The IPS Parent Council wants to help neighbors sharpen their advocacy through writing.
The group is having an op-ed writing workshop from 6:30 to 8 p.m. May 14 at Southeast Community Services.
Ronak Shah, a science teacher at T.C. Howe Middle School, will lead the workshop, which will cover the basics of how to write an op-ed, including what to write about and how to get published.
Shah’s writing has been featured in local media outlets such as Chalkbeat Indiana, Indiana Capital Chronicle, IndyStar and the Indianapolis Business Journal, as well as other national publications such as Newsweek and The Hechinger Report.
You don’t have to be an IPS parent to attend. The council encourages families from other districts to participate as well.
The IPS Parent Council formed in February in response to legislation that sought to dismantle Indianapolis Public Schools. Its members have since testified at the Statehouse and in school board meetings in support of district schools.
Get the backstory
Their advocacy comes as IPS gears up for a new planning process which could reshape public schools in Indianapolis.
A new group, called the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, will begin meeting this summer to explore how IPS and charter schools can work together to improve education systems.
Their work could result in recommendations for central office efficiencies, reworked transportation systems or even school closures.
There is no cost to attend the IPS Parent Council’s upcoming workshop. The council only asks that attendees register in advance online and bring something to write with.
The workshop will be in the upstairs event space at Southeast Community Services, 901 Shelby St.
To learn more about the IPS Parent Council or get involved, email kphair.ipsparentcouncil@gmail.com or fill out the council’s online interest form.
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Mirror Indy reporter Carley Lanich covers early childhood and K-12 education. Contact her at carley.lanich@mirrorindy.org or follow her on X @carleylanich.
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