Charter schools attract attention

Some exciting things happening in Indianapolis:

On Thursday, Ola-Niyi stood with Indianapolis Public Schools superintendent Eugene White and the mayor as the three delivered big news about a partnership between KIPP and the state's largest school district. KIPP, which opened in 2003, will move from its cramped space at a community center to IPS' spacious Coleman campus, 1740 E. 30th St.

IPS will create two new academies within Coleman, one for boys and one for girls. They will be modeled after KIPP's highly structured program.

---------------------

Charter schools attract attention

Indianapolis Star, 4/9/06

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060409/COLUMNISTS02/604090464/1006/NEWS01

Omotayo Ola-Niyi came to Indianapolis in 2003, after working as a consultant in Chicago's public school system. The University of Oklahoma grad was attracted by our reputation for education reform.

Perhaps you didn't know -- the city and state commonly associated with racing, obesity and the Final Four are at the top of the charter school movement.

Progressive educators, wonks, politicians in both parties, business leaders and Mayor Bart Peterson, among others, got us where we are today.

 

For Ola-Niyi, 29, that's at the helm of the KIPP Indianapolis College Preparatory School on the Westside, one of 12 charter schools in Indianapolis and one of 46 KIPP schools nationally.

 

She oversees 155 5th- and 6th-grade pupils who put in long hours while keeping their eyes on the prize -- they are determined to be part of the 85 percent of KIPP graduates who go to college.