INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Public Schools teachers and parents are pushing back against plans to restructure the district and close schools.
The Rebuilding Stronger proposal has caused some controversy throughout the city, and teachers took their frustrations to the school board Thursday.
"Our goal tonight is to make sure our voices are heard in this process," said Indianapolis Education Association vice president Jack Hesser.
Before the meeting even started Thursday, teachers and staff members from IPS showed up, speaking out against the district's proposed redistricting plan.
The proposal includes plans to close seven schools, shift away from K-8 models and toward elementary-only and grades 6-through-8-only schools while shifting thousands of students and teachers to different schools in the process.
"We are fighting to keep our school open," said Paige Palmer, a special education teacher at Raymond F. Brandes Elementary School. "Our school is proposed to be closing next year. It's honestly an attack against our community as a group. We're a neighborhood school and they're closing all the neighborhood schools. It's going to affect a lot of people on the south side of Indianapolis."
Palmer and other teachers from Brandes Elementary say their school has a big Burmese and Chin community and stressed that closing it and dividing those students up will drastically impact those families.
Palmer also said a lack of language services from IPS to explain the expected school closure to parents is making things worse.
"All of the parent meetings that we had with the district, there was no translation. There was one translator and I feel like that's an equity situation and it's an issue for parents who don't understand what's happening and don't know what's going to happen next year," Palmer said.
Concerns over Rebuilding Stronger and a lack of discussion about plans from the district drew dozens of teachers and staff members like Palmer to Thursday's school board meeting, ready to take these concerns straight to district leaders.
Hesser said teachers understand changes need to be made to improve IPS, but want an open dialogue with the district to ensure Rebuilding Stronger doesn't negatively impact students or teachers, calling for improved direction and clarity in the meantime.
"We want to see a pause in this displacement survey until we have an opportunity to discuss how it can be improved," said Hessler. "We also want immediately there to be quality, adequate language services in these meetings happening at schools so families know what is happening."
“We know that IPS has to make some hard financial decisions and I do not envy the board for that, I do not envy Dr. Johnson for that. But what I really want them to look into is the human capital of our students. What is that impact going to have?” said Rosalind Jackson, a third grade teacher at William Penn School 49.
Under the Rebuilding Stronger plan, Jackson said her school would shift into a middle school. She worries that management of the district would shift away from IPS and what the change will mean for longtime teachers in the building, including if they'll be allowed to stay.
Jackson said she and other teachers at the meeting are willing to meet with school leaders and compromise for the future of the district, saying they all want to help move the district forward together.
"As long as the line of communication is open, anything is possible," Jackson said.
According to Hesser, IPS has agreed to meet with teachers next week to discuss concerns over the restructuring and steps that could help address issues educators and community members are having over the Rebuilding Stronger plan.
A vote on the Rebuilding Stronger plan is expected in November.
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