About 500 charter school students and parents have rallied at the statehouse in hopes of beating back an effort to block new charters.

Charter school supporters borrowed the logo of the old ABC series "Schoolhouse Rock" for a sea of light-blue T-shirts reading, "Charter Schools Rock!" Cheerleaders and performing arts students from charters in Indy, Richmond, Lafayette and South Bend showed off what they've learned, while two state senators and state school superintendent Tony Bennett praised their work.

But the biggest endorsement came from a passerby who wasn't even on the program. Governor Mitch Daniels told the crowd he hadn't been aware of the rally until he spotted it on his way out of the statehouse, but he pledged his full support.

"Your initiative and your bravery and your willingness to stick to it, against frankly ridiculous obstacles, is something I admire very much," Daniels said.

House Democrats' education budget includes a moratorium on authorizing new charters. Senate Republicans have vowed to strip that provision, and Daniels says he wants legislators to repeal an existing law allowing the mayor of Indianapolis to approve no more than five new charters per year.

Indianapolis is the only city in the nation whose mayor has the power to authorize charter schools. Local school boards and state universities also have that power, and Ball State has been particularly active in using it.

Daniels and state school superintendent Tony Bennett note President Obama has been a vocal supporter of charter schools.

The group Indiana Families for Public Virtual Schools wants to let parents choose online instruction if there aren't any charters near them.

 

The orchestra from Christel House Academy in Indianapolis performs at the statehouse; March 23, 2009.  (WIBC.com photo: Eric Berman)