:: GEO FOUNDATION ::

Nov. 16, 2007
Ballard reinforces his support for Indianapolis Charter Schools

Today, Indianapolis Mayor-elect Greg Ballard told more than 20 charter school leaders that he believes charter schools are good for the community and that he fully supports Indiana's charter schools. Ballard made his comments at a meeting sponsored by GEO's Charter School Service Center and hosted by the Christel House Academy, one of the city's first charter schools. [read more]

Nov. 8, 2007
Peterson projects in jeopardy?
Charter schools, arts await Ballard's actions

The defeat of Mayor Bart Peterson had more than just rank-and-file Democrats in the dumps Wednesday. A number of groups and initiatives that had prospered under Peterson for the past four years were scrambling to find out what the election of Republican Greg Ballard might mean for them. [read more]

Oct. 11, 2007
21st Century Charter Schools Partner with Marian College
New Math and Reading Program to Benefit More than 400 students

INDIANAPOLIS – Today, the 21st Century Charter Schools at Fall Creek and Fountain Square formalized an agreement with Marian College to begin a math and reading tutoring program for students at these two schools. The Project IGNITE program, which is a first for Marian College, will provide nine full-time tutors to serve in the classrooms throughout the school year. [read more]

Oct. 2, 2007
Event raises $43,000 for Indianapolis Charter Schools

INDIANAPOLIS –GEO Foundation’s dinner “Building a 21st Century Education” to honor those who helped to lay the foundation for the 21st Century Charter Schools raised $43,000 from its 350 attendees. [read more]

Sept. 25, 2007
GEO Foundation elects Rollin Dick as new board chair
Business leader, philanthropist will help guide growth of organization’s reform efforts

INDIANAPOLIS –Today, the Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation announced that Rollin Dick has been elected as the organization’s new board chairman. Dick brings decades of business and philanthropy experience to the GEO Foundation as it expands its efforts to bring more educational options to all the state’s families. [read more]

Sept. 12, 2007
GEO Foundation hires education veteran to oversee charter schools Former principal, teacher brings nearly 30 years of education experience

INDIANAPOLIS – Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation announced today the hiring of Bill Herman as the organization’s new vice president and director of schools. Herman, who served the last 13 years as the principal of St. Monica Catholic School, will oversee GEO Foundation’s four 21^st Century Charter School. [read more]

Dinner Held to Commemorate the Leadership of David Harris
A big thanks to all who attended “A Celebration of Achievement”, a Dinner Honoring David Harris’ contribution to Indianapolis’ charter schools. The dinner was a success and was only possible because of your support. [read more]

Gary charter schools are building athletics from the ground up

GARY – Building a team from scratch can be the ultimate challenge for a coach. Success in that endeavor can bring the ultimate reward with a job for life. So how about the challenge of building a whole athletic program from scratch? Not just one team. Not just one sport. The whole kit-and-kaboodle. From the first student walking through the doors of a brand-new school to the first coach hired to the first tryout conducted,.... read more

Lots of Small Steps Lead to Progress
INDIANAPOLIS STAR EDITORIAL - JULY 5, 2005
[CLICK HERE]

Charter School Will Open This Fall
BY SHARI CHANEY - [THE GAZETTE, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - JULY 2, 2005]
[CLICK HERE]

Ground Breaking
21st Century Charter School @ Fall Creek
[JUNE 29, 2005 - INDIANAPOLIS]

[JUNE 15, 2005 - GARY, IND.] GEO Foundation and its 21st Century Charter School @ Gary school board broke ground in Gary, Indiana on the latest of three new GEO charter schools to open this fall. The 30,500 square foot building, constructed by Bouma Corporation, will eventually house a K-12 school. This year, we will serve 300 students from the Gary area. We have more than 100 students on our waiting list. And that is before our building goes up. Just wait to see how many new applicants we receive as the building gets built. Below is a picture of the actual ground breaking.

Gary Mayor King, third from the right, was on hand for the ceremony and delivered a powerful speech in support of charters. Charter schools are not just an educational option, they are a vital part of economic development, he said. He told the audience of more than 50 community leaders and parents, that the jobs at the steel mills are not coming back and that the future is based in an educated workforce. Amen.

The 21st Century Charter School @ Gary is located in the center of downtown, two blocks from City Hall, the City Library is on the Northwest end of the school, the Boys and Girls Club is on the West side of the school, the Convention Center is across the street to the North, and Gary is building a new public housing project on the South side of the school. We are excited to be part of Gary's revitalization.

Our building will not only house the charter school, but GEO will conduct its state-approved tutoring program and empower parents with their rights and opportunities to school choice and tutoring under President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" policies.

No Child Left Behind provides options
for Indiana students and parents

[JUNE 9, 2005 - INDIANAPOLIS] Many Indiana parents now have more options when it comes to providing the best possible education for their children.

Yesterday, the Indiana Department of Education (DOE) released the names of 99 schools in Indiana that classify as in need of improvement for the 2005-2006 school year under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). The 99 schools deemed in need of improvement must now offer additional educational services and choices for students and parents.

Schools making the list for the first year must offer parents the option of school choice. Under NCLB this means children in these schools can remain enrolled or can choose to attend another public school. Schools that have been in need of improvement for two or more years must offer free tutoring services in addition to school choice.

“Many children qualify to receive extra educational opportunities such as school choice and free tutoring,” said Stephen Jackson, director of the Greater Educational Opportunities Foundation’s (GEO) Parent Information and Resource Center (PIRC). “The greatest downfall to this choice is that many parents don’t realize the many resources that are available to them.”

PIRC’s goal is to provide parents with information so they can make the best decisions for their children regarding their education. As part of the GEO Foundation, PIRC is a federally funded grant aimed at educating parents about No Child Left Behind.

Any parent interested in learning more about the schools in need of improvement, how schools qualify to be in need of improvement or what services are available to them should contact the GEO Foundation at (317) 524-3770. For a complete list of schools in need of improvement, visit www.geofoundation.org and click on “All Indiana Schools Offering School Choice and Free Tutoring” on the right side of the page.

The GEO Foundation is a not-for-profit educational organization based in Indianapolis supporting improved educational opportunities for all children. GEO is the sponsor of four 21st Century Charter Schools — its Union Station school opened in 2002; three schools are scheduled to open in fall of 2005: Fountain Square (Indianapolis), Gary, Indiana, and Colorado Springs — the Charter School Service Center, the Community Technology and Tutoring Center, and the statewide Parent Information and Resource Center. For more information about GEO, visit www.geofoundation.org.