DID YOU KNOW?

March 2005

Did you know that after her controversial 1.5 year tenure as the Superintendent of Indianapolis Public Schools, Dr. Zendejas considered running for Indianapolis State Superintendent of Instruction? According to Indianapolis’ alternative press paper Nuvo, Zendejas, who left IPS amid controversy to work as a consultant at Eli Lily though continuing the radio talk show launched during her IPS tenure, was one of a handful of Indianapolis republicans who considered running for the office against then two-term State Superintendent Suellen Reed. Did you know political insiders thought she didn’t stand a chance? Here’s the best paragraph from the Nuvo article:

“Derailing Zendejas These developments appear to have all but taken the wind out of the sails of former Indianapolis Public School Superintendent Esperanza Zendejas, who had publicly flirted with challenging Reed. Zendejas showed up at a recent Johnson County Lincoln Day dinner, but sat at the back of the room and didn’t mingle with the party faithful. [ . . . ] Even if Zendejas attempted to make a challenge of Reed, it would be an uphill battle. Her legacy at IPS was pockmarked with controversy, such as advocating an end of arts and physical education, to closing naturally integrated IPS School 86 in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood, to her premature exit after bitter disputes with the school board. Reed could easily frame that political equation into an “Indianapolis vs. Out-State” battle and win a convention floor fight.”

Did you know Dr. Zendejas was a member of the Indianapolis Republican Party? (We did: see the voucher article, among others, in “skeletons”). Did you know Superintendent Zendejas advocated “an end of arts and physical education”? Neither did we, but we thought you’d like to know!