Irvington charter board chair drops CEO bid after backlash over search process

Indianapolis Star

15 hours ago

The chair of an Irvington charter school network has dropped out of the race to be its next CEO after public backlash accused the board of a lack of transparency with the search process.
A lawyer for the Irvington Community Schools network, a group of three charter schools on the east side of Indianapolis, shared a statement on Aug. 13, a day after a few dozen teachers and parents protested outside one of the campuses.
Their concerns focused on alleged unethical practices by the board's chair, Rashay Foster, during the CEO search process and a lack of transparency and communication from the board.
The statement says that Foster applied for the CEO position in good faith and participated in the interview process along with several other candidates.
Read more abut the controversy: Irvington charter school board faces backlash over CEO search, transparency
It also described her as a 'qualified and dedicated educational leader.'
'At every step, the Board acted within the parameters of a fair, professional, and transparent search, with the goal of securing the best available leader for our school community,' said the statement from Alexandra Curlin, a lawyer with Curlin & Clay Law.
However, now given the 'lack of community support' for Foster's candidacy, the board has decided to reopen the CEO search, the statement said.
'This decision is not a reflection on Ms. Foster's character or qualifications, which remain strong, but rather an acknowledgment that school leadership must be supported by the ICS community to be successful,' the statement said.
Irvington Community Schools is one of the oldest charter school networks in the state, first opening in 2002. The charter school's six-member board of governors is an appointed non-profit board, unlike traditional public schools that have an elected board.
The statement also argues that the board is concerned about the 'tone and content of some recent public and social media commentary regarding Ms. Foster.'
The statement from the board accuses some of the comments made about Foster crossing the line into 'personal attacks and unfounded allegations, including claims that are not supported by fact.'
Teachers at the school accused Foster of attempting a power grab of the CEO position after allegedly not recusing herself from the interview process for the other candidates while still in the running for the position.
The board's statement did not address these accusations specifically.
Staff also argued that she was not as qualified for the position as other candidates.
According to Foster's LinkedIn profile, she currently works for Leading Educators, a non-profit that provides training for educators, a director of content and coaching, as well as a senior manager at The New Teacher Project, a non-profit consulting company.
She also worked as a teacher and instructional coach for six years at KIPP Indy, a charter school network in the Martindale Brightwood neighborhood. She holds a bachelor's degree in early childhood education from the Ohio State University and a master's degree in the art of teaching from Marian University, according to her profile on the Irvington Community Schools website.
The board also did not share who the other possible candidates were for CEO.
Parents also argued that the board was overall not being transparent about which candidates were continuing through and why, leaving parents and students feeling uninformed and concerned about the future of their school.
The board's statement finished by saying they were dedicated to finding the right person for the job, 'one who can unite and inspire all stakeholders in pursuit of our mission.'