Charter School Funding And Approval In Indiana

A hallway in Seven Oaks Charter School. (Brad Davis/WFIU)

Indiana has a national reputation for encouraging school choice.

Republican vice presidential pick Mike Pence has touted school choice as part of his education record. Certain ratings put the state as the biggest champion of school choice. In a nutshell, there’s a lot of choice and people know it.

It’s a simple idea. Proponents say choice gives families the ability to leave schools they’re unhappy with. Opponents say it destabilizes public education.

In Indiana’s version of school choice, students have the option to attend charter schools.

Charters are on the rise in Indiana — and this is sure to be a topic during the upcoming session — so we took another look at some key issues: funding, accountability, authorizers and discipline.

On our most recent Noon Edition we spoke with Michelle McKeown, the Indiana Charter School Board’s general counsel; Ashlyn Nelson, education policy expert from Indiana University’s School of Public and Environmental Affairs; and Jenny Robinson, a parent advocate for public education.

What unfolds is an open, informed debate about charter schools, their benefits and their drawbacks. Listen here.