00;00;00;01 - 00;00;19;29 Tony Sandleben In 1989, the Massachusetts city of Chelsea had a few similarities to Muncie, including an FBI investigation to its city government, problems in the city budget, and a struggling local school district. To address at least one of those problems, the Chelsea Public Schools and Boston University signed a contract allowing BU to manage the school district. 00;00;20;03 - 00;00;32;15 Doug Sears The school committee invited us to come in, and their state legislation giving the school committee the authority to bring us in, and we concluded an agreement where we did accept the responsibility to run the schools on a day to day basis. 00;00;32;16 - 00;00;55;21 Tony Sandleben Doug Sears helped oversee Boston University's school management team and at one point was appointed superintendent of the district. While BU was invited into Chelsea schools, that's not the case with Muncie Community Schools. An amendment to a bill in the Indiana House was discussed publicly at a legislative committee, before school officials were even notified of the proposal. In Massachusetts, Sears says, there was tons of discussion. 00;00;55;25 - 00;01;06;08 Doug Sears Tons. There's a lot of back and forth. It's an irony, I would say if we were doing it over, I would suggest fewer people, just fewer bodies on the ground. Just because we kind of swarmed them. 00;01;06;10 - 00;01;11;24 Tony Sandleben Another big difference between Massachusetts and the Ball State proposal in Indiana? Who will make up the school board. 00;01;12;01 - 00;01;25;09 Ed Delaney If I were a member of an elected school board today, I'd be asking myself, what's my status? If somehow we get into trouble, are we going to have the Indiana General Assembly take over our district? I'd be bothered about that. 00;01;25;17 - 00;01;40;20 Tony Sandleben House Bill 1315 would replace Muncie's elected school board with one appointed by Ball State and city officials. Democratic State Representative Ed Delaney of Indianapolis tried and failed to retain an elected school board. But in Chelsea, the elected school board stayed in tact. 00;01;40;23 - 00;02;02;06 Doug Sears It's important for whatever institution comes in to recognize that there's a legitimate concern about local control. And even if the argument can be made that the end of the job, they were duly elected and that this the citizens of Muncie have a legitimate claim on some sort of an opportunity to know what's going on and why. 00;02;02;08 - 00;02;12;12 Tony Sandleben Muncie’s School Board has talked about what happens next, whether or not the bill passes the House, the entire General Assembly, and gets the governor's signature. Board President Debbie Feick puts it simply. 00;02;12;14 - 00;02;17;26 Geoffrey Mearns If our presence would inhibit positive outcomes, we’d resign. 00;02;17;28 - 00;02;30;04 Tony Sandleben The Boston University Chelsea Schools partnership lasted until 2008, just about 20 years. In that time, new schools were built. Advanced placement testing was introduced and music programs were added back to the school system. 00;02;30;07 - 00;02;47;12 Doug Sears It was excruciating, but it was wonderful because it was the first time there had been an instrumental group in Chelsea's recent history. The hall was packed for a concert with squeaky clarinets and some pitch issues, but it was magnificent. 00;02;47;12 - 00;02;54;23 Tony Sandleben Ball. State President Geoff Mearns says, he sees the situation in Muncie to also enhance what is already being done in Muncie classrooms. 00;02;54;29 - 00;03;10;17 Ed Delaney The teachers in the Muncie schools are doing an excellent job. We want to support their efforts and enhance their efforts not only in the classroom, but in that other time as well. So I think that's the way in which this can be more comprehensive as well as innovative and creative. 00;03;10;21 - 00;03;16;07 Tony Sandleben In Massachusetts, Sears says, BU helped in the classrooms, but there was also a learning curve. 00;03;16;11 - 00;03;37;18 Doug Sears There's a lot that comes out of universities in particular that is doesn't work on the ground in a classroom. As a guy who had never been through a teacher ed program, I find myself trying to understand all this mumbo jumbo about how do you teach reading? And my deepest regret is that I didn't let my Emperor's new clothes reflex kick in early enough. 00;03;37;22 - 00;03;46;16 Tony Sandleben Should the bill become law and Ball State's board of trustees takes on the district's management, that arrangement would begin in July. In Muncie, Tony Sandleben, IPR news.