Thanks IB. Checks in the mail.
The one in Indy is a Polytech. Vocational that still prepares for college. Kind a like Macomber.
I know 3 PhDs from my graduating class at Macomber and I didn't know a lot of people. Purdue Polytechnic HS. I haven't followed much this last year, it could have all gone to crap by now.
Originally proposed by Purdue Pres Mitch Daniels ( a Princeton Ivy that truly understands "compassionate conservative" ) to address the difficulty in finding Indiana minorities and first generation lower economic with the qualifications for Purdue. Minorities on campus have a slightly higher average GPA but numbers were not representative of state population. There's a lot in that sentence. In this day and age of major universities trying to be national universities, he is still focused on Purdue's mandate as a land grant school. Something I'd take a shot and say OSU has forgotten in their focus on being "Michigan." Purdue is on about the 8th year with no tuition raise and 6th with no housing raise. (perhaps a mistake in hindsight since our new government is looking to pay all those less responsible universities their defaulted tuitions).
Instead of the normal grab government money solutions that aren't, he decided and got on board the necessaries to build their own PUBLIC high school in one of the lowest economic sections of Indy. Then he learned the difference between private and public. lol Imagine dealing with state education bureucracy. Still the guy doesn't waste time. Took him not one year from concept to implemention. No building? Put it in a warehouse. Need a sponser for a charter? Make it part of IPS.
Because it was a charter to IPS, they had to open lottery enroll. They still made 60% demographic they were looking for. Over 90% of the Freshman class matriculated to Sophmore year, which anyone familiar with urban education knows how that beats the odds. After one year, Indy asked and was provided a second school, which I believe is downtown. I do not know the matriculation numbers from last year but I know, they have already placed their 3rd school in South Bend. Two more years to see if the experiment pays off.
Dr. Daniels was first to open an endowment with his own money to help pay for the education of those that graduate and choose to enroll at Purdue. Alums have bought in.
Another program he brought in (original thought goes to a small college, I'm ashamed I've forgotten which one), is the idea that a student instead of borrowing from a bank, borrows from the school and agrees to repay a % of their income after graduation. This shows trust in the value of the diploma and lowers the payment at the beginning of the graduates' career. Internally funded but again, Alums bought in. That program is only in 3rd or 4th year, I do not believe it has gotten to the payback stage.
Well that's the rosy picture. As I started, I haven't followed much this last year to see if there are warts. The intention was good for sure.