Nonprofit Looking For Next Innovation School Leaders
Indianapolis-based The Mind Trust is looking for its next class of Innovation School Fellows. The leaders selected will design and launch the latest Innovation Network Schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools district.
The nonprofit is accepting applications for its fifth Innovation School Fellows class. The fellows will receive up to a $100,000 salary, healthcare and benefits for one or two years as they develop their school. They will be able to launch their schools in new buildings, underutilized IPS facilities, or restart underperforming IPS schools as Innovation Schools.
There are currently 16 Innovation Schools operating in the district. The Mind Trust says the schools, while still operating under the purview of the IPS Board of Commissioners, are given flexibility and autonomy when it comes to staffing, curriculum, school day length, enrichment activities and professional development.
"Just two years after the first Innovation Schools opened, Innovation School Fellows are already leading promising improvements in student achievement, school culture, and parental involvement," says David Harris, chief executive officer of The Mind Trust. “We are excited to begin our search for our fifth cohort of Fellows, who will join this unprecedented partnership’s effort to ensure that every child in Indianapolis receives an excellent education.”
Last month, The Mind Trust and IPS touted the success of the Innovation Schools ISTEP+ exam results. In an interview on Inside INdiana Business Television, IPS Innovation Officer Aleesia Johnson said seven of the eight Innovation Schools that had grades that were tested showed improvement. She says the flexibility given to the leaders of the Innovation Schools contributed to their success.
"When you do empower school leaders and teachers and folks in a school building to make decisions that are going to best serve the specific students and families that they educate every day, you’ll see positive student outcomes as a result," said Johnson. "So that’s the theory of action the district is operating under, our board of commissioners has charged us to execute on, and I believe this is giving us some evidence that that theory is working."
Full applications for joining the Innovation School Fellows class must be submitted by February 4, 2018. The Mind Trust says the class will be announced in late March. You can learn more about the program and how to apply by clicking here.