• The Andrew J. Brown Charter School's mission is "to provide students with a challenging academic program." This program will develop "students' abilities to master fundamental academic skills and ultimately increase academic achievement while also instilling a sense of family, community and leadership."
• This school surveyed and identified two hundred parents who like its concept. Parents had already signed up for information sessions before the school received its charter.
• Andrew J. Brown Charter School will adopt an educational model that has won media accolades. A national publication named a similar school, which uses the same model, as one of fourteen programs across America that provide a profound learning environment

• Andrew J. Brown Charter School will offer a classical education that emphasizes mastery of basic skills and character education.
• The school will use the Saxon math curriculum, which teaches students through drill and repetition.
• Phonics and written composition will build students' oral and written skills. The school will emphasize learning through composition, rhymes, and an Accelerated reader program.
• Each month the school will focus on a certain character-building theme.
• Students will also take courses in art, music, physical education, technology, and the use of libraries.
• The school will have three branches: Lower Elementary (grades K-2), Upper Elementary (grades 3-5), and Middle School (grades 6-8). This configuration enables teachers to share ideas, activities, and resources easily within the same grades, and helps students stay in close social contact with their peers.
• School days will run from 8:00 in the morning until 3:15 in the afternoon. After-school tutoring and summer programs will also be available.

• Indiana Black Expo (IBE) and others are providing the leadership for this charter school proposal. In addition to supporting this school, IBE offers other youth services such as tutoring programs and a nine-month video production skill-building program. IBE also manages the annual Circle City Classic college football game and runs HIV/AIDS awareness programs.
• National Heritage Academies (NHA), an education management organization, will provide curriculum materials and will handle the school's administrative functions and facilities development.
• The school's founding leaders have experience in education at the university and kindergarten through twelfth grade levels, including a leader with experience supervising special education initiatives and a leader with experience designing school buildings.
• Besides educational experience, the founding leaders bring experience in community outreach, marketing, nonprofit board participation, youth program management, construction, architecture, and church leadership. They have held positions with the Indiana Pacers, Indiana Black Expo, YMCA, PUSH for Excellence, Indianapolis Public Schools, and Indiana Business College.

• The school's board of directors will, in conjunction with NHA, oversee the school's operations, assets, expenditures, policies, and procedures. This board will also ensure that the school operates according to the terms and conditions of the school's charter as well as all applicable federal and state laws.
• Board members will serve staggered terms of three years each to ensure the continuity of strong board membership. These members may include, for example, community leaders, business leaders, educators, Indiana Black Expo representatives, and parents in the community.
• Five parent/teacher committees will help shape activities and projects at the school. A teacher will provide expertise and guidance to each committee, but a parent will serve as chair of each. The committees will include Character Development, Grounds and Facilities, Library, Boosters, and Curriculum.

• The school leader will bear ultimate responsibility for managing the school's financial operations. This leader will receive assistance from NHA in creating a feasible budget, adhering to that budget, and reporting to the board.
• NHA has committed to providing the start-up funds for the school until funding payments are received.
• NHA will implement its standard set of financial tracking policies and its purchase order system at the school.
• The board will approve the budget twice a year, will review financial statements each quarter, may request financial information as often as necessary, and may obtain a yearly audit through an independent CPA as well as through the State Board of Accounts.
• The school may fundraise for operations and activities as necessary. Parent/teacher committees may also hold fundraising events for their activities.

• Indiana Black Expo and NHA will work together on community outreach to inform the community about the school and to attract students. The school will recruit families through a variety of methods. These methods will include, for example, parent information meetings, radio and television promotions, Circle City Classic radio spots, press releases, publicity at IBE's Family Fun Fest, and communications with real estate offices, child care centers, pre-schools, recreation leagues, service clubs, and "welcome wagon" organizations.
• Parents who inquire about enrollment will receive applications by mail or fax. The school will provide a thirty-day enrollment period that it will publish in a local newspaper.
• The school will offer transportation services in order to make its campus widely accessible.

Name and Proposed Position of Applicants

• Joyce Q. Rogers —Authorized Representative
• Dr. Tom L. Brown—Board Member
• Joseph Davis—Board Member
• Kathryn A. Jordan—Board Member
• Fredrick J. Green—Board Member
• Rev. Charles Williams—Board Member

Capacities Represented by Applicants (by topic area)

Education

• Kathryn Jordan has taught at the K-12 level as part of Indiana University's Teacher Corps. She has taught reading and computational skills.
• Thomas Brown has served as the Director of Special Education Projects for the Indianapolis Public Schools.
• Thomas Brown has taught at the post-secondary level (Martin University) and has served as the Director of Admissions and Recruitment at a post-secondary institution.
• Kathryn Jordan has worked as the Director of Education – Academic Dean for Clark College Training Center.
• Fred Green works with an architectural firm that, in part, designs, renovates, and newly constructs school buildings and campuses.

Training

• Kathryn Jordan has a master's degree in the education field and has certification in secondary education with an endorsement in special education.
• Thomas Brown has a "Certification for Counseling" from Prairie View A & M University.

Other Youth Work

• Kathryn Jordan has worked with a number of youth programs at the YMCA.
• Charles Williams was Chairman of PUSH for Excellence Month when over 5,000 high school students pledged to push for excellence in their schoolwork.
• Thomas Brown is a pastor at Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church.

Management

• Joseph Davis is Senior Vice President of Operations for Indiana Business College.
• Thomas Brown has acted as Director of the Indiana Christian Leadership Conference and is a pastor at his church.
• Kathryn Jordan was Office Manager for the Indiana Black Expo. She was the sole employee responsible for day-to-day operations.
• Fred Green is Senior Client Services Director for the architectural firm, Paul I. Cripe. He has extensive experience in educational construction.
• Charles Williams is President of the Indiana Black Expo. As President, he has reorganized the organization, eliminated its deficit, and doubled revenues.

Training

• Joseph Davis has a bachelor's degree in business administration and a master's degree in business.
• Charles Williams majored in public administration.

Entrepreneurship

• Kathryn Jordan founded and serves as President of the Pacers Foundation.
• Charles Williams expanded IBE's community base and revived the organization's finances. He founded the Circle City Classic and presided over creation of a Youth Institute to train youth in media and technology.

Fundraising

• Thomas Brown has served as a grant evaluator for a number of organizations, including Indianapolis Public Schools.
• Kathryn Jordan was responsible for raising construction funds for Indianapolis' Landmark for Peace monument.
• Charles Williams founded the Circle City Classic, an annual collegiate football game that raises scholarship money.

Finance / Accounting

• Joseph Davis is currently Vice President of Operations at Indiana Business College. He has also been a loan officer at American Fletcher National Bank and currently sits on the Career College Association's Financing Committee.

Marketing / Public Relations

• Kathryn Jordan is Vice President of Communications for Pacers Sports and Entertainment. In this role she supervises the Pacers Foundation and the Advertising, Media Relations, and Community Relations Departments.
• Joseph Davis has served as Vice President of Marketing for Indiana Business College.
• Charles Williams worked as Special Assistant to the Mayor and was responsible for coordinating community relations efforts.

Legal Expertise

• Joyce Rogers is a lawyer.

Nonprofit Governance

• Thomas Brown is on the board of the Indiana AIDS Fund and is Chairman of the Board of the Indiana State Council of Opportunities Industrialization Centers of America. He is also CEO of the Ebenezer Church Foundation, where he serves as a pastor.
• Joseph Davis has sat on a number of boards, including those of the Indiana Association of Private Career Schools, the Career College Association, the Indianapolis Athletic Club Sports Foundation, and the American Business Club.
• Kathryn Jordan sits on the boards of the Eiteljorg Museum, the Indianapolis Children's Bureau, and the Indianapolis YWCA. She also serves on the Governor's Task Force for a Drug-Free Indiana.
• Charles Williams sits on the boards of the Downtown Promotion Council, Indiana Convention and Visitors Association, Indiana Christian Leadership Conference, Winona Hospital, White River State Park Development Commission, Greater Indianapolis Progress Committee, and Pacers Foundation.

Training

• Charles Williams majored in public administration at Indiana State University.