A reader sent the following information about the planned destruction of public education in Indianapolis:
Unfortunately the Neighborhoods of Educational Opportunity/Indianapolis Mayor’s Office plan (NEO) presentation which has been made public is just the tip of the iceberg. There is a well documented, more detailed plan that select groups (The Mind Trust, Stand for Children, Teach for America, The New Teacher Project) are meeting about in private and making plans while they await the possible receipt of a Bloomberg grant of $5 mil to get this plan off the ground in Indianapolis.
This plan will not be publicly unveiled in Indianapolis until it is a done deal.
Certain members of the Indianapolis Board of School Commissioners were strategically placed there by the powers that be to weaken Indianapolis Public Schools and prime it for takeover.
Also, watch legislation in Indiana. The Mayor’s office is slowly taking powers away from other branches of government. For example, they now have oversight of four former IPS schools taken over under Tony Bennett’s watch.
There is legislation pending that would allow those schools to become “independent” schools at the end of the takeover period.
We now have a parent trigger law.
There is also legislation which would remove the involvement/oversight of the city county council in approving new Charter schools.
Another bill takes a funding source from public schools (proceeds from auctioned properties due to non-payment of taxes) and gives it to Mayor-sponsored charter schools.
Other legislation forces the sale or lease of closed public schools to Charter schools and other private entities.
All of this collusion is no accident. If you happen to believe it is a bunch of coincidental things, non-related, happening all at the same time, then I feel sorry for you.
Taxpayer Funded Educational Pyramid Scheme
First the reformers start milling about, and then “there will be a giant sucking sound” as the privateers gain access to public education dollars.
Where can I find more information about the NEO plan? Where is the presentation its talking about>
I will post more about Indiana and Indianapolis. Read the links in the article.
Please tell me that someone, somewhere, has this in the court system in Indiana. If not, why not? Can’t implementation of these horrendous ideas be delayed by tying them up in court? I know it gets expense, but it might be the only method we have of stopping all this.
I am so pleased that you are following Indiana on your blog! The story about The Corporate Takeover of IPS is particularly close to me as I am one of the Board members who chose not to run for reelection after 16 yrs this last Nov. That I can explain at a later time. However I will say that the woman who would have been my primary opponent raised over $62,000, over half of which came from 3 out of state (3 states) CEO’s. This is unheard of in a school board race!
We must fight for public education for the common good!! Thank you again for all you do.
Marianna Zaphiriou
This popped up today outlining what this blog was addressing.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/19/vote-mayors-challenge-fan_n_2716857.html?utm_source=delivra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=coi-mayor-education+02%2F28%2F2013+13%3A32%3A51&utm_term#slide=2124355
There has been significant new information to come out about Mayor Ballard’s nascent plan for school improvement in Indianapolis. I take no position on Ballard’s plan, but you can read my coverage of it at these links:
http://www.ibj.com/article/shared?userId=52&key1=lRnWoparNcD9Nio9QRrxeEv4WAz0CtC7&key2=JVfZCKqylxc%3D
http://www.ibj.com/study-half-of-marion-county-students-in-high-quality-schools/PARAMS/article/40140
What Mayor Ballard and Stand for Children have in mind is not about creating high-quality schools for all, but privatizing the public schools of Indianapolis.
Diane, Thanks for posting my comment yesterday–I think it’s important to get information out there about this plan, so your readers (and mine) can take whatever action they think is needed.
Can I also ask you another question, offline from your blog comments? What in your mind are the 2-3 cities in which education reformers have made the most inroads? I’d like to get a better sense of which cities education policy wonks are watching the most these days.
Thanks again for your time.
Which are the hotbeds of the testing and privatization movement? So many.
Indianapolis
Houston
Denver
Many more
I like that phrase: “testing and privatization movement.” It is certainly more precise than “education reform.” Thanks for your feedback.