(From IndyStar, November 18th, 2011)
Although he didn’t ask for it in his re-election campaign, Mayor Greg Ballard could become the boss of Indianapolis Public Schools in the coming year.
The most likely plan would include mayoral appointment of the School Board, combined with a decentralization of IPS. Schools would have an independence similar to what charter schools have, along with strict accountability to the mayor for performance.
A formal proposal along these lines will come from The Mind Trust, a local education reform organization led by David Harris, who was the city’s charter school czar during Bart Peterson’s administration. A shift in oversight of IPS would have to be approved by the General Assembly and Gov. Mitch Daniels. Informal talks about IPS reform took place earlier this year among Republican and Democratic leaders in the General Assembly as well as Indianapolis civic leaders.
The Mind Trust is studying IPS alternatives for the state Department of Education, which already is taking over four failing schools in the district.
A mayoral takeover of IPS could gain support from both parties in the General Assembly’s upcoming session.
“The pressure is on to do something. The train is leaving the station,” says Larry Grau, director of the Indiana chapter of Democrats for Education Reform. “IPS is not going to fix itself. There are too many vested interests.”
He also thinks the timing is right. “If there was ever a climate to make changes, it is now,” he said. “You have the state taking over IPS schools. You have charters and vouchers.”
The General Assembly this year expanded charters and allowed low-income parents to use state scholarships to send their children to private schools. Almost 4,000 students around the state are now using school vouchers.