A new coalition of parents is forming this month in response to legislation that could move millions of dollars in state funding away from Indianapolis Public Schools.
Kristen Phair is one of the organizers of the new IPS Parent Council. Phair talked to Mirror Indy about how the threat of sweeping change has spurred IPS parents to act. Their effort comes not long after the district’s own redistricting and consolidation strategy, Rebuilding Stronger, took effect.
Phair is an IPS parent who sends her three kids to George Washington Carver School 87. She ran for school board in 2022, losing her District 3 race to the board’s now-vice president Hope Hampton.
Phair is a former public defender and said she now spends much of her time volunteering in her kids’ school.
She voiced concern about three bills IPS leadership recently said would “introduce tremendous disruption” to the district. Two of those bills — including one which would convert IPS schools into charter schools — died this week without a hearing.
A third bill — which calls for sharing property taxes with charter schools — passed out of committee last week. If approved, the legislation could lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs and the closure of as many as 20 district schools, according to recent testimony from IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson.
Even if these bills don’t pass, Phair said the group is building up its capacity to support IPS in the future. She said she wants parents to feel empowered to advocate for public school funding.
Responses have been edited for brevity and clarity.
IPS Parent Council organizes in support of district schools
Who is a part of the IPS Parent Council and how did this new group come together?
It was a direct response to the proposed legislation, especially the three bills that IPS has outlined in their call to action. But I think what really alarmed parents was (House Bill) 1136 and the thought of just totally dismantling and disrupting our school district.
Myself and other parents started talking about organizing. It was just very grassroots and organic. We’re still in our formative place right now. We have 300 parents who signed up. We originally were focusing on our district-run schools because I think a lot of our parents were looking to come together and there was a need to be filled there.
The immediate goal was to get representation from every single district-run school — and we’re close. I think the more voices we have, the better.
The council had its first meeting to get organized on Feb. 2. What did you hear from attendees?
We had a parent talk about the three different bills and tried to just break them down into what they would mean for our parents and IPS. IPS gave us some information, but we wanted to break it down even more, like this is what it really means for your kiddos.
The majority of the time was spent in breakout groups. We probably had 12 to 14 parent facilitators just asking questions of what parents want to see from the council and what they want the future of IPS to look like.
A lot of it is information sharing. Parents really want distilled, easy-to-understand information that’s impacting the district and by way of the district, their children. They want actionable items that they can take part in to support public schools and advocacy.
I have had some parents reach out with concerns they have about schools and what I envision our council doing is elevating parent concerns to the district.
Indy Documenter John Guy attended the IPS Parent Council meeting on Feb. 2. 📝 Read more about what happened.
Parents advocating to keep IPS schools open
What issues are top of mind for you right now? What are the needs in the district?
Advocating against these bills is the most immediate need. Dr. Johnson has made that clear, and parents are hearing it and are called to action.
We don’t want schools to close. That’s at the forefront of the council’s efforts, to speak out against that and to combat those bills. But we have long goals, too, like elevating parent voices, educating parents and advocacy, and to be a community resource.
What do you think IPS does well? Are there things happening in the district that aren’t getting enough attention?
IPS has been asked to pivot time and again. (Legislators) were like, ‘figure out how to work with the charter schools’ and the Innovation Network was created, which is incredible. It gives parents all sorts of additional options.
They addressed head on some of the inequities in our system and created Rebuilding Stronger while also having to navigate a financial landscape that is not funding public education well. I honestly think IPS keeps rising to the occasion.
Dr. Johnson says this too; we’re not without our own issues, but she’s honest about them and wants to see our school district thrive. I think that’s why we’re so in support, as parents, of seeing Rebuilding Stronger not undone by the fact that we’re being defunded.
What do you think of Rebuilding Stronger so far? Do you think it’s working?
I have a very insulated view of that because my children have not been affected by Rebuilding Stronger. I think we all struggle with change and so I think it was hard to accept that schools would be changing, and I know it was hard. I can’t imagine being a parent of a school that had to close which is, again, why we don’t want that to keep happening. But personally, I’m hopeful.
Having my kid go to Broad Ripple next year, I’m hopeful that he will get to experience all the things that were promised in the plan that won’t be able to happen if we are dismantled or just slowly defunded to the point of being not in existence anymore.
How IPS parents can get involved
What do you think IPS should look like in the next 10 years?
Personally — and I think most parents would agree — I think a well-funded, well-resourced, equitable public school system that meets the needs of all students is what I would like to see in 10 years, with schools that don’t change.
I would like the same schools that are here today — that have been part of our community for who knows how long? Decades or more — still standing and still serving kids and even doing better than they are now. That’s what I would like to see.
Why should parents get involved and how can they do it?
You’ve probably seen our TinyURL floating around.
There’s a variety of reasons why parents should want to get involved. First and foremost, to improve and support a public school system, and to find community with other parents.
We all have the commonality of our children, and we all care deeply about them and want the best for them and the other kids in the district, so coming together and doing that is really empowering.
The more voices we have, the more representative we are of our community. Whether it’s just signing up to get emails so that you feel a bit more informed, or coming to meetings and hearing what other parents have to say, those would be a few of the reasons.
It’s heartening to come together, and it’s heartening to take action together so you don’t feel alone. Everything can feel really overwhelming right now with all the changes nationally and globally. It’s a way to make a local change.
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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