What education questions should we ask Indy mayor candidates? Help us make Chalkbeat’s voter guide.

As a charter school authorizer and the leader of the city where students and educators live, work, and learn, the Indianapolis mayor has a significant impact on education in the city and its townships.

The primary election for the office is May 2, and ten candidates, including Mayor Joe Hogsett, are slated to be on ballots for Indianapolis mayor — four in the Republican contest and six in the Democratic race. 

Winners of each will be on the Nov. 7 ballot to lead the city. (Independent candidates and minor party candidates have until the summer to declare their candidacy for the general election.) 

But first, we want to create a Chalkbeat voter guide for the mayoral primary, and we want to know what’s on your mind. Let us know what questions and issues to ask the candidates about using the form below.

Who is running for Indy mayor?

The ten candidates running in mayoral primary races include current elected officials, community leaders, and more. They are:

Democratic primary

• Mayor Joe Hogsett
• Bob Kern
• Clif Marsiglio
• Gregory Meriweather
• State Rep. Robin Shackleford
• Larry Vaughn

Republican primary

• John L. Couch
• Rev. James W. Jackson
• Abdul-Hakim Shabazz
• Jefferson Shreve

What’s the mayor’s impact on education?

The biggest way that the mayor impacts education in the city is as a charter authorizer. 

Charter authorizers are responsible for overseeing charter schools and making sure the schools meet the promises in their charters.

Currently, the mayor’s Office of Education Innovation is the authorizer for nearly 50 charter schools, including roughly a dozen schools in the Indianapolis Public Schools innovation network. The Indianapolis Charter School Board reviews charter school applications and approves or rejects them. The board can also make recommendations on renewals. And it’s the mayor who appoints six of the nine members of that board. 

Additionally, the mayor also has an impact through initiatives for postsecondary education and youth leadership and job opportunities. And of course as the city’s leader, what happens in Indianapolis — from crime and housing to the economy — all has an impact on the educators and students who go to school here. 

Tell us what questions you have for the mayoral candidates:

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MJ Slaby oversees Chalkbeat Indiana’s coverage as bureau chief and covers higher education. Contact MJ at [email protected].