Inspiring A Serious Education Discussion

From Thursday’s inbox…

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The Mind Trust’s district-overhaul plan helps to spark community-wide discussionWhen we released our 160-page report in December detailing a bold vision for Indianapolis Public Schools, our goal was to inspire a serious community discussion about how all schools in our city could be excellent. That discussion has been taking place for the last several months – through newspaper articles, at various forums, and in the release of education plans by other groups in response to our report. And starting this month, the community conversation about transforming education will occur in a huge way that engages residents across the city. Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard’s office will convene more than a dozen meetings about ways to improve K-12 education in Indianapolis. The first of those meetings kicked off this week. At the forums, residents weigh in on topics such as the need for high-quality pre-K, the elements of excellent schools, and the need to provide great education options in neighborhoods across the city. Our report, “Creating Opportunity Schools: A Bold Plan for Transforming Indianapolis Public Schools,” delves deeply into these topics. We’re thrilled that the release of our report has helped to generate this significant conversation about how to provide all of our city’s children access to a high-quality education. And we’re excited that residents from across the community have a venue to weigh in on the critical issue of our city’s education future – and that their insight will guide future action. The city will use feedback gathered through these forums to create a report detailing what Indianapolis residents envision for their schools. To learn more about the community meetings, visit the website about the initiative, dubbed “What’s Possible.” If you live in Indianapolis, you also can share your thoughts on what you’d like to see in the city’s schools or attend a community meeting. Former U.S. Secretary of Education to speak in IndianapolisMargaret Spellings, who served as U.S. Secretary of Education from 2005 to 2009, will offer the keynote address during a meeting of the Economic Club of Indiana next month. As Secretary of Education, Spellings led the implementation of the No Child Left Behind Act and launched a national discussion and action plan to improve higher education accessibility. Spellings, who has been a strong voice on education reform, currently leads a Washington, D.C.-based public policy consultancy. The luncheon will take place at the Indiana Convention Center from 12 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sept. 14. For ticket information, please call (317) 614-0491 or visit www.economicclubofindiana.com. The Mind Trust releases annual reportIn 2011, we launched several key initiatives that helped us advance our goal of ensuring every child in Indianapolis has the opportunity to receive an excellent education. Read more about those initiatives in this PDF of our 2011 annual report. Accepting applications for Charter School Incubator awardsWe’re accepting applications for the next round of $1 million Charter School Incubator awards. Eligible teams are comprised of talented education innovators who want to establish or expand a network of world-class public charter schools in Indianapolis. Winning teams will be chosen by February 2013 and will receive $1 million in startup funding, as well as the full support of The Mind Trust. Applications can be submitted online and are due by November 2, 2012.  To learn more about the first two Charter School Incubator awardees, watch this 7-minute video.