Billionaire-backed private interests are working to sabotage public schools in our city in order to sell them back to us for a profit. They have used millions of dollars, funneled through organizations like the Mind Trust, RISE Indy, and Stand for Children. Through cynical payoffs to people and politicians alike, these billionaire donors are defunding our public schools to the point of breaking, removing oversight, and creating a system where the community’s only choice is to try to make a broken system work.
“Fully Funded, Fully Public” means that public education is a universal democratic right, not a commodity or entrepreneurial venture to be controlled by private organizations. Fully funded public schools are supported through taxing the rich and applying public resources to address systemic disparities at levels demanded by those who know best – educators, parents, students, and school workers. Fully public schools are governed by fully democratic school boards to guarantee equity regardless of race, class, or ability as well as fair wages, job security, and workers’ rights for teacher and staff. They operate ENTIRELY within the public sphere, free from corporate exploitation and market logics and are accountable to their communities rather than private interests. We demand:
- Moratorium on any new charter school authorizations in Indianapolis and the eventual absorption of existing charter schools into the public district they operate in.
- Public funds and assets stay with the public school districts.
- No contracts, agreements or partnerships with organizations who are working against IPS and public school districts (RISE Indy, Great Public Schools, The City Fund, The Mind Trust, Stand For Children, etc.).
- All contracts with OEI or IPS Innovation Schools must have a union neutrality clause. All IPS Innovation Schools must have the opportunity to unionize immediately.
- City funding propping up the charter industry must be used by fully public schools and community-based organizations to fund poverty reduction and housing first programs – real difference makers for the most vulnerable students.
- Obstinate resistance to any efforts to further privatize or undermine Indianapolis Public Schools or township public schools by the city or state government.
- A redistribution of wealth from the top 1% for the benefit of poor and working-class communities, through a progressive tax referendum vote approved by the IPS School Board.
Take the Fully Funded Fully Public Pledge to join our email list, check the CINDSA Calendar for upcoming Fully Funded Fully Public meetings and follow @centralindsa on Instagram for the most up-to-date info! If you’d like to send us a message directly, please use the contact form at the bottom of the page.
To learn more about so-called “education reform” that is privatizing public schools for profit, take a look at the following resources:
- SB1/SB518’s financial impacts: see how it affects YOUR community
- ‘The Mind Trust’ exploits Black & Brown students in Indianapolis Education Fight., Wildstyle Pascall, Black Indy Live
- Profit-Making: Report: How A Non-Profit Charter School Can Be Run For Profit, Forbes
- Mind Trust – The Mind Trust is a Trojan Horse That is Destroying IPS, kheprw.org
- Statewide: Indiana Coalition for Public Education
- Expert Analysis and Reviews: National Education Policy Center
- Nationwide: Network for Public Education
- Stand for Children – The Corporate Raid on Public Schools in Indianapolis, Diane Ravitch
- Teach For America – TFA is Bad for America, T. Ultican; How Teach for America Evolved into an Arm of the Charter School Movement, Pro Publica
- ALEC – ALECs Influence in Indiana Education, Dr. Gayle Cosby
- Democratic Party Beginnings – Blame the Democrats for The Mind Trust Model, Diane Ravtich
- Shock Doctrine – The K-12 Takeover: Charter Schools in New Orleans, Harpers
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