A run-in with an old colleague from my days at The Star lent some insight into the thinking among Indiana officials when it comes to taking over schools.
First, of course, is the idea that, well, if they take over a school they have to have results. What’s the point of all the hassle if all you get is more of the same?
So when the state seeks out organizations to put in charge of schools, officials look for an outfit with a real shot at making a difference.
And this journalist let me know that Hoosier officials are finding far fewer of those than they had hoped. So far, only three have been handed the job of running schools in Gary and Indianapolis. The original list of schools likely to be taken over was longer than the final list of those that actually were, and one reason may be that there were too few strong groups coming forward for the work.
This school year, those three firms are sizing up the situation to develop their plans to take over next fall. That means the state will be considering adding more schools (like mine) to the list before any contractor has actually tried running one — another reason officials might move slowly before expanding the number of schools under state control.
State takeover may or may not be the way to improve the very worst schools, but one thing is certain: it’s a method the state can’t afford to fail at … which may mean those of us in the on-deck circle have a little room to breathe.
