the founder of a STEM-based pre-K program.
- Carolene Mays, a former state legislator, former executive director of the White River State Park Development Commission, and co-host of Community Link on WISH-TV.
- Patrick McAlister, the former director of the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, whose projects since his tenure in the office include the Preschool Choice Alliance.
IPEC will meet again July 22 at 4 p.m. in room 260 of the Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Building.
Aleksandra Appleton covers Indiana education policy and writes about K-12 schools across the state. Contact her at aappleton@chalkbeat.org.
