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Kevin Chavous

Kevin Chavous

The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Friday, June 19, 2015. (Interview Starts at 01:31 Mark On the PODCAST Media Player) Kevin Chavous is an Indianapolis native who has become one of the foremost spokespersons for education reform and school choice inn the country. A self proclaimed Voice for America’s Children, this former Washington DC City Councilman, Chavous helped found Democrats for Education Reform and helped usher charter schools into Washington. Chavous was in town for a dinner hosted by The Mind Trust, the Indy based educational reform group.

Tony Mason, Indpls Urban League President

Indpls Urban League President Tony Mason

Chavous joined Indianapolis Urban league President Tony Mason and Urban League Education Director Mark Russell on Afternoons with Amos in a freewheeling discussion on school choice and education reform. In the discussion, Amos asked Chavous about Indiana’s school voucher program which was created four years ago to provide choice option s for low income public school students to attend porivate schools. But new data released this week by Indiana’s Department of Education, shows that a majority of students (50.4%) on the voucher program have never attended a public school.  Also the percentage of African-American students in the voucher program has declined dramatically as the percentage of white students have soared.  Chavous and the Urban League folks responded to that and other education topics. (At The 32:28 Mark On PODCAST Media Player) Regarding the Tragedy of Pure Evil in the Massacre at Emanual AME Church in Charleston that killed nine, Afternoons with Amos shared statements on the tragedy by the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus and the Indianapolis Jewish Community Relations Council (representing the area’s Jewish Community.

Sen. Jean Breaux

Sen. Jean Breaux

Rep. John Bartlett

Rep. John Bartlett

(Interview & Discussion Starts At 35:04 Mark On PODCAST Media Player) Then in their monthly visit (3rd Friday of the month when the Legislature is not in session) members of the Indiana Black Legislative Caucus appeared on Afternoons with Amos to discuss a number of legislative and state issues. Sen. Jean Breaux and Rep. John Bartlett talked about the Charleston tragegy and the need for hate crime legislation in Indiana, which is only one of five states without it. Both reacted to the news that the state’s school voucher program was serving far more students who didn’t transfer from public schools than ever before, which went against the original purpose of the program. Breaux and Bartlett talked about the weakness last year in Indiana’s Gross Domestic Product GDP, which rose only 0.4% compared with 2.2% nationwide. The lawmakers also talked about the mess and scandal in the BMV, the electric car mess in Indianapolis which both felt violated the law, the employment and wage weakness in Indiana, especially the African-American community.  Both also talked about a new state law that makes sawed off shotguns legal in the state.  Rep. Batlett and Sen. Breaux also took calls from listeners about their concerns with state government issues. The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST for Friday, June 19, 2015. Runs 94 Minutes ©2015 WTLC/Radio One. PODCAST Starts After Brief Video Ad.