The ILEA’s Final Recommendations Are In. Here’s What Comes Next.

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance finalized its recommendations for transportation, facilities, and school governance during a December 17 vote. Do they spell the dawn of a new day for IPS and charter schools or the deathknell of local democracy? We look at the particulars of the recommendations alongside misconceptions about them and how they might play out during the legislative session. Continue reading The ILEA’s Final Recommendations Are In. Here’s What Comes Next.

Full Circle IndyDecember 23, 2025December 23, 20251 Comment

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The ILEA Finalizes Possible Recommendations Ahead of Key Vote on Future of Indianapolis Education

The Indianapolis Local Education Alliance is set to vote on its final recommendations for the future of public school governance, transportation, and facilities on December 17. Between now and then, there’ll be two more listening sessions on the 10th and the 15th to allow for final public input. Here’s the two options still on the table in each area. Continue reading The ILEA Finalizes Possible Recommendations Ahead of Key Vote on Future of Indianapolis Education

Full Circle IndyDecember 9, 2025December 19, 2025Leave a comment

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Can You Be a Progressive and Support School Choice?

Can you be politically progressive and support school choice and charter schools? How much does it matter that a majority of Americans support school choice? Those were just some of the questions raised in watching the public comment portion of the ILEA’s most recent meeting. Continue reading Can You Be a Progressive and Support School Choice?

Full Circle IndyOctober 31, 2025Leave a comment

IPS Lays Out Its Vision to the ILEA

Rise Indy, Stand for Children, and the Indiana Charter Innovation Center have all lobbied the ILEA with a set of recommendations about the future of education in Indianapolis. Now it’s IPS’ turn, with the board submitting seven recommendations to the ILEA. Continue reading IPS Lays Out Its Vision to the ILEA

Full Circle IndyOctober 15, 2025October 15, 2025Leave a comment

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Is Indianapolis Destined to Become an All-Charter-School City?

Will Indianapolis become an all-charter-school city? That question was at the heart of a recent feature article in Chalkbeat. And for good reason. Stand for Children’s “Together We Thrive” proposal calls for a fundamental reimagining of education in Indianapolis that would put us on a path to being the next New Orleans. Continue reading Is Indianapolis Destined to Become an All-Charter-School City?

Full Circle IndySeptember 17, 2025Leave a comment

Is the Demise of IPS Inevitable?

Will IPS still exist in 20 or 25 years? Is the ILEA an existential threat to the district, or even public education as we know it? And is it possible to create a high-quality, pluralistic education landscape in Indianapolis? We dig into all that and more. Continue reading Is the Demise of IPS Inevitable?

Full Circle IndyAugust 31, 2025August 31, 20251 Comment

Without a 2026 Operating Referendum, IPS’ Finances Look Dire

The financial future of IPS depends on a new operating referendum in 2026. What will it look like? Will it find support? We unpack all that and go through a timeline of how we got to this point. Continue reading Without a 2026 Operating Referendum, IPS’ Finances Look Dire

Full Circle IndyAugust 11, 2025May 8, 20261 Comment

Are Competing Visions for Indianapolis’ Education Landscape Reconcilable?

Local advocacy groups are increasingly pressing the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance on how it should conduct its work and what kind of recommendations it should make. These forces reflect the wider debate around the future of education in Indianapolis. Are these competing visions reconcilable? Continue reading Are Competing Visions for Indianapolis’ Education Landscape Reconcilable?

Full Circle IndyJuly 31, 2025July 31, 2025Leave a comment

2025 ILEARN Deep Dive, Analysis, and Takeaways

ILEARN results for the 2024-25 school year just dropped. The top-line results for the state reading something like this. In reading? Stagnation. In math? Modest growth. We do a deep dive into this year’s results and offer four takeaways for the broader landscape in Indianapolis and statewide. Continue reading 2025 ILEARN Deep Dive, Analysis, and Takeaways

Full Circle IndyJuly 25, 20253 Comments

The Curious Case of Cold Spring and IPS: Supporting Students or Supporting Systems?

What’s our priority as education professionals, leaders, and advocates? Is it supporting students? Or supporting systems? And are those always mutually-exclusive? Those were a few of the questions on my mind after reading about IPS’ rejection of Cold Spring’s bid to operate as both an Innovation Network School and a charter school. I unpack them here. Continue reading The Curious Case of Cold Spring and IPS: Supporting Students or Supporting Systems?

Full Circle IndyJuly 14, 2025October 15, 20254 Comments

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Tag: Charter Schools