Indianapolis Public Schools swore in two new board members and two incumbents Monday night, strengthening support for the district’s controversial charter-friendly partnerships.
All four of the new and reseated board members have the backing of pro-school choice political action committees.
The addition of Kenneth Allen and Will Pritchard, the return of Diane Arnold and Venita Moore, and the loss of longtime district critic Elizabeth Gore strengthen the pro-charter forces on the board.
The board chose Evan Hawkins, a Marian University administrator and an IPS parent, as its president. Hawkins has been endorsed by Stand for Children, a charter school advocate organization. Moore will serve as the board vice president and Susan Collins will continue as secretary.
In his remarks, Allen drew from Martin Luther King Jr. “He was noted as saying any one of us can be great, because any one of us can have the capacity to serve,” Allen said.