What does the future hold for a kid who goes to IPS next year? A world of opportunities.

Last month, I received a text from a student I taught more than a decade ago: “You had faith in me when I didn’t have it in myself. You loved me even when I didn’t love myself. You had hope when I thought I didn’t, and on my worst day, you still loved me. You never failed me in any way, and I have knowledge because of you. I’m a great mom because of you.”  

As an Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) teacher for the past 20 years and a mom of three, I want all my kids to find joy in learning, rise to their potential, and lead a fulfilling adult life — and I know that’s a universal desire across the IPS community of parents and teachers. We all want to give our young people choices that match their potential so they can grow up to be whoever they want to be. 

Some kids in Indianapolis have always had access to plenty of choices. But many more kids have not. Having more choices can look like nicer athletic facilities with more sports available, modern classrooms with more advanced courses or access to extracurriculars that lead to careers.

Superintendent Aleesia Johnson’s Rebuilding Stronger plan is about making sure every kid in Indianapolis has those choices. Parents and teachers see endless possibilities in all our kids — and now IPS is delivering excellent offerings to fit every single one of them. 

So, what does it look like?

Let’s start with James Whitcomb Riley School 43, where I teach 6th-grade English Language Arts. Starting next fall, School 43 is transforming into a Visual and Performing Arts (VPA) school where students who love the arts can pursue their passions and get a great education.

VPA is just one of eight new educational models that will be available in every zone across the city. Now, every family can choose a path that gets their kids excited to learn. Plus, every middle school, including mine, will now guarantee access to computer science, Algebra 1, foreign language and music.

The Rebuilding Stronger capital referendum, approved by voters last year, is going to bring School 43 all-new arts and academic spaces, a new black box theater with a sound booth, music rooms and a gym stage. My youngest daughter, Karmen, wants to be the next Beyoncé, and I love that now she and her classmates have a space to dance. 

But it’s not just School 43. More than 20 IPS schools are getting big upgrades. Indianapolis is going to see new classroom spaces, renovated plumbing and HVAC systems, upgraded playgrounds, new athletic fields and better gyms. We teachers tell our students every day that they are valued. Now, our will buildings tell them, too. 

How do I know these changes will bring meaningful change to IPS students and families? I see new doors opening for my own two girls, who are both approaching big transition years. My eldest, Naomi, will head to high school in the fall. My youngest, Karmen, will move to middle school the year after next. We’ve spent a lot of time visiting schools and discussing their options, and I hear what excites them. 

Naomi has decided to go to Crispus Attucks High School next year to play volleyball, basketball, and softball. She’s got her eye on guaranteed admission to Indiana University at Indianapolis if she gets a 3.0 GPA or higher. She’s walking into high school knowing she has the whole IPS community behind her, access to excellent art classes and a world of opportunity ahead of her. 

Karmen is a talented young artist. Lucky for me, that means I get to bring her with me to School 43 next year. The new VPA program has her dreaming about learning how to play piano and guitar. In a year, when she transitions to middle school, she wants to continue to hone her talent at Edison School of the Arts. This is what it looks like for a school district to not only recognize the potential in our young people, but also to deliver on it. 

Rebuilding Stronger will make a difference for teachers, too. For me, teaching at IPS is a generational family affair. My brother was a principal at an IPS school, my sister is a job training specialist at Arsenal Tech and my mom even came out of retirement to teach at IPS after a career in the district.

These schools are where we, along with our students, spend most of our waking hours. They’re where we have grown personally and professionally. The community’s investment in this district shows us that Indianapolis believes in us — that you trust us to foster a love of learning in our young people and help them realize the potential we all know is there. 

What every generation wants more than almost anything else is for the next generation to be better off than the last. We want our kids to have more choices and better options. We want them to dream big and lead fulfilling lives. And because of this community investing in IPS, it’s happening before our eyes.