IU sponsors charter school event

In 2001, Indiana legislation authorized the formation of charter schools in the state.

To discuss the impact this legislation has had on education, the Center for Evaluation and Education Policy at IU will sponsor an upcoming policy discussion, “The Impact of Charter Schools in Indiana After a Decade.”

The discussion will begin at 6 p.m. today in Indianapolis Convention Center 140 in
Indianapolis.

The event, co-sponsored by the IU Education Policy Student Association, is free and open to the public. CEEP, part of the IU School of Education, is a policy and program evaluation center that sponsors evaluation and research for education, human services and nonprofit organizations. The event is part of CEEP’s Education Policy Chat series and will be lead by Director Jonathan Plucker.

“Indiana has one of the country’s most mature and unique systems for charter schools, and this anniversary is a fitting time to examine the successes, disappointments and possible future directions of this system,” Plucker said in a press release.

A charter school, unlike a traditional public school, operates under a contract that allows it more freedom and flexibility.

Charter schools must comply with state and federal laws, as well as the terms of the charter, and must have open enrollment policies and anti-discriminatory policies. The Indiana General assembly recently moved forward with legislation to allow for more charter schools — with 65 currently in operation.

The panel discussion will include Indiana Commissioner for Higher Education Teresa Lubbers, who originally pushed forward the legislation in 2001 as a state senator. Lubbers is now the Indiana commissioner for higher education.

Also part of the panel will be Mark Berends, professor of sociology and education at the University of Notre Dame and director of the National Center on School Choice and the Center for Research on Education Opportunity; Kevin Teasly, president and founder of the Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation; Gretchen Gutman, associate vice president for governmental relations at Ball State University; and Russ Simnick, president of the Indiana Public Charter Schools Association.

— Margaret Ely