Marion County Democrats

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - The mayor of Indianapolis oversees charter schools, but otherwise has little influence over public education. Mayoral candidate Melina Kennedy wants to change that.

The Democratic candidate for Indianapolis mayor believes that the job of making sure kids graduate from high school falls, in part, to the mayor. She said that if she wins the race, she will appoint a cabinet-level education officer.

In a speech to the downtown Sertoma Club, Kennedy accused Republican Mayor Greg Ballard of a lack of leadership.

"First," she said, "we must have a mayor who is fully engaged in public education."

We found Ballard campaigning at Forest Creek Village on the south side, where he brushed off the criticism.

"I'm actually optimistic about education in the city," said the GOP Mayor. "I really am."

But Kennedy will seek to convince voters that a mayor could help expand literacy programs and use city dollars to launch a pilot program for pre-kindergarten students.

"We think it could be at least a thousand kids," she said, "but that's to be determined over the course of looking at some other models. The important thing is we need to start."

Jobs and public safety will likely be the top issues in this race. On that, both candidates agree. If education joins them, Ballard said he still believes he has the high ground.

"You know, the fact that I don't get out and pontificate and get up on a high horse doesn't mean this isn't getting done," he said. "A lot of this is getting done."

Kennedy points to graduation and unemployment rates to make the argument that more needs to be done to help schools in Indianapolis.

This is the second of four policy announcements from Kennedy in this campaign season. She already put out a public safety plan. She said plans on jobs and neighborhoods are forthcoming.

Ballard, meantime, holds to the theory that he is quietly getting things done. But with Kennedy’s more aggressive, he may be compelled to speak up in the next few weeks.