The Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC) is quickly moving from idea to reality following Mayor Joe Hogsett’s appointments of the nine members of its board.

Three represent Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), three are charter school leaders, and three are meant to be community members with expertise in one or more areas the IPEC is tasked with managing in the months and years ahead. The nine members are:

• Hope Star, IPS board president
• Ashley Thomas, IPS board member
• Deandra Thompson, IPS board member
• David Harris, President and CEO of Christel House International
• Janet McNeal, President of Herron Classical Schools
• Dexter Taylor, School Director of Paramount Brookside
• Patricia Castañeda, Vice President of Key Bank
• John Hammond, Partner at the Taft Stettinius & Hollister
• Edward Rangel, Founding CEO of Adelante Schools

For more on what this board will do, see our recent coverage. For more on who these appointees are, read on.

IPS Representatives

Hope Star is the current IPS board president. Elected in 2023 to represent District 3, her tenure will last through December 2026. Notably, her seat is one of three on the IPS board that is up for election in this year’s mid-terms. The filing deadline is June 18. Star may or may not run for re-election. If she doesn’t, that means she will roll off of the IPS board amid her IPEC board service.

Ashley Thomas is an IPS board member. Elected in January 2025, she will serve through at least December 2028. Her still-live Facebook page for her original candidacy states, “Ashley is a dedicated mother of 3 beautiful children & advocate for all kids having access to high-quality schools. With a passion for education & a commitment to our community, she aims to bring collaborative thinking to increase outcomes for all kids.” She also previously worked as a community organizer and educational advocate for Stand for Children Indiana.

Deandra Thompson is another IPS board member, serving since November 2024 in an at-large position. Her tenure is up in December 2028. She handily won the November 2024 election for her seat and started her service six weeks early by appointment after then-board member Kenneth Allen resigned his position to be sworn in as Center Township constable. Coverage from the time noted Thompson “runs a STEM-based pre-kindergarten.”

Charter School Representatives

David Harris is the President and CEO of Christel House International, a global nonprofit “dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty” with its schools in Indianapolis and countries worldwide. Harris has led Christel House since September 2024, though he’s been a central figure in Indianapolis education for years. He will serve as the IPEC Board Chair.

Janet McNeal is the President of Herron Classical Schools, a role she’s held since 2006. From her LinkedIn profile, “Mrs. McNeal has more than 35 years of experience in education… [her] expertise in curriculum development served as a valuable resource during Herron High School’s start-up phase and continues to be a key ingredient in Herron High School’s academic success.”

Dexter Taylor is the School Director for Paramount Brookside, which is the flagship school in the broader Paramount Schools of Excellence network. He’s been with the network since 2018 and worked in the Carmel Clay Schools district for a number of years prior to that.

Community Leader Representatives

Patricia Castañeda is the Vice President of Key Bank, where she has held different positions since 2015 (and earlier from 2008-12 before a stint at the Central Indiana Regional Transportation Authority). She also served as a board member for the Neighborhood Charter Network from 2012-24, including as the Board Chair from 2021-23.

John Hammond is a Partner at the Taft Stettinius & Hollister law firm. Before joining Taft in 2024, he served in Governor Eric Holcomb’s administration for nearly eight years, where he oversaw state legislative and federal affairs, intergovernmental relations, and strategic communications.

Edward Rangel is the Founding CEO of Adelante Schools. Prior to that, he served in different leadership roles within the Tindley Accelerated Schools network and was an elementary teacher in IPS and the Redlands Unified School District.

What Do These Nine Leaders Collectively Bring?

According to the Mayor’s official press release accompanying the appointment, these nine members, beyond representing different public school interests, bring “expertise in management, capital planning, facilities, transportation, or logistics, or experience in working with vulnerable student populations and communities.”

Largely, I think these appointees offer a strong mix of different perspectives and expertise. The question becomes: Will these nine members do what is in the best interests of students regardless of school type?

Perhaps some feel such an “impartial” stance is an impossibility given different appointees’ bona fides from either the traditional public school realm or the charter school realm. Yet I feel hopeful about their ability to work together as a board on behalf of all public school students, regardless of their ideological or experiential priors.

It’s a steep responsibility. I hope they live up to it. The minute they don’t? We should absolutely let them know. In the meantime, I’m excited to see them get to work.