IPS Backs Down! Class of 2015 Graduation Ceremonies will be held as usual at Individual High Schools. No time restrictions!
After nearly two weeks of community incredulity, outrage and anger, the top administrators of the Indianapolis Public Schools backed down and have rescinded their plans for a radical change at how IPS high school graduation ceremonies would be conducted this June. The District informed high schools today (Jan 12th) that graduation ceremonies would be held in the individual high schools as they have been for many years. The refusal came after near uniform dislike by students, parents, alumni and the community to word that leaked out just before the New Year that IPS planned to move all the district’s high school graduations to the Convention Center where they would be conducted one after the other starting at ten in the morning till eight in the evening. Worse, the ceremonies would run no more than one hour. Social media platforms Facebook and Twitter exploded in outrage. Over two days Afternoons with Amos listeners expressed their strong disapproval of the plan. Amos Brown’s column in the Indianapolis Recorder newspaper sharply criticized IPS Superintendent Dr. Lewis Ferebee and other top IPS Administrators for even considering such a radical plan. Now, after days of the controversy and on the eve of an IPS Board Meeting where scores were scheduled to speak and show their outrage and disapproval, IPS has backed down and the graduation ceremonies for Crispus Attucks, Broad Ripple, George Washington, John Marshall, Arsenal Tech, Northwest and Shortridge will continue as they have for many years. Held at the individual high schools, with sufficient time to include each school’s traditions and ceremonies connected with the important day that high school graduations are in Indianapolis and the nation. THANKS should go to the members of the Class of 2015 at Crispus Attucks High School who brought the issue to Afternoons with Amos’ attention and the visibility and publicity the show and PraiseIndy.com and social media played in convincing IPS Administrators to change their minds about a plan that no one in the community supported.
