Takeover or Turnaround (Part 5)
This is the fifth and final installment in a series of blog posts this week regarding the possible takeover of several failing Indianapolis Public Schools by the State of Indiana.
There is a debate beginning about whether the Mayor of Indianapolis, regardless of who he or she should have control of the schools. Let’s all be frank here, what we’re really talking about is control of the monument to Murphy’s Law know as IPS. Democrat Melina Kennedy is open to the idea. Incumbent Mayor Greg Ballard is cool to it.
I spoke to three key players this past week who would have some say if control of IPS were to be transferred to the Mayor’s office. State Representative Bob Behning (R-Indianapolis), Chairman of the House Education Committee, State Senator Dennis Kruse (R-Auburn), Chairman of the Senate Education Committee and Dr. Tony Bennett, Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction. Each offered an interesting perspective on the subject. Kruse said he was open to discussing the idea, although he didn’t see it as a pressing issue. Behning was also open to the idea, but also questioned whether the decision should be made by referendum or the legislature. And if the decision was put to the voters would it be just the IPS school district or should it be all of Marion County since it impacts more than just the District. Bennett was also open to the idea as well.
I, frankly, have never had a problem with turning control of Indianapolis Public Schools to the Mayor, whomever they might be. Although, I do recall floating this idea by former Mayor Bart Peterson five or so years ago and he looked at me like I was on drugs. However, this discussion may be both too early and too late. Here’s why.
Indiana lawmakers just passed some of the most comprehensive school reform in the nation so we might want to let some of these reforms kick in. Secondly, as evidenced this week, the state is in the process of intervening with the worst performing schools in the city. And if it decides to take them over, the State will have control of those schools for the next five years, with no guarantee the schools will be returned to the IPS. So with those two dynamics taking place, talking Mayoral control would be academic because reform is already taking place. Now once the reforms have had a chance to work and the failing schools have been turned around, I have no qualms to handing the Mayor of Indianapolis a fully functioning school district.
In the interim though, we should be looking at more ways to increase accountability. Right now, state accountability standards are already being changed to give individual schools a grade of “A” through “F” based on their performance, why not extend that to entire school districts? Give the school district a grade based not only on its academic performance, but also its financial performance. And if any school district receives a grade of “F” in both categories they are put on probation and two or more years of “F’s” in both categories the state should be allowed to assume control of the entire district and turn control of it over to another entity. That could be a Mayor, a University, a private entity, etc.
So should the Mayor have control of Indianapolis Public Schools, sure. They certainly shouldn’t remain under the control of the current crop. I just don’t think that time is now. Once things are turned around, give him or her the keys to the education kingdom.
