{"id":1599,"date":"2024-02-07T18:40:16","date_gmt":"2024-02-07T18:40:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stand.org\/indiana\/?p=1599"},"modified":"2025-04-08T14:59:56","modified_gmt":"2025-04-08T14:59:56","slug":"parents-release-petition-signed-by-over-1000","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stand.org\/indiana\/our-stories\/parents-release-petition-signed-by-over-1000\/","title":{"rendered":"Parents release petition signed by over 1,000"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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For Immediate Release<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 7, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Contact:
Kayla Mattas
765.721.2833 (mobile)

Parents release petition signed by over 1,000 calling for district to grow top schools for Black and Brown students<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

INDIANAPOLIS \u2013 A group of public school<\/a> parents unveiled their petition today calling for Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) to grow proven models from all school types, including local charter schools. The petition led by parents garnered more than 1,000 signatures, showcasing strong community support for district leaders to develop a strategy that will close the opportunity gap by scaling the top performing schools for Black and Brown students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advocates delivered the petition to IPS leaders today at an event that took place at the district administration building. Parents Gregory Henson, Irma Perdomo and Susan Sargent, alongside Believe Circle City student Elazia Davison, shared their personal stories that detailed why elevating Black and Brown student achievement is so important to them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am here today to celebrate the growing support from our community to improve public education in our city and intentionally work toward partnerships [with data-proven schools] . . .\u201d Sargent said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parents who led the press conference asked the IPS board to pass a resolution calling on the district administration to deliver a detailed plan by the summer to scale school models \u2013 including public charter schools \u2013 that are closing the opportunity gap according to state assessment data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe also want to be clear that this plan must be in place before parents are expected to support any future referendum put forward by IPS,\u201d Henson said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Parents began gathering signatures last fall after reviewing ILEARN data<\/a>. In October, the IPS board members were presented with similar data<\/a> regarding assessment outcomes in and around the IPS district. The report highlighted the top schools in the city when it comes to proficiency for Black and Latino students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am grateful [IPS] shared the data because it gives us, as a community, the information we need to know \u2013 information not easily visible in other districts,\u201d Perdomo said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the October IPS board presentation:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n