When it comes to reforming education, one local nonprofit that supports charter schools wants parents and families to have a seat at the table.

The Mind Trust announced Wednesday that it is establishing a two-year fellowship to develop a parent advocacy organization — and seeking candidates to be a part of it.

The goal of the fellowship is to empower families — particularly low-income families and families of color — to advocate for changes in their publicly funded schools, said The Mind Trust executive director Brandon Brown.

Kameelah Shaheed-Diallo is stepping down from her role as Senior Vice President of Strategy and Community Engagement for The Mind Trust, an Indianapolis-based education nonprofit. She is supporting the search for her replacement. In the meantime, The Mind Trust’s Senior Director of Community Engagement Marquisha Bridgeman will oversee the nonprofit’s community engagement work.

Indianapolis-based The Mind Trust, Indianapolis Public Schools and the office of Mayor Joe Hogsett have announced the fifth cohort of the Innovation School Fellowship. The fellowship aims to empower educators to design, launch and operate Innovation Network Schools within the IPS system.

The Mind Trust says the Innovation Network Schools are public schools that give leaders “full academic and operational freedom to innovate in order to raise student achievement.” IPS will have 20 Innovation Network Schools in operation this fall which it says have seen significant enrollment growth and improvement in student achievement…

As Indianapolis’ reputation as an urban education reform darling grows, so too does the interest in a grant program to help educators launch new — and often experimental — charter schools here. 

The number of applicants from outside Indianapolis vying for the Innovation School Fellowship, a one- or two-year grant program valued at roughly $200,000 a year, and a paved path to a charter from the mayor’s office, has increased each year. 

The Mind Trust, the Indianapolis-based nonprofit that sponsors the fellowship and a key player in the city’s rise to national prominence in school reform work, announced on Thursday its fifth cohort of fellows who will plan and launch new schools into the crowded Indianapolis charter landscape… 

The Mind Trust, Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS), and the Indianapolis Mayor’s Office today announced the selection of the fifth cohort of the Innovation School Fellowship, which empowers top educators to design, launch, and operate Innovation Network Schools in IPS.