I believe every student, in every classroom, in every school deserves access to a high-quality education and a community that supports them and believes in their greatness.
For me, this is personal. Both of my parents graduated from Crispus Attucks High School. I am an Indianapolis Public Schools graduate, a former IPS employee, the mother of four IPS portfolio school graduates, and a school board commissioner. Public education has shaped generations of my family. I want every child in our community to have the opportunities a strong education can provide.
But wanting better is not enough.
Our responsibility is to fight for our children. We are spending too much time fighting each other.
The house is on fire, and our children are inside. Are we going to stand outside arguing about whose water hose to use, who controls it, or where to aim it? Or are we going to come together to put out the fire and save our children?
Our children cannot wait for us to agree
Within IPS boundaries, we debate who should operate schools, control buildings, provide transportation, and receive funding. These questions matter. There are real costs and difficult decisions ahead. But are our decisions helping children get the education they deserve?
I believe our divisions have cost students years of opportunity. A child struggling to read cannot wait for adults to settle a disagreement. Families still need dependable transportation. Teachers still need support. Those needs do not pause while we argue.
AJ Crabill’s book “Great on Their Behalf” and the Student Outcomes Focused Governance framework developed by Crabill and the Council of the Great City Schools challenge boards to examine their own behavior. The central principle is direct: “Student outcomes don’t change until adult behaviors change.”
I take that personally. If we want better for our children, we must change how we lead. That includes me.
As a commissioner, I should be able to explain our goals for student learning, whether we are making progress, and what we are doing when we fall short. Families deserve answers and a voice in decisions before those decisions are made.
Recognize progress and build on what works
We also need to recognize where our students are succeeding. In 2026, IPS reported an IREAD proficiency rate of 73.7%, an increase of 3.7 percentage points from the previous year. For the second consecutive year, the district’s gains outpaced statewide gains. Ernie Pyle School 90 improved by 30.6 percentage points, and Thomas Gregg Neighborhood School improved by 15.3 percentage points.
Our students, teachers, and families worked for that progress. They deserve credit. We need to understand what is working and build on it so more children benefit. We still have students who need help becoming strong readers. Their success must be part of our next chapter, too.
Our Innovation partnerships began with district support and a commitment to our students and communities. We have built something together worth the effort to get right. We need to be honest about costs, available resources, and how we share responsibility. We need agreements we can sustain that protect students’ access to school.
I believe our Innovation portfolio could be a model for other communities if we work through these challenges together and fight for changes in state law that support this work. Its success must be measured by what children are learning and the opportunities they have.
Turning collective action into resources for students
The proposed Indianapolis Public Education Corporation (IPEC) referendum is one of the resources needed to support our students now while we continue fighting for changes in how the state funds public education. We owe families and taxpayers clear answers about how those dollars will be used, how they will help students, and how we will account for the results.
IPEC must help bring our voices together at the Statehouse to fight for fair funding and changes in policy that help us serve all our children. We also need to work together here at home — share what is working, set clear expectations for student learning, and hold every school and governing body accountable for results. Families should be able to expect a high-quality education wherever their child attends school within our boundaries. We can offer different approaches to learning and still share that expectation for every student.
IPEC must also recognize how important a strong, financially stable IPS is to our community. I believe the district offers some of the strongest educational options in our city. Those opportunities are worth protecting.
The district should not have to carry the hardest decisions alone. We need to look together at where resources can be shared, whether school consolidations are necessary, and how to protect students if they are. We need to understand what those decisions mean for families and neighborhoods. IPEC must help us do that work together, with the full picture in front of us.
Our enrollment decisions must also make it easier for families to access schools across our boundaries. Parents need understandable options, clear deadlines, and help when they need it. We should not stand by any decision that could limit student access. If we see a barrier, we must address it—even if that means changing a decision we supported.
These are all our children.
For Black families, education carries generations of sacrifice and hope. Our children deserve teachers who see their gifts, schools that challenge and support them, and adults who believe in their greatness and provide what they need to succeed.
“To whom much is given, much is required.”
Many of us have gained opportunities, positions, and influence through public education. Are our children benefiting enough from what we have been given? We need to ask that question and be honest about the answer.
Our children cannot get back the years spent waiting for us to work together. They deserve more than our arguments. They need us to put their education and futures ahead of our personal preferences.
Every one of us has a role to play
So I am asking families to stay engaged, ask for clear information, speak up when a decision creates a barrier, and hold every school and leader accountable for serving your child. I am asking educators to share what students need, use what is working, and insist that every child receives the support to learn and thrive. I am asking board members to put student outcomes before personal or institutional preferences, set measurable goals, explain our decisions, and change course when the evidence shows we are falling short.
And I am asking IPEC to earn the public’s trust: clearly explain the referendum, publish how funds will be used, report measurable results, protect access to schools, support a strong and financially stable IPS, and unite IPS, charter leaders, educators, and families in a sustained fight for fair state funding and policies that support a high-quality education for every student.
I will do my part as a commissioner. I will listen, ask hard questions, make decisions in public, support what works, challenge what does not, and fight for every child regardless of which school they attend. I’m asking you to join me, and I am ready to work alongside you.
Pick up a hose with a neighbor. Families, educators, board members, community partners, and IPEC each have a responsibility, and none of us can put out this fire alone. Our children are inside, and they are counting on us to act now.
Angelia L. Moore is an IPS School Board commissioner At-Large, currently serving as secretary. Contact her at mooreangelia@myips.org.
