The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Wednesday, August 5, 2015. The Interview With IPS Supt. Dr. Lewis Ferebee Starts At 52:27 Mark On PODCAST Media Player). In a wide ranging interview on the third day of the new school year, Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Lewis Ferebee talked about the districts’s new Student Code of Conduct. A extensive 42 page document that outlines the progressive steps for student discipline.
IPS Supt Dr. Lewis Ferebee
The goal, said Dr. Ferebee, is to reduce the number of arrests of students by police as well as out of school suspensions and expulsions. IPS was of 40 school districts across the country that attended a White House Conference late last month on school discipline. Dr. Cindy Jackson joined Dr. Ferebee and explained the different discipline steps in the new Code of Conduct. The Code outlines specific behaviors and the punishment or corrective measures that would be taken if students violate provisions of the Code. The document also spells out what offenses would mandate police being called in. The new school year begins with IPS having regained control over Arlington High School, which had been taken over by the state in 2011 and run by EdPower (Tindley Schools). Stan Law, the former principal at Shortridge now runs Arlington and he told Afternoons with Amos listeners that the first days of school had been great with many alumni and community people who visited the school on the first day saying it was the smoothest school start they’d seen in years.
Stan Law Arlington HS Principal
In other IPS issues Dr. Ferebee said the district was short “some twenty” full time teachers. But he acknowledged IPS had a problem with a shortage of special education teachers. On putting IPS’ long time bus yard and equipment facility on Mass Avenue downtown for sale, Dr. Ferebee said not only did the district hope to get a decent price for the property in one of the hottest real estate areas of the city, but the district wants to make sure that the property returns to being a property tax paying location. Dr. Ferebee said he and the Board wouldn’t want tax abatement and TIF’s to keep the property from generating taxes to benefit IPS. Dr. Ferebee was also asked to comment on the subject that was at the start of the Wednesday’s program, the news that CTB/McGraw Hill, the company responsible for preparing and administering the ISTEP tests may not have scores available for schools, students and parents until as late as mid-December. Dr. Ferebee wasn’t pleased with that outcome. And earlier in the program, Afternoons with Amos listeners weren’t pleased either. And not pleased that some Black and minority-owned licensed food trucks were being denied the chance to be present on the Monument Circle during the ten week test of Spark; an activity bringing a variety of activities to Monument Cicle seven days a week. The Afternoons with Amos PODCAST For Wednesday, August 5, 2015 Runs 97 Minutes ©2015 WTLC/Radio One. PODCAST Starts After Brief Video Ad.
