Public Education Under Fire
Friends and Constituents,
I hope you’re well. I’m dealing with a ridiculously painful and immobilizing pinched nerve in my neck, but it’s getting better!
This week’s newsletter focuses on the large increase in taxes you might be paying starting next year. No, not the wheel tax. The much BIGGER hit to your wallets that’s on the ballot in November: the IPS referendum.
Watch the short intro video and then keep reading:
If you haven’t been paying attention, let’s catch you up.
For decades, right-wing billionaires and their Democrat-In-Name-Only allies have been working to bust the teachers’ unions and gain themselves access to the millions of dollars flowing into public schools, via privatizing public schools and making off with the money.
Walking ghoul Brandon Brown of The Mind Trust spoke very openly about this on the CharterFolk podcast back in 2024: he worked with Republicans like Greg Ballard and Democrats like Bart Peterson and Joe Hogsett alike to slowly chip away at public education and siphon more and more tax dollars into private hands with private boards overseeing them. (Watch my previous video about this here).
But Joe Hogsett, working with the Republicans he shares a donor pool with, has pushed these privatizers’ dreams further along than they ever could have hoped.
He lobbied the state legislature to create the Indianapolis Local Education Alliance, then appointed a board majority that would be overwhelmingly friendly to charter schools. He paid a donor and friend of his, Michael O’Connor, hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to oversee this kangaroo court. (Watch my previous video about that part here).
At the end of 2025, he totally steamrolled community opposition and recommended that the state legislature adopt a totally anti-democratic mechanism that would leave him alone in charge of education in IPS’s territory.
At the beginning of 2026, 24 out of 25 Councilors voted to approve a pro-privatization Council president - I alone opposed this move. (Watch my previous video about that here).
Then at the Statehouse this year, the legislature pushed through an even worse result than the ILEA had lobbied for. The new IPEC board - a totally unaccountable board answerable only to Mayor Hogsett and not to voters or taxpayers - would only have three public school advocates on its nine-member board.
Somehow, Joe Hogsett made this awful result even worse - every single one of the people he chose as appointees to this board had deep ties to charter schools.
Indianapolis Public Schools presented a plan to the IPEC board to ask for IPEC’s permission to push for a tax referendum. In previous years, charter authorizers lied and pretended that they considered IPS valuable partners. But the Chamber of Commerce and major charter backers opposed this plan in 2026 and only agreed to a referendum that, even if it passes would still leave IPS short $20 million every year, forcing our public school system to lay off teachers and close schools - all while new charters are still being approved.
Thanks to Hogsett and his band of crooks, 60 different charter schools - which have boards totally unelected and unaccountable to taxpayers and voters - will receive over $40 million in taxpayer dollars if this referendum passes.
Constituents expressed a great deal of frustration over the wheel tax proposal. But for almost all people in IPS’s district, this referendum would be a far larger hit to their finances. The proposed referendum rate would be 37.2 cents per $100 of assessed value on all homes - about double what IPS is currently receiving from an expiring referendum. People whose homes are valued at $150,000 a year would be paying $105 more every year, with no increase to the quality of education - since the increase is essentially all eaten up by privately operated schools.
Charter schools are able to use this money however their boards approve - it’s not up to the voters.
Some charter schools in Indiana have simply stolen money. More than one, in fact. Actually, it seems to have happened quite a bit!
Others have simply cheated on tests to cover poor education standards.
And a third of them have simply failed to deliver, causing them to close.
What recourse do taxpayers have for this poor behavior?
Perhaps Joe Hogsett will ask his ethics commission!
This issue has not been top of mind for most constituents I’ve spoken to, despite its massive impact. I’m working to hold a public hearing as part of the City-County Council Education Committee (which has met only one time so far in 2026 and which cancelled its scheduled meeting for next week). At the hearing, I want to hear from proponents and advocates for the referendum, as well as those who are opposed to it.
I’m personally very reluctant to support this major ask for taxpayers, given the totally unacceptable way the money will be spent. But I truly believe that IPS could collapse in full if the referendum doesn’t pass.
Let me know what YOU think about this issue so that I can know how you’re feeling!
And don’t forget to chip in a few dollars to help me keep fighting next year. We need a new Mayor and a lot of new Councilors if we want to get the change that will be needed to save IPS and build a public education system that isn’t owned and operated by fraudsters.
Have a great week. Next week, I go hard againstJoe Hogsett and will invite you to come tell him to his face how you feel about him at the August 10th City County Council meeting.
In love and solidarity,
Jesse
MONTHLY LOG!Wednesday 7/1: Met with an attorney from the southside who had been active in fighting the Franklin Township data center. Attended the MDC hearing and CAC rally against data centers.
Thursday 7/2: Independents Day event at the Statehouse with Ben Davis. Lunch with Ben and friends. Had to miss a coffee meeting. Met with a guy named Seth Patton working to make a small amendment to municipal code to allow a few small non-pedal-powered electric carts to operate downtown.
Friday 7/3: Canceled a few meetings due to having an awful headache. Slept it off. Dealt with even more frustrating DSA drama.
Saturday 7/4: Caught up on housework and correspondence.
Sunday 7/5: Met with a few constituents who had a longtime family connection to socialism in Indianapolis to discuss the frustrating DSA issues. Led a training session for Ben Davis in Lafayette. Wrote my weekly constituent video and newsletter.
Monday 7/6: Full Council meeting!
Tuesday 7/7: Therapy. Took the bus to the northwest side for a Know Your Rights training for tenant organizers, put on by GIMA and the Validus Movement. SPI meeting.
Wednesday 7/8: Got a matcha at Recess and talked to the owners about neighborhood issues and their experience as small business owners thus far. Had coffee with Mitch Gore to discuss political differences and how to work together despite them. Talked with a DSA comrade from California about local problems. Met with Kye Benford, from the Indiana Young Democrats, to catch up. Spent some time working to fix a few problems with two bikes I have.
Thursday 7/9: Caught up on correspondence and housework; canceled a few meetings to focus on self-care and mental health de-stressing. Did some more work on the bikes, including changing a bike tire by myself for the first time (yes, I know!). Chatted with a new friend who ran for office this year in Fort Wayne.
Friday 7/10: Got coffee with a retired police officer who lives further east than my district who had sent me an angry email about the wheel tax. Spent almost two hours discussing frustrations with politics and the city, life experiences, and where we agreed and disagreed. As usual, we agreed on quite a bit, and I learned a lot from the areas of disagreement. Party business call. Got a beer with a constituent who was alarmed and sad about the issues within DSA he had seen. Therapy session. “Swoletariat” walk and talk with my wife and a good friend.
Saturday 7/11: Spent too much time dealing with DSA issues that were causing massive problems in my personal life due to frankly abusive behavior from several chapter leaders locally.
Sunday 7/12: Sixth session in Lafayette for Ben Davis. Newsletter and video. Laundry.
Monday 7/13: Had a video call with a Black minister I had previously met at the People’s Caucus, to discuss how to get involved in local politics and what it means to fight for the people. Went to the Listen To Our Future ambassador program showcase to meet teenagers who had completed summer internships and listen to their perspective on what they learned and why it was important. Attended the Metropolitan Economic Development Committee meeting.
Tuesday 7/14: Therapy. Met a constituent for coffee to be interviewed for a Master’s project. Recorded a podcast with my dear friend Fran.
Wednesday 7/15: Protested at the DC Blox MDC meeting with constituents. Met with the new head of Community East and other regional hospitals for the first time. Attempted to take the bus to get a beer with a friend, but the heat and a delay caused me to bail.
Thursday 7/16: Got stood up for a coffee meeting. Met with a brilliant young man who will be interning with me over the next college semester. Attended the NESCO Land Use Committee to figure out the best ways to fight the new gas station at 16th and Emerson.
Friday 7/17: Party business. Correspondence catchup. Filed to intervene in the Dutch Brothers issues in front of the MDC. Swoletariat walk and talk.
Saturday 7/18: Attended the MCANA meeting to hear IMPD Chief Tanya Terry’s presentation, to discuss data centers, and to support a constituent with a longstanding frustration over code enforcement and inspections. Went on an afternoon date to the pool (had to go to MLK Park, since Brookside Park pool was closed!) Chatted over an Old Style with my Deputy Councilor for Urbanist Affairs, Will Hazen, to hear what new items needed my attention. Spoke on a nationwide call with socialists fighting for independence from the Democratic Party.
Sunday 7/19: Final training in Lafayette. Newsletter and video!
Monday 7/20: Walked the picket line with Vestis workers on strike. Had a run-in with an off-duty IMPD officer that I wrote about later. Got coffee with the local head of LISC to discuss development and community. Chatted with my DPW Liaison Zach about a number of different DPW issues in the City. Got a beer with Councilor Andy Nielsen to discuss our mutual frustrations with the Wheel Tax issue.
Tuesday 7/21: Therapy rescheduled due to a fire in her office! IMPD Downtown District biweekly call. Got lunch with my friend Alex who was recently fired by a corrupt mayor we both know. Called to welcome many people to socialist organizing. Attended the Community Land Trust board meeting. SPI call.
Wednesday 7/22: Met virtually to discuss the Dutch Brothers coffee shop proposal asking for a variance on East Washington. Supported my constituent Jakob Morales, who is working in his duties as the Advocacy Chair of Central Indiana Cycling to push for urbanist and active transportation modifications to the proposal. Therapy. Met with a digital ads expert for help on campaigns this year and next. Chatted with Wes, a person who had testified at the Council very well earlier in the month, about Indianapolis politics. Helped an elderly constituent protect a tree on his property that was improperly marked for removal by the City. Chatted with two constituents who have a really fantastic idea/product to help iterate and improve upon South Bend’s pre-approved housing stock program.
Thursday 7/23: Chatted with a new friend and supporter on the northwest side planning to run for office next year. Chatted with Taylor from the IBJ about my ethics proposal; attended the Ethics committee meeting. I had been dealing with a pinched nerve in my neck that was making a finger on my left hand numb and making my neck a little sore; today it got far worse and suddenly started causing massive pain in my arm. Rescheduled therapy. Chatted with a chef interested in getting more involved in socialist organizing. Ethics committee meeting mentioned in last week’s email. Briefly attended a fundraiser zoom call for Cori Bush and Rashida Tlaib, who were both turning 50.
Friday 7/24: Was supposed to be a guest on the Morning Fellowship but had to cancel as the pinched nerve was excruciating. Party business call. Had to skip Swoletariat Walk and Talk due to the pinched nerve. Wrote some proposed bylaws for SPI.
Saturday 7/25: Attended Neighbor Power at IU Indianapolis. Very briefly stopped by Holy Cross’s Wine and Cheese fest - sadly they had sold out of cheese before we arrived and we were hungry, so we ended up eating at La Parada. Had to reschedule my planned overnight ridealong with IMPD due to the pinched nerve.
Sunday 7/26: Chatted with Lucas over bylaws. Weekly newsletter and video. Laundry day.
Monday 7/27: Met the leadership of the Indianapolis Center for Conflict Resolution. This is an amazing group of people who can help with virtually any type of conflict - from neighbors arguing about who has to trim the tree along the property line, to anger that risks spilling over into violence. Their services are free at the point of use - please call them if you have any need! Attended a ridealong with the CLCR (Clinician-Led Community Response) team. Learned a ton about this awesome program. They are now working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, across Marion County. All you need to do to get their support is call 911 and ask for a clinician to be sent instead of a police officer. The team I spent a few hours with said they had never once been afraid on a run, though there were a very few times they needed armed police to take over due to psychosis in the person they were trying to help. The entire program has never once had to use their “panic” button; not once have they shown up and made the problem worse, anywhere in the city. Truly fantastic work that is saving lives and helping make police officers’ jobs easier and safer as well. Chatted with a new socialist organizer. Called to schedule some physical therapy for my pinched nerve. Found out my former comrades in CINDSA had voted this evening to condemn me in absentia, despite the fact that I had formally quit DSA weeks prior.
Tuesday 7/28: No therapy this week - poor timing, as I woke up to a libelous newspaper article about me that repeated lies from a person lying about his name. Got stood up on a video call. Tried to take the day off to breathe and deal with the attacks against me. First physical therapy appointment, where they took some X-rays of my spine. Apparently I have calcifying cartilage in my neck and arthritis developing there as well! The doctor thinks it can be fixed and cared for with physical therapy, and it’s good to know the problem wasn’t just psychosomatic. Still, it feels unfair to have arthritis at 40. You can see how privileged I’ve been in terms of health and disability issues for me to feel that way! Attended CHIP’s State of Homelessness presentation - which deeply disturbed me in the way it hid and downplayed the serious failures of our city to meet goals in housing people. Attended the NESCO monthly board meeting.
Wednesday 7/29: Chatted with a couple comrades from the Twin Cities who had very similar experiences with DSA. Talked to an attorney about defamation lawsuits. Forced myself to take an evening off and play computer games online with some friends.
Thursday 7/30: Got lunch with a friend and comrade I hadn’t talked to in months. Shared updates about what was going on in our lives. Went to see The Odyssey at the Kan-Kan for date night this week. Tried not to be totally sucked into the character assassination campaign.
Friday 7/31: Chatted with a reporter about more corruption in the Hogsett administration that hasn’t yet been reported on. Party business. Physical therapy session that hurt like hell but seems to have helped a lot. Did a ten hour shift with Downtown District IMPD officers from 4 pm to 2 am. (Ironically on the same shift as Councilor Michael-Paul Hart, though we didn’t see each other all night. I’ll share a lot more thoughts about the excellent experience I had later!)
As a reminder, I send these updates about how I spend my time to you because you pay my salary. I appreciate any and all feedback you have! What am I not doing enough of? What do you want to see more focus on? How can I better serve you?