Governor, Mayor, and National Speakers Highlight Event 

In February this year, the Indiana Convention Center hosted a couple of conferences with something unexpected in common.

The 2008 NFL Scouting Combine, on the first level, showcased athletes ending their academic careers and hoping to impress their employer of choice – the National Football League. The 2008 Indiana Charter School Conference, on the second level, celebrated those dedicated to the beginning of children’s academic careers, determined to give them options far beyond an athletic career.

At the Indiana Charter Schools Conference (sponsored by the Indiana Public Charter Schools Association and produced by the Charter School Service Center), nationally and regionally known speakers recognized the proliferation of charter schools in Indiana and encouraged attendees to spread the good word about the choices that charter schools represent. Attendees also were encouraged to continue to feed positive, accurate information to media outlets and others in the constant effort to correct the public’s lingering misunderstanding of charter schools.

Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels sent taped greetings and recognition at the opening luncheon on Thursday, February 21, 2008. At that luncheon, Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard confirmed his commitment to charter schools, citing them as an important asset to the continuing economic growth of Indianapolis.

The two-day conference concluded Friday, February 22, 2008, and boasted a total of 20 breakout sessions, 15 informal table talks, and keynote luncheon addresses from Mayor Ballard and Jay Mathews, Washington Post education writer and creator of the Challenge Index, a rating system for United States high schools which appears yearly in Newsweek Magazine. Additionally, State Senator Earline Rogers and State Representative Bob Behning were presented with 2008 Going the Distance Awards in recognition of and thanks for their critical contributions to the advancement of educational choice in Indiana.