Scaling What Works: How Indiana Charter School Fellows Bring High-Quality School Models to New Communities

When a great school transforms student outcomes, the next step is clear: replicate it where it’s needed most. That’s the shared mission driving two school leaders who are part of The Mind Trust’s Indiana Charter School Fellowship (ICSF) — Francesca Jimenez and Joseph Williams.

Jimenez and Williams entered the Fellowship with a commitment to creating the kind of schools they wish they could have attended and a desire to increase excellence for all students. 

That’s why they were both a natural fit for ICSF, a competitive, statewide initiative led by The Mind Trust to identify and empower experienced school leaders who are ready to launch, expand, or replicate high-quality public charter schools in Indiana. Key pillars of the ICSF experience include one-on-one coaching, visits to high-performing schools, access to expert partners, and dedicated planning time. 

Fellows leave the program equipped with increased capacity and a strengthened support network that empowers them to build school environments that are student-centered, outcomes-driven, and responsive to local needs.

As current Fellows, Jimenez and Williams are actively applying tools, coaching, and experiences from ICSF to bring life-changing opportunities to students in South Bend and Indianapolis — and to show what thoughtful replication of high-quality schools can make possible for kids.

Francesca Jimenez: Bringing Paramount’s Proven Model to South Bend

When Jimenez learned about ICSF during her hiring process for the role of principal at Paramount Schools of Excellence South Bend, something clicked immediately.

“I loved the fact that it’s student-centered — but I don’t mean that in a buzzword kind of way,” she said. “The Mind Trust is doing what’s best for kids, and their Fellowship aligned with my ‘why’”.

Jimenez grew up in a New Mexico community with high rates of poverty, addiction, and limited access to high-quality schools. “We were 50th in the nation for education,” she said. “Teachers were a revolving door at my high school. When I got to Notre Dame University, I realized I wasn’t behind in academics — I just hadn’t been given access.”

It was a realization that changed the course of her life; she changed her major from pre-med to  to education because she saw it as “the only thing strong enough to break generational cycles of poverty and violence. Education will save a life.”

Jimenez went on to teach for 10 years before stepping into school leadership. In her current role as principal of Paramount School of Excellence South Bend, she is replicating Paramount’s acclaimed Indianapolis model, rooted in data-informed instruction, high expectations, and community partnerships that meet student needs.

“Public schools have plenty of professional development for teachers, but they often don’t invest in the administrative leaders,” she said. “There’s so much burnout because many administrators never receive training for what actually happens in the trenches. The Fellowship has been transformational for me.”

As part of the Fellowship, Jimenez participated in an immersive New York residency, visiting charter schools across Brooklyn, the Bronx, and New Jersey, meeting with the State University of New York (SUNY) and local charter boards, and sharpening her understanding of high-accountability charter authorization.

“It was incredible,” Jimenez said. “I could build on my public school knowledge and see how high-performing charters operate with fidelity. It grounded me again in our purpose: for eight or  nine hours a day, I can love kids, support them, and impact their outcomes.”

Jimenez’s mindset has fueled big wins in South Bend. Paramount anticipated enrolling 330 students this year; they’re now serving more than 500. Additionally, construction is underway on a second building that will add 22 classrooms and a dedicated middle school cafeteria.

In addition to providing more spaces for students to learn, Paramount’s ILEARN data are demonstrating impressive learning gains. Last year Paramount’s fifth graders had only a 6 percent proficiency rate in mathematics, but scores reported in the 2025-26 year showed an increase to 37% proficiency for the now-sixth graders.

At the heart of it all is seeing the difference made for her students. “Seeing that light in their eyes is everything,” said Jimenez. “We always cheer for the underdog.”

Replication involves more than academics, though. It’s about building a village. Jimenez has forged partnerships with local optometrists for vision checks, a social services agency to provide students with uniforms and toiletries, and a nonprofit that provides grief counseling. “It takes a village to raise a child,” she said. “Our kids deserve as many people cheering them on as possible.”

Jimenez’s cohort of Fellows has played a vital role in her development. She notes that being a school administrator can often feel isolating, but the cohort gives her a trusted group to problem-solve with and exchange ideas. Whether she needs support on IEPs or is seeking new team-building approaches, she knows exactly where to turn, and the group consistently lifts one another up. 

Joseph Williams: Expanding Legal Prep’s Model to Indianapolis

Joseph Williams is replicating Legal Prep Charter Academy – a Chicago-based school centered on a law-themed curriculum and a culture of restorative, student-centered learning – as a middle and high school in Indianapolis.

Williams didn’t begin his career in education or law. He started working in a regional office for a major cosmetics brand, but over time, he felt unfulfilled. 

“I didn’t feel like I was making a difference in my community,” Williams said. “I decided to take a huge pay cut to work at an alternative high school and coach basketball — and that’s where I found the missing piece. I realized I wanted to impact the lives of kids who had been counted out.”

He later joined Legal Prep Charter Academy as a dean, where Principal Samuel Finkelstein saw Williams’s talent and poured into his growth. That mentorship planted a seed: what if Legal Prep could expand into new communities?

Years later, that question has found an affirmative yes in Indianapolis. The school integrates law across subjects and brings students Downtown each month to work alongside attorneys, judges, and legal professionals. Even for students who don’t pursue law, Williams said he sees the model as empowering. 

“We talk about timely topics like immigration law, how to advocate for yourself, what to do if you’re stopped by police,” he said. “These are real-life skills.”

When Legal Prep Charter Academy began exploring expansion, the opportunity to participate in the Indiana Charter School Fellowship stood out immediately.

 “It wasn’t just the resources — it was The Mind Trust’s heart and passion for supporting those who are taking on this journey,” Williams said. “Any question I have, I can go to them, and they point me in the right direction. It’s been a Godsend.”

Replication work is uniquely challenging, but Williams knows Legal Prep’s Chicago culture — tight-knit, family-like, rooted in service — can thrive in Indianapolis. 

Jimenez and Williams share something essential as leaders of two different charter schools: they are replicating models that already work, and doing it with fidelity, humility, and a deep commitment to their communities. The Mind Trust’s ICSF gives leaders the coaching, structure, confidence, and community connections to bring high-quality options to places where students have been underserved for far too long.

“The Fellowship has saved us time, connected us to the right people, and helped us thrive even more quickly,” Williams said. “We need The Mind Trust because they help schools that want to scale navigate the process — and they help those schools be excellent from day one.”