Choosing What's Right Over Proving Who's Right
What a charter merger in Indianapolis says about governance as schools mature.
I recently caught up on an episode of the Education Gadfly Show featuring former Indianapolis authorizer Patrick McAlister and Shaina Cavazos of Indianapolis's Office of Education Innovation. The discussion explores an issue I suspect will become increasingly important as enrollment declines and the charter sector matures: when should schools replicate, when should they remain independent, and when should they merge?
One idea particularly resonated with me: good governance means choosing what is right over proving who is right.
Based on the public reporting surrounding Andrew J. Brown Academy, the board discontinued its relationship with its longtime management company and, with the support of its authorizer, pursued a strategic combination with Paramount Schools of Excellence.
That kind of decision is hard.
Contracts are sticky. Facilities are sticky. Staffing models are sticky. Institutional history is sticky. Relationships are sticky. Adult pride is sticky.
But the central question should always be: what arrangement gives students the best chance to thrive next?
To me, that is stewardship.
Every educational institution begins by making a promise to students and families. Sometimes keeping that promise means preserving the institution. Sometimes it means transforming it. Sometimes it means entrusting that promise to another organization better positioned to carry it forward.
That is not failure. That is governance. And it requires real humility.