The third Center for Inquiry to open near King Park this fall

The success which has surrounded the Center for Inquiry at School 2 has spawned yet another clone – with the third Center for Inquiry set to open next fall at Charity Dye School 27, the Indianapolis Public School which sits at 545 E. 19th St. between Herron-Morton Place and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park.

Center for Inquiry location on New Jersey and St. Claire.

But if parents want their children to attend the newest Center for Inquiry, they need to act by Dec. 15, the deadline for applications for the first round of a lottery for the magnet school. Information on how to do that can be found at www.302.ips.k12.in.us, or by calling 226-4284.

The new school can also be previewed on Monday, Nov. 8, during an informational meeting at School 27 which begins at 6:30 p.m. That event is sponsored by IPS, CFI and the Citizens Neighborhood Coalition.

The Center for Inquiry at School 27 is the third “CFI,” which also includes the Center for Inquiry at School 84 in the Meridian-Kessler neighborhood. That school was launched in 2006 based on the success of CFI at School 2. Christine Collier, who has served as principal of both schools, said that about 200 students are currently on the waiting list for School 84, with 80 more on the School 2 waiting list.

The schools have geographic territories within the IPS system. The new school will serve residents north of Downtown (with the southern boundary being 16th Street to the east and 10th Street to the west), all the way to 38th Street. School 2 will serve Downtown and areas south, while School 84 will serve areas north of 38th Street. Students living within an approximately one-mile radius of each school have priority, as do siblings of current CFI students.

Jamilyn Bertsch will serve as on-site administrator at the new school. Bertsch formerly taught fifth- and sixth-grade at School 2 for three years before becoming an administrator, and this year she has been working with Collier to prepare for the launching of the new school. Collier, meanwhile, will take up a new role as head of Center for Inquiry schools. Collier had previously served as principal of both schools 84 and 2. With Collier overseeing the CFI system, assistant principal Joe Turner will now be in charge at School 2; assistant principal Dora Brook will lead School 84.

The Center for Inquiry is an IPS magnet school which offers a curriculum based on inquiry-based learning, focusing on the questions students themselves develop on any particular subject. The curriculum focuses on developing critical-thinking and problem-solving skills. Writing is also a central focus of the learning process.

The school was launched in 1993 on the city’s Eastside with 100 students in grades kindergarten through five. In 2000, the school was relocated into a building of its own – Benjamin Harrison School 2 in Chatham Arch – and enlarged to include middle school students through eighth grade.

School 27 will open next fall with grades kindergarten through five. One additional grade level will be added each year until the school reaches K-8.

Collier said that, like its sister schools, the new school will use the methods of the International Baccalaureate Programme, which has been described as “research-based with an eye on best practices gleaned from experienced international schools to create a relevant, engaging, challenging and significant educational framework for all children.” CFI at School 27 will not be eligible for acceptance into the International Baccalaureate Programme until it has three years of work under its belt. School 2 was accepted into the prestigious Swiss-based program in 2007 and is the only elementary-middle school in Indiana to have that distinction.

School 2 is no stranger to national honors, having received the Magnet School of Distinction award in both 2007-08 and 2009-10, the Magnet School of Excellence Award in 2008-09, and the National Blue Ribbon Award in 2009.

Collier praised the IPS superintendent, Dr. Eugene White, and the school board for recognizing the worth of the CFI programs. “They have been responsive to the parental demand for inquiry-based instruction and the International Baccalaureate Programme,” Collier said.

She also pointed out that while Charity Dye School 27 has the capacity for about 400 students, it currently has only about 200 on its rolls. “It is a very underutilized building,” Collier said.

The current School 27 staff will be reassigned, although any of the teachers can apply for positions with the Center for Inquiry. Collier stressed, however, that teachers are screened carefully for their suitability to the CFI system of learning.

Magnet fairs planned. Information on the Center for Inquiry programs, as well as other IPS magnet programs, will be featured at two events this month at the Arsenal Technical High School Cafeteria.

The first, Magnet Mania, will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3. The second, Magnet Roundup, is set for 9 a.m. to noon Saturday, Nov. 13.

LEARNING ABOUT CFI. Interested families are invited to tour either School 2 or 84 on the first and third Fridays of each month through April. The tours begin at 9:30 a.m. at School 2 (call 226-4202 to make arrangements) and 12:30 p.m. at School 84 (call 226-4284.)