Takeover or Turnaround (Part 2)
This is the second installment in a series of blog posts this week regarding the possible takeover of several failing Indianapolis Public Schools by the State of Indiana.
When I was a young boy growing up, my grandmother used to have a saying. She used to say “you don’t believe fat meat is greasy.” To translate that into the modern vernacular, “you are about to find out the truth the hard way.” She would use that phrase whenever she had had enough of me or my siblings antics. In typical Grandma Hemphill fashion she would send us out into the yard and have us bring back a switch off the tree which she could use for our own punishment. I bring up this story not raise red flags over at child protective services, but to illustrate the point that Indianapolis Public Schools and their enablers are about to get a real taste of fat meat.
Tonight the state is begins its hearings on the very strong possibility that it is going to take over several IPS schools which have been failing since the last decade. The liberal-oriented think tank Center for American Progress rated IPS as the second worst district in the state when it came to return on investment for the taxpayers; Gary came in first. Under Indiana State law, any school that been on academic probation for at least five years is eligible for the State to step in and take control. That control can range from mere oversight to a wholesale firing of staff and teachers and control shifted to an outside agency. The schools slated for potential takeover include Broad Ripple, Arlington, Manual, Northwest, Howe, George Washington and Emma Donna Middle School. The factors that ultimately determine whether the state takes control include ISTEP test scores improvements and graduation rates.
What’s so funny about this entire matter is that now that state is seriously looking at taking these failing schools, IPS administrators and the community that makes excuses for the District them are all freaking out like 8-year olds at Michael Jackson’s house.
I have to give these guys credit. It is admirable to want to save schools. But where the hell have you people been for the past five years. This problem didn’t just pop up overnight. The State didn’t just wake up yesterday and say to itself “Let’s go declare some IPS schools as failing and take them over.” This problem has been taking place for the last five years. These schools have been on academic probation since 2005. Think about what these people are defending. They are defending schools that for the past five years have been graduating seniors from failing schools. And I pity the kids who started their as freshmen. And the good news about the 50% or so who drop out is at least they can say they didn’t graduate from a failing school.
Instead of looking at real solutions, Dr. White decides it better to blame his problems on charter schools and then declare to the world he intends to break state law by not allowing any students from charter schools who live in IPS to transfer into the district. Members of his staff try to place the race card by sending out e-mails to incite the community into thinking this is some grand conspiracy. The Black Caucus in the Indiana House of Representatives fought against meaningful school reform for years. Reforms that would help students in the worst school districts have a shot were instead shot down. Who needs Jim Crow when you have friends in the legislature like this?
Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction Dr. Tony Bennett warned people two years ago that he would no hesitate to use existing state law to step in takeover failing schools and do whatever was necessary to help children in need. That day is here. Fat meat is greasy. Dinner is about to be served!
