There is something liberating about letting go of the past and working toward a future that, while unknown, certainly has great potential.
This week, the Indianapolis Public Schools board of commissioners voted to close three high schools — schools that have been embedded in the community with historic legacies and a strong sense of pride from their alumni, administrators and community partners.
For many, the final vote Monday evening was confirmation of what was expected, but also dreaded.
There has been strong opposition to the closings over the past several months. People protested, they developed their own conspiracy theories and some even cried. I understood the opposition. Many of those who were against the closings were products of the schools — they met lifelong friends there, played on athletic teams, and teachers and administrators impacted the lives of countless students at those high schools. The loss of the three schools is personal for so many people. And it is painful, too. From a business perspective, I understood why the schools needed to close; keeping them open was not a sound fiscal decision given their enrollment numbers. Personally, however, it particularly saddens me that Broad Ripple will close. I am a graduate of Ripple, and to this day I have strong relationships with former students and administrators that I met while in high school. As we embark on what will be the final months of BRHS, the nostalgia of my high school days seems insignificant at this point.
I have spoken with several people about the closings, and most of them are sad because of what will be lost come this time next year. They are also angry — angry at the various conditions that led to the closures, angry at those who voted yes, and angry at the IPS powers that be because, well, having specific people to attribute the problem to makes the pain a little less painful, right?
Not exactly.
I acknowledge the feelings of sadness, anger and hurt. I feel some of those same emotions — but guess what? Having those feelings isn’t so bad, as each of these emotions is a step in the grieving process. But after all these emotions comes acceptance. That’s what I choose to focus on at this point.
Wallowing in the past won’t help anything now — it simply doesn’t matter, because a definitive decision has been made.
Now we must move on.
I understand for many, that is hard to do. There are so many raw emotions involved. However, it is what it is. The decision has been made.
Now is the time for us to either disengage completely from IPS or wipe their slate clean and see what plans they have in store for the district.
I encourage you to choose the latter.
Let me be very honest: I haven’t agreed with all the decisions that have been made relative to IPS. My disagreements include decisions made by previous and current administrations. In addition, current IPS Superintendent Lewis Ferebee and I have not always been on the same page. As a matter of fact, he and I have engaged in very heated discussions, with both of us equally passionate about our individual perspectives. There have also been moments of extreme tension between us and our respective staffs. I understand firsthand the hesitation and stubbornness some people may feel as I encourage you to give IPS a shot. I get it, I promise!
However, the only way we can ever evolve is if we look at the greater good. Perhaps there are some great things in store for the district. Maybe Ferebee and his crew have worked on a master plan to re-engage the community and earn back the trust that has been lost in recent years. We won’t know unless we give them a shot.
While Ferebee and I have not always seen eye-to-eye, I think we both have deliberately tried to put our differences aside for the greater good of the community and, specifically, the school district. We both want the best for IPS. The protesters and opponents of the closings want what is best for IPS, too.
Now that the closings have been confirmed, it is time for us to give IPS a chance to succeed … or fail. The main factor is, we have to at least give them a chance.
I am going to be optimistic. I am hopeful that the district will succeed and provide a fresh and innovative approach to public education while working to regain the support of the countless parents, faculty and staff who have checked out. The district has a lot of work to do. Ferebee has a lot of work to do. It won’t be easy, but it is most certainly necessary. Now is IPS’ opportunity to show and prove. All eyes are on the district. How they emerge after this test is paramount to the future of IPS. The district can’t take any more major blows. Ferebee’s next move will have to be his best yet, or else the district will find itself fighting a seemingly never-ending battle to restore confidence from the community.
