A whole new approach

Generations of skilled leaders and educators have done their best to fix broken urban school systems in Indianapolis and across the country. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been invested in "reform." Not much has worked.

But at The Mind Trust, we believe producing dramatically better results is possible in Indianapolis Public Schools, the city's largest district. To get outstanding results, we need to take a whole new approach to how the district is run.

In December, The Mind Trust released a groundbreaking report proposing a dramatic overhaul of IPS. At its heart, our report, "Creating Opportunity Schools: A Bold Plan to Transform Indianapolis Public Schools," proposes giving schools autonomy so that talented teachers and school leaders would have the freedom to do whatever it takes to help students learn.

Ours is the first report in the nation proposing a comprehensive overhaul of an urban school district, and it has sparked significant conversations about how to drive meaningful change in IPS. If our Opportunity Schools plan is implemented, Indianapolis could set a reform model for urban districts across the U.S. and ensure its most needy children have access to the kind of education they deserve.