No fooling, on April 1, the Indianapolis City-County Council approved the rezoning request for the prospective site of Girls in Stem Academy, a new, all-girls school operated by Paramount Schools of Excellence.

But in the story that never seems to end, this is not the end of the story. (Still, for the folks, including me, who thought this school should be allowed to operate in the old Witherspoon Presbyterian church in Washington Township, it’s another positive step forward.)

The primary issue is that legal challenges may still occur. They are, perhaps, even expected. We’ll have to wait and see.

And as it stands, the building still needs nine months of renovation before Girls in Stem Academy can occupy it. Paramount is waiting to start renovations until they can be sure they won’t be hampered by a lawsuit.

The math means they will not be operating in that building come the start of next school year. It’s unfortunate. But it doesn’t diminish the quality of education that Girls in Stem Academy can offer in its first year. Initially opening in temporary locations has happened before in Paramount’s recent past, with both its Cottage Home and Englewood locations starting somewhere temporary before moving into permanent facilities.

I had the opportunity to tour both schools while they operated in their temporary facilities. They looked and felt like schools and had all the amenities you’d expect. They served kids excellently (and the test scores from those first years back that assertion up).

So while it’s unfortunate that Girls in Stem Academy won’t have a smoother start to life facility-wise, I have no qualms about how the school will serve kids despite this hiccup.

The thing I do want to tackle today in light of how everything unfolded in this: What really matters to us in Indianapolis?

Will it Benefit Kids?

If you’ve been reading along since our first story on this saga, you might recall the question I framed everything around when it comes to how I think about the need for a new school like Girls in Stem Academy.

Will it benefit kids?

I said then, and will reiterate now, that if you can answer that question affirmatively, you’ve cleared the most important hurdle as to whether or not that school should open. (You have not cleared every hurdle. I’m not naïve about the complexities of whether a school deserves to open or not. But an inability to clearly answer that question is surely a disqualifier for me.)

Table, meet my cards.

I’ve laid them out before and I’ll lay them out again. I believe Girls in Stem Academy will offer students an excellent education. And not only that, it will offer an excellent education to students who otherwise might not have access to an excellent education. Because this is one of those important wrinkles.

Yes, the school is good. It’s a good idea with sound backing and an academic model that outperforms pretty much every other public school in Marion County. It’s also slated to operate in a district whose Black, Latino, and low-income students for too long have been denied the educational opportunities they deserve.

I harp on this question because I don’t see it playing a central role in the minds of detractors. They see the label “charter school” and suddenly ideology trumps what might be in the best interest of kids.

Look. I’m a staunch public school advocate. It just so happens charter schools are public schools too.

I do not see support for charter schools as incompatible with a fierce resolve that public education is a cornerstone of our democracy and something that deserves a whole lot of our time, investment, and attention. (Private schools are a separate conversation, but take me out for a nice glass of kombucha and we can while away a few hours on the topic.)

Charter schools are one tool in our societal tool belt for how we might serve all students excellently through a public education system. When they help us to do so, I am adamant that we ought to take advantage of them. And when they do not, they should be held accountable.

Back to the question. Is our city prioritizing what will benefit kids? The people in power in this case largely are, as evidenced by the rezoning request’s approval from the City-County Council. I’m particularly impressed by the courage of Councilmember Carlos Perkins, who represents the district where the school will operate.

He made an unpopular, though brave choice, in the face of fierce opposition from Washington Township supporters, to articulate a stance in favor of Girls in Stem Academy. If you haven’t read his Facebook post on the issue, you should. There’s a good chance his days as a councilmember are numbered as a result. (I’ve seen a lot of mad comments online about how he opposed Valor Classical Academy but now supports Girls in Stem Academy; I don’t see that as contradictory; I too oppose Valor Classical Academy since it’s exactly the kind of charter school that gives the sector a bad name and it should be opposed.)

I have a second question today. For those in Washington Township. For those in Indianapolis. For those anywhere really. When it comes to education, what matters most to us?

So for once, I’m not mad at those closest to the levers of power. It’s the everyday detractors (though some definitely hold positions of power, just not those whose levers could ultimately hold back the rezoning) in Washington Township that are on my mind.

What Matters Most to Us?

Is it a certain type of system? Is it our personal experience? Is it the anecdote of a neighbor? Is it an ideology that holds there can be only one type of public school? Is it a research study that casts charters in a poor light?

Is it the kids?

Let me ask that last one again. Is it the kids?

That’s what matters most to me.

I might be wrong. I might be misguided. I might support the wrong cause from time to time. But that’s my guidepost.

If Washington Township served Black, Latino, and low-income students excellently then, yeah, there would be grounds to oppose Girls in Stem Academy. The school wouldn’t be necessary. But they don’t, and it is.  

On April 1, I think kids won.