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VIEWPOINT: The trouble with public schools: Too public

The problem with public education is that it has become too “public.” Back in the days when boards of education possessed all power over construction of school facilities, a few boards around the state were far too eager to build elaborate educational and athletic palaces when functionally and technically efficient classrooms were all that were really needed. The outrage from a handful of property taxpayers finally reached the Statehouse. (The outcry over a proposed football facility in the Carmel-Clay School…

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Late action complicates tax planning: AMT legislative fix may mean delays

Expect the early tax-filing season to be a little muddy in 2008-and a tax package already received by mail from the Internal Revenue Service doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. While many Indiana taxpayers are now protected from additional federal taxes for another year thanks to late action by federal lawmakers in mid-December, millions will have to wait until February to get tax refunds in the mail because of that congressional delay. On Dec. 19, Congress gave final approval to…

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Of battles won and trouble ahead: Peterson says state action key to city’s future

Democrat Bart Peterson leaves office in early January after two terms as mayor of Indianapolis. Succeeding him will be Republican Greg Ballard, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps who parlayed property-tax outrage into a surprise win. As Peterson, 49, prepared to leave office, he sat down with IBJ. The following is an edited version of the interview. IBJ: You didn’t expect to be stepping down this year. What was the most significant priority you had planned for…

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‘ Set the bar high’: LESSONS LEARNED KEVIN TEASLEY President, GEO Foundation CEO, 21st Century Charter Schools

KEVIN TEASLEY President, GEO Foundation CEO, 21st Century Charter Schools Kevin Teasley didn’t have clear-cut expectations when he and a small group of reform-minded dreamers opened 21st Century Charter School in 2002. The publicly funded-yet-independent schools were brand new in Indiana, and no one really knew what came next. Would 21st Century’s one-room schoolhouse approach draw talented teachers? Would students respond to a different kind of education? Organizers had high hopes, to be sure, but they operated more on instinct…

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Local Sallie Mae executive leaving

June McCormack, the top-ranking executive at Sallie Mae's Fishers operation, is leaving the student loan giant, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company and McCormack are negotiating a severance agreement, the company's Dec. 12 SEC filing said, but her departure date was not disclosed. McCormack has led the 2,300-employee Fishers […]

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Why state’s job growth is better than neighbors’

For the past week or so, I have been flooded by phone calls from colleagues in Illinois and Michigan, chortling over a new marketing campaign launched by Hoosiers. The privately financed billboards and radio spots ask businesses and residents whether they are tired of high taxes and unresponsive government. If so, they are invited to “Come on IN” to Indiana. It’s high-order fun this holiday season. Indiana sits as a small island of growth in the Midwest, and it is…

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A&E: Actors Theatre of Indiana goes green

Frog is confident. Toad is selfdoubting. Frog gets mail. Toad doesn’t. Frog is willing to take some risks. Toad is cautious. Frog looks funny in a bathing suit. Toad looks funnier in a bathing suit. And then there’s an actionpacked fight sequence in which … No, that doesn’t happen. Frog and Toad are friends. They love each other. They are happy when the other is happy. But then the villain comes to town, a giant … Nope, no villain. Over…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Commission’s reforms are just what Indiana needs

The recommendations of the Shepard-Kernan report are a tonic to anyone who cares about local government efficiency and improved local services. The commission r e c o m m e n d e d changes to the way Indiana’s government provides local services. Our current system looks much like a pre-statehood government, where services are provided in a disconnected fashion with budgetary decisions answerable to state bureaucracies, not local voters. It is this organization of government that has caused much…

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Local chocolate firm leads organic pack: Endangered Species enjoys soaring sales, employment

While Hershey, Pa., may be considered the chocolate capital of the United States, Indianapolis is home to one of the fastest – growing and most fascinating makers of the sweet treat. Though it was founded in Oregon in 1993, Endangered Species Chocolate Co. has achieved most of its growth since being acquired and transplanted to Hoosier soil in 2005 by Wayne Zink and Randy Deer. Curt VanderMeer joined the company shortly after it came to Indianapolis; he became the third…

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Commentary: Here’s a script Capra would love

I am going to chat with Angelo Pizzo, author of the best sports film of all time. Pizzo is the writer and coproducer of feature films “Hoosiers” and “Rudy.” He and I will debut “Mickey’s Corner,” a project patterned after TV’s Bravo Network program “Inside the Actor’s Studio.” The conversation will happen Jan. 16 at 7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Center, 6701 Hoover Road. Why don’t you drop in? Pizzo grew up in Bloomington and stayed home for his…

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EDITORIAL: ‘Tis the season to help others: Don’t forget charities when giving

‘Tis the season to help others Don’t forget charities when giving If our early December snowfall didn’t get central Indiana’s bells jingling, the overflowing mall parking lots should make it clear: Santa Claus is coming to town, and he’s bringing plenty of credit-card-toting elves with him. The National Retail Federation predicts Americans will spend almost $475 billion on holiday-related purchases this year, up 4 percent from 2006. That’s a lot of fruitcake. Our economy could use the boost, no doubt…

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Commentary: A foreign investment that is sure to pay off

As the year draws to a close, the business community remains focused on taxes and the health of the economy. The governor’s privatization of the Indiana Toll Road generated a windfall of $3 billion. If managed properly, that money should fund Indiana’s road and bridge repair work. However, perhaps we should consider investing some of the interest to radically change our stature in the global economy. Canada possesses coastlines along the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans; has abundant natural resources,…

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PROFILE MICKI STIRSMAN: Education at heart of growth Continued training is part of her biz plan

PROFILE MICKI STIRSMAN Education at heart of growth Continued training is part of her biz plan Your face might be Micki Stirsman’s canvas. Instead of applying paint to paper or molding clay into sculpture Stirsman and her staff use their artistry to transform their clients’ appearances. The Speedway native is owner of Salon 01, a business she started with a $10,000 contribution from her grandmother that has grown into a million d o l l a r- p l u…

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Businesses, educators teaming up for education: Two sides join forces with Common Goal initiative, which aims to reduce Marion County’s dropout rate

Business and education leaders are hanging up their boxing gloves in favor of working together to stem the local high school dropout rate. “We’ve typically been at odds with the education community,” said Roland Dorson, president of the Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce. Long-standing finger pointing has had businesses issuing mandates that schools educate their students better and educators claiming they don’t receive the help they need from businesses, Dorson said. “We get beat up by business and professional groups…

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Minorities, women turn to franchises: Proven business systems offer more opportunities

Betsy Knoke’s northeast-side business is the latest addition for Colorado-based 10 til 2, a franchised staffing service that places college-educated individuals in part-time employment. On a grander scale, the landscape-architect-turned-business-owner is among the scores of women and minorities who are finding business opportunities through franchises. A report issued in October by the IFA Educational Foundation found minorities own 20 percent of the nation’s franchises and women 25 percent. The affiliate of the International Franchise Association in Washington, D.C., used U.S….

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IPS superintendent doesn’t shy away from challenges

Indianapolis Public Schools Superintendent Eugene White, in his third year as head of the state’s
largest school district, is determined to reverse the long decline of the state’s largest school district. The status quo
is not an option.

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Retailers hope to buck holiday predictions: Optimism found in online sales, busy Black Friday

High oil prices and a continuing credit crunch have many retailers bracing for a blue Christmas. Holiday sales this year are expected to grow a modest 4 percent, according to some retail experts, which would be the weakest pace in five years. The ominous forecasts prompted retailers to unveil promotions in October, although the official start of the shopping season was the day after Thanksgiving, traditionally known as “Black Friday.” Stores likely will rely upon a variety of incentives to…

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Reforms could create barriers to homeownership

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Maybe it is because no one wants me to help cook, or perhaps it’s due to the stream of college football. Mostly I think I like it because it is such an unhurried, fun, shared day. This year, many of us gathered for Thanksgiving at family homes and we gave thanks for the many gifts life brings us in this nation. What many of us didn’t conscientiously dwell on is how important the simple act…

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New seminar, gallery space opening in the Stutz: Move will create gathering place, could help artists teaching classes hang onto more of tuition

The sprawling Stutz Business Center downtown already is a haven of sorts for the 72 artists who have studios there. Beginning in January, it also will have a space they can use to teach, mingle and show their work. It’s the brainchild of Stutz Artists Association President Jerry Points, who envisioned a first-floor gathering place for the diverse group of painters, sculptors, photographers and others who toil within the labyrinthine building. “Most [artists] will go to their studio, close the…

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‘BUILD YOUR BUSINESS by investing in it’:

Creative Street Media Group has come a long way-literally and figuratively-from its humble beginnings 23 years ago. The small video production company has become a corporate conglomerate, with 67 employees in five facilities who handle everything from promotional materials to interactive education. Oh yeah, and they also crank out some award-winning TV shows-like the Emmy Award-winning “Vietnam Nurses with Dana Delany.” For all its progress, Creative Street is not done growing. Any day now, the company will expand its reach…

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