A landmark study released in December by The Mind Trust, the locally based education reform group, calls for dramatically downsizing the central IPS office and pushing the resources and grass-roots governance to individual schools. The recommendations also include replacing the elected IPS board with a board composed of three mayoral appointees and one each from both City-County Council caucuses.

The Indianapolis Public Schools district is broken. I don’t say this because I’m anti-public education. I don’t say this to score political points. I don’t say this to hurt anyone’s feelings or to be disrespectful. I say this because it’s true.

As an entrepreneur and angel investor, I have had opportunity to be part of a number of teams that are building thriving companies. All those groups share a mode of operation that enabled them to produce positive results: They have great leaders who attract talented people, give them autonomy to do their jobs well, and hold those employees accountable for results.

The Mind Trust recognizes that true innovation takes place in school buildings and not state or district offices.