Indianapolis Local Education Alliance Meeting 2025-10-22
Indianapolis Local Education Alliance Meeting 2025-10-22
On October 22, 2025, the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance (ILEA) convened to hear presentations from leaders in Denver Public Schools and the District of Columbia regarding their education delivery models. The meeting focused on system coherence, the balance between autonomy and accountability, funding structures, and transportation. Following the presentations and a Q&A session with all nine alliance members, the group received updates from two working task forces before opening the floor to public comment.
Consent Calendar
- The meeting proceeded without formal consent agenda items; routine introductions and procedural reminders were handled verbally by the chair.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Annyne & Kate Scott Daniel: Expressed strong opposition to moving toward a partially elected or appointed school board, arguing that democracy requires a fully elected board to prevent favoritism. They advocated for a moratorium on new charters and a focus on stabilizing neighborhood schools to avoid giving far-right legislators an excuse to privatize. (Position: Full support for fully elected board; Full opposition to appointed/partial board).
- Angela Lee: Argued that school choice causes decision paralysis for families, leading them to move out of the district. She expressed support for a moratorium on new charter schools until 2035 and advocated for centralizing facilities, transportation, and charter approval with the locally elected IPS board. (Position: Full support for moratorium on new charters; Full support for centralized IPS governance).
- Dr. Brian Duarte: Expressed support for maintaining a fully elected board. He stated it is a mistake to use Denver and DC as models for success, citing research that found Denver's reform claims unsupported and noted that appointed boards are being phased out in Chicago. (Position: Full support for fully elected board; Full opposition to Denver/DC models).
- Kim Graham: Demanded that families be put first, calling for a new elected board to manage transportation. She expressed support for cooperation between IPS, charters, and families, and full support for quality schools that prepare students for college and trades. (Position: Full support for elected transportation-focused board; Full support for cross-sector cooperation).
- Kai Bong: Expressed support for the findings on Denver and DC, calling for an end to the "revolving door" of privatization. (Position: Full support for systemic reform to stop privatization; Full opposition to current political leadership).
- Katrina Anderson: Expressed deep concern regarding IPS's financial trajectory and the risk of state takeover. She advocated for substantial structural governance changes to facilitate success while retaining local control. (Position: Full support for structural governance reform to prevent state takeover).
- Naleli Garcia Nava: Expressed the position that accountability is the key to progress, supporting policies where resources reach every classroom and standards reflect equity. (Position: Full support for equity-focused accountability).
- Guthrie Bayer: Stated that current privatization efforts benefit insiders. He expressed support for fully public, fully democratic recommendations and full opposition to the "corrupt revolving door" of education business. (Position: Full support for fully public/democratic recommendations; Full opposition to privatization).
- Madison Whitcomb: Called the ILEA an "oligarchy with a deadline" and expressed strong opposition to the board's existence and its goal to privatize schools. She demanded the board deem the legislative process illegitimate. (Position: Full opposition to ILEA; Full opposition to privatization).
- Michael Saradakis: Factual corrections provided; argued that DC's model of closing 80 of 115 schools is not stability. He expressed opposition to the Denver family of schools model regarding outcomes and segregation claims. (Position: Full opposition to DC closure rates as a model; Full opposition to Denver model).
- Audria McLeod: Expressed concern that the board's political donations and connections to GOP legislators who support ICE enforcement make them untrustworthy. She advocated for fully funded, fully democratic, fully public schools. (Position: Full support for fully democratic/public schools; Full opposition to current board governance).
- Mary Ann Schlagel Ruger: Presented data on charter schools spending tax money on busing for students outside IPS boundaries. She expressed support for detailed accounting of charter spending and the protection of IPS property tax funds. (Position: Full support for transparent charter accounting; Full support for protecting IPS tax revenue).
- Ada Lemus: Expressed support for stopping the fighting over school types and fixing the system with fewer rules, fewer authorizers, and better transportation. (Position: Full support for unified standards/transportation; Full opposition to multi-authorizer system).
- Don Tia Dyson & Bonnie Georges: Expressed support for a unified school system with shorter lines of authority, one clear performance standard, and expanded transportation for all school types, citing 2,000 collected signatures. (Position: Full support for unified system and single standard).
- Noaomi Olivia: Argued that teacher quality is paramount and called for a clear accountability framework including data on teacher turnover and discipline. (Position: Full support for clear accountability frameworks).
- Ted Collins: Expressed support for parental choice but invoked historical figures to question the legitimacy of electing school boards. (Position: Support for parental choice; Mixed position on board election).
- Dr. Gail Cosby: Accused the Mind Trust of creating a plan to fracture IPS and outsource authority. She expressed strong opposition to shifting government to mayoral or state-appointed boards. (Position: Full opposition to Mind Trust plan; Full opposition to appointed boards).
- Thomas King: Expressed support for inclusivity, diversity, and equity, arguing that current attempts to remove these values are dangerous. He supported quick decision-making on behalf of kids regardless of the process. (Position: Full support for DEI; Full support for quick decision-making).
- Melissa Lovella: Expressed hope for a sound investment strategy by repealing the "one dollar law," holding new charters accountable, and preserving local democracy with an elected board. (Position: Full support for elected board; Full support for charter accountability).
- Hannah Marley: As an educator, expressed opposition to the lack of democratic representation on the ILEA, stating the trade-offs are unacceptable without elected oversight. (Position: Full opposition to unelected board; Full support for democratic accountability).
- Tai Juan Garrett (Note: Content attributed to Elizabeth Marino's transcript error or similar): Expressed strong opposition to charters, citing exacerbation of segregation and lack of oversight, while advocating for better funding for public schools. (Position: Full opposition to charters; Full support for public school funding).
- David Girton & John Hooker: Expressed strong support for IPS, noting the value of IPS graduates in the construction trades and the union's partnership with the district. (Position: Full support for IPS).
- Elder Lionel Rush: Expressed support for a system where people can elect their own school board. (Position: Full support for elected school board).
- Mark Russell: Expressed full support for IPS and its ability to build futures through partnerships. (Position: Full support for IPS).
- Jerome Stanford: Expressed concern that the government has laid off civil rights enforcers, threatening students with disabilities. (Position: Full support for disability rights enforcement).
- Woodrow Myers: Suggested that Marion County does not need eleven school districts and called for collaboration with private schools and businesses. (Position: Support for consolidation of school districts; Full support for private/public collaboration).
Discussion Items
- Alyssa Whitehead Bust (Denver Public Schools): Presented on Denver's "family of schools" approach, emphasizing the "three equities": equity of opportunity (money/facilities), equity of responsibility (charter schools serving a proportional share of high-needs students), and equity of accountability (common performance framework). She noted that while the system drove rapid improvement, it faced challenges in community engagement (lack of deep co-design), barriers for new entrepreneurs to open schools, and the tension between site autonomy and district-wide curriculum alignment. She advised forming a common "North Star" for quality to bridge the gap in systems with multiple authorizers like Indianapolis.
- Paul Ken (Washington, D.C.): Presented on D.C.'s highly centralized mayoral control system, where the mayor runs the traditional district and appoints the charter authorizer (PCSB). He highlighted a shared funding formula ($28,000/student), centralized admissions (My School DC), and a unique transportation reliance on public transit (metro) rather than yellow buses. He noted the era of growth is ending, leading to a focus on cross-sector collaboration in high schools (technical centers) and the importance of consistency and long-term leadership for system coherence.
- ILEA Member Questions: Members pressed presenters on:
- How to enforce equitable student demographics in a choice system (Alyssa explained special education mandates and common enrollment).
- How to achieve coherence with multiple authorizers in Indianapolis (Alyssa advised a unified "North Star" and common business rules).
- The role of public transportation (Alyssa detailed shuttle systems; Paul noted 80%+ reliance on metro).
- The risk of governance disruption if a new mayor takes office (Paul noted his system's 30-year track record makes disruptive change unlikely).
Key Outcomes
- Task Force Status: The Transportation and Facilities task forces have met and are on track to report options for the ILEA within the original timeframe.
- Next Meeting: Scheduled for 6:00 PM on Wednesday, November 19, 2025.
- Public Comment Procedure: Remained that one-minute public comments were heard and that those wishing to speak longer can submit comments online.
- No Formal Votes: No specific agenda items resulted in a formal motion or vote during this session; the meeting focused on information gathering and public testimony. The alliance will utilize this information to draft recommendations to the Indiana General Assembly later in the year.
- Discrepancies Noted: Some public commenters (e.g., Michael Saradakis) disputed the data presented by the speakers (e.g., DC school closure rates, Denver outcomes), noting these as factual disagreements to be considered in future deliberations. Additionally, a comment submitted by "Guthrie Bayer" appeared to be read twice by the moderator with different names initially, though the content was consistent in opposition to privatization. A comment by "Gail Cosby" regarding the "Mind Trust" plan was read verbatim, confirming her strong opposition to the ILEA's current trajectory.
Meeting Transcript
Good evening to all. I'd like to call the October meeting of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance to order. I first want to thank all of the Alliance members for their presence here tonight. It's always good to have all nine alliance members present for these meetings. As a just as a reminder, this is a meeting of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance taking place in this public setting. As we prepare tonight to listen to our two presenters, I want to remind everyone that our guests are here to provide information to the nine members of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance. The nine members of the alliance will be the only people who will ask questions of the presenters after they make their presentations. But after those presentations and the question and answer period with the members of the ILEA is over, we will then move to the public comment section of our meeting. Just as a reminder of where we've been as a group, this is our fourth or fifth meeting. In June, we met and did a review of the statute that created the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, and we also reviewed much of the work that has taken place in our community's education environment. Thereafter, in July, we met and had a thorough review of finances for Indianapolis public schools, much of the finances of the system of innovation network schools, other public charter schools, and how changes in the next few years will impact those finances on a go forward basis. In August, we welcomed in a group of speakers across the educational spectrum to address how facilities are handled within IPS, within the innovation network charter schools, and within independent charter schools. Last month in September, we took a deep dive into transportation options and models across the education spectrum from the variety of operators and schools here in our community. Again, the breadth of the options and the critical need for safe and accessible transportation for all students in Indianapolis public schools were highlighted. Tonight, we are pleased to welcome presenters from two different communities to detail the model of education delivery that happens in their communities. Both Washington, D.C. and Denver, Colorado share the presence of a strong and vibrant traditional public schools model with an equally vibrant and strong public charter schools system. If there are weaknesses in either one, you are welcome to comment about those as well. The models for running those two systems differ in many ways. Not to say that we should emulate here in Indianapolis one or the other, but to help the members of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance understand in even a greater way that there are multiple options, and each have their strengths as well as their own shortcomings. As we consider what our recommendations to the Indiana General Assembly will be at the end of this year. Our guests tonight are Alyssa Whitehead Bust. Alyssa is a partner at Attuned Education Partners. Earlier in Alyssa's career, she held roles in Denver, Colorado as the Chief Chief Academic Office, and then the Chief of Innovation and Reform. In those positions, she led the system's academic strategy, oversaw its school portfolio, and launched one of the nation's first district-run innovation labs for personalized and blended learning. She was also the founding principal of Highline Academy Charter Schools and facilitated Colorado's State Council for Educator Effectiveness. Alyssa holds a BA from Wesleyan University and a master's in education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Paul Ken. Paul serves as the District of Columbia's deputy mayor for education, overseeing the vibrant system of K through 12 education in both public charter schools as well as traditional public schools, along with the district's workforce training programs. Paul previously served as the deputy superintendent for the School District of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a job which included oversight of Philadelphia's innovation schools and their charter authorizing efforts. Paul also, and perhaps most importantly, has 10 years of experience as a classroom teacher. I will ask Alyssa to present first, allowing time for questions and answers from members of the ILEA, and then have Paul make his presentation. I will also guess that as one presenter builds on information from the other, that in the end the ILEA members will have additional questions. So I will ask Alyssa to remain with us through the entirety of Paul's presentation. We will then move to a short report about the two task forces who have been working on behalf of the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, and then move into the public comment section of our meeting. With those introductory remarks, uh Alyssa, please feel free to start. Thank you, Mayor, to you and the other members of the Alliance for the gracious invitation to come speak to you tonight about a topic that is very near and dear to my heart. As you already framed in your introduction, my name is Alyssa Whitehead Bust. I'm a career educator. I currently run Attuned, which is an organization that seeks to help school systems across the country deliver breakthrough outcomes for students. I am also perhaps most near and dear to my heart, the mother of four, three biological daughters, and a foster son, all of whom have been educated by the Denver Public Schools, and we've experienced charter innovation and direct run schools in our home. In Attun's first decade, we've served over 300 school systems across the country. Most of our work focusing on district and charter management organizations, which I'm sharing by way of background only because I'm going to focus my remarks tonight on my experience in Denver Public Schools, but I've also learned a lot since leaving Denver Public Schools about really important and inspirational work happening all over the country. And with hindsight always being 2020, if I knew now what I, if I knew then what I know now, I think Denver's results would have likely been even stronger, more enduring, and more impactful. I also share because I've been gone from DPS for a decade. And so I am going to share my experience. I led during the period when we architected many policies and systems that have endured, but I'll be less able to speak to the work that's happening today. Prior to launching attuned, I spent a dozen years in Denver, both leading schools and helping to architect, as I said, Denver's family of great schools, we call it, versus a portfolio model. But I also served as our chief academic officer, and I think the tensions that I experienced as being in charge as the chief academic officer of continuously improving student learning for all of our schools, which often prompts one to want to hold tight to a consistent set of processes and systems while also trying to scale innovation and autonomy, gives me a unique perspective on some of the issues with which you all are grappling right now. I am going to divide my remarks into a couple of chapters.
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