A Drive and Passion for Educating
Claire Fiddian-Green’s road to success intersects with an avenue to educate young scholars
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Throughout her life and career, one major theme has constantly led Claire Fiddian-Green on her journey.
This focused, dynamic, well-spoken woman appears reserved at first glance. But when she speaks, it’s clear that her passion is the equity of education for every child — an idea that was solidified early in her life as she came to her own challenging crossroads.
Fiddian-Green, recently appointed executive director of the newly formed Indiana Charter School Board, is on the road to realizing her goal to empower every child to be successful in school and enjoy a better quality of life.
“I believe that everybody should have equal access to excellent educational options regardless of their ZIP code, their income level or their family circumstances,” stresses Fiddian-Green, 39.
“The root of everything is education; it is the foundation upon which everything else grows. So if we can build a stronger, higher-quality education system that meets the needs of every student, then our state will be well positioned for a brighter future.”
It’s a tall order and not necessarily a new one.
“Why education?” Fiddian-Green asks rhetorically. “In my own personal experience, it was the ticket to my future. I think that’s true for everybody — especially children from challenging circumstances.”
Educational roots
As the second daughter born to Richard and Prunella Fiddian-Green, Claire Fiddian-Green’s childhood was marked with an expansive view of the world and a wide range of educational opportunities afforded by the private schools she attended.
Fiddian-Green was born in London while her father completed surgical training, yet she traces her family roots to Cape Town, South Africa. Her family moved to the United States after Richard accepted a position with the University of Michigan. She was 4 years old at the time.
Another career move landed the family in North Grafton, Mass., when Richard accepted a position at the University of Massachusetts.
Fiddian-Green says she is fortunate that her parents placed a high value on education. “I was very lucky to have the educational opportunities that I did growing up,” says Fiddian-Green, who attended private schools throughout elementary and high school. “And I had parents that valued education and were able to provide those opportunities.”
It was that foundation that was crucial in shaping her passion for education, as well as propelling her through one of the most difficult periods of her life, she recalls.
During her sophomore year at Brown, Fiddian-Green’s father was diagnosed with a serious illness, and the family found itself unexpectedly in a financial crisis.
“My two sisters, Alice and Nina, and I became financially independent,” Fiddian-Green says. “I had to work while going to school full time. So my last two years of college, I was working 30 hours a week — in retail, student food services and babysitting — while I was taking a full course load.
“It forced me to really assess what my values were — whether to drop out and find a full-time job,” she recalls.
“But I wanted to complete college.”
It was a turning point that continues to shape her, Fiddian-Green says.
“Having had the luxury of going to private school, all of a sudden I had to think, Now this is my choice, and I have to find a way to pay for this. And that was what instilled in me that an education was my anchor.”
Making a move
In 1995, Fiddian-Green’s focus and determination paid off when she graduated from Brown University with degrees in political science and Russian studies.
Later, while working at a management-consulting firm in Massachusetts, she met her future husband, Troy Hege, a Hoosier from Woodburn, Ind., just outside of Fort Wayne. There was an immediate connection, she recalls.
“We knew pretty quickly and became engaged and married a year later,” Fiddian-Green says.
While earning her MBA at Columbia University, Fiddian-Green took an internship with Eli Lilly and Co., an experience that led to an offer as a full-time senior financial analyst for the pharmaceutical company. Her decision to join Lilly prompted the couple to establish roots in Indianapolis.
Fiddian-Green and Hege, who is project director for BioCrossroads, are now the proud parents of 8-year-old Xavier and 6-year-old Olivia.
Defining a path
Throughout high school and her career, Fiddian-Green has been continually engaged in some form of community service or volunteer work. Two of her summers were devoted to volunteering in South Africa.
“It was in part through these volunteer experiences that I formed a strong belief in the power of an excellent education to uplift a child, their family, and the community in which they live,” she says.
It wasn’t until Fiddian-Green joined the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation as its grants officer that she discovered education as a career passion, with an emphasis on K-12 education reform.
The foundation awards grants, including those related to education and health, to boost the vitality of Indianapolis. “It behooves us to have well-educated people especially in a democracy like the United States, where people are voting and engaged in shaping the policy landscape,” she says.
Fiddian-Green’s vision for being involved in education reform was further crystallized when she was hired as president of The Mind Trust, an organization dedicated to improving education for underserved children by focusing on developing entrepreneurial leaders.
It was here that Fiddian-Green forged more connections with other education advocates.
Leonard Betley, chair and president of the Fairbanks Foundation and Fiddian-Green’s mentor and former employer, calls her a “remarkable woman.”
“Claire is a person that has a commitment to the community’s overall good,” Betley says. “She feels that education is a key. We are lucky to have her in our community. Look at how she’s moved from Lilly, the Fairbanks Foundation, The Mind Trust and onto executive director of this government agency and is making a real impact, which says something about Indianapolis as well as her.”
The admiration is shared.
“I consider Leonard to be a huge influence on my life and my evolving leadership style,” Fiddian-Green says. “I think he’s a wonderful example of what leadership should be and is. I would definitely consider him one of my great mentors.”
Leaving an imprint
Prior to her appointment as executive director of the Indiana Charter School Board, Fiddian-Green learned the importance of tirelessly advocating for students.
One of her top priorities in her various roles has been identifying schools and programs that work.
For example, with the support of The Mind Trust and Fiddian-Green’s diligent work, Earl Martin Phalen launched the Summer Advantage program in 2009. Although he had originally planned to start the program in 2010, Phalen was able to initiate it a year early after he was awarded The Mind Trust Entrepreneurial Fellowship.
Summer Advantage, which helps students gain an academic edge during summer break, is among the programs Fiddian-Green has praised for its successful and innovative support of students in grades K through 8.
The program, which served 4,000 Indiana students this year, was recently recognized by the White House initiative United We Serve, as well as Time and Parents magazines for its growing success.
“While Claire was with The Mind Trust, she was a huge champion in helping us address strategic issues about how to grow as a better organization, how to attract more resources to support the work that we’re doing with our children and how to build our relationships with strategic partners,” Phalen says.
“She’s so passionate about educating every child, so creative — it’s great to have a partner like that.”
The Knowledge Is Power Program, a national network of free, open-enrollment college prep schools, also has benefited from Fiddian-Green’s influence.
Emily Pelino, KIPP Indy school leader (a principal under the KIPP charter-school model), says it’s evident that Fiddian-Green wants quality schools for all kids.
“Claire’s perspective and understanding of working with organizations and goal setting has just really been incredible as we think about specifically improving our school here locally,” Pelino says of Fiddian-Green, who is a KIPP Indy board member. “I’m very impressed with her drive, her expectations and her ability to see what’s possible and how we’re going to get there.”
David Mann, board chair for KIPP Indy, also is pleased to have Fiddian-Green in a leadership role.
“Claire can get things done quickly, and she’s also very smart,” Mann says. “There are people on the board that act as sounding boards for me — and she’s one of those people.”
Mann says Fiddian-Green’s financial and strategic skills were instrumental in creating a plan that detailed the school’s mission, vision and goals.
“And she knows how to build relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders,” he adds. “Whether it’s school leaders, government officials or politicians, she has the ability to build that rapport across the board — on both sides of aisle — which is important for what she’s now doing.
“I’m excited for her new startup.”
New opportunity
It seems all of Fiddian-Green’s experiences have prepared her for this current professional endeavor: building a new entity from the ground up.
On June 6, she started as founding executive director for the Indiana Charter School Board, a new statewide authorizer, or sponsor, for charter schools. Nearly four weeks later, the board became official.
“Board members are being selected right now for four-year terms, so it’s an exciting startup phase we are in,” Fiddian-Green says.
Members of the Charter School Board are appointed by the governor, the superintendent of public instruction, and the House and Senate minority and majority leaders, as required by law.
“Our staff will probably grow as we get a portfolio of schools that we are overseeing,” she says. “We’ll have to have people in the field helping with accountability of those schools.”
Once the board members are in place, Fiddian-Green wants to quickly set plans in motion.
“I’m starting work on the application and accountability framework for the charter-school board,” she says. “So when the board members do get appointed, we’ll be up and running as soon as possible so we can start accepting applications from interested charter-school applicants.”
Part of the application process is for the school leadership to identify the instructional model and the goals it will seek to achieve.
There tends to be some confusion among the public about the difference between charter schools and traditional district schools. Charter schools are public schools that have the autonomy to design and operate their schools as they see fit. However, charter schools are then held to high performance accountability by the charter-school authorizer. A school can be shut down due to failure to meet these standards.
“The promise of charter schools is that innovative models can be adopted, leading to more and better schooling options for students,” Fiddian-Green says.
“It’s our responsibility as adults to do everything we can to ensure that every school should be a high-performing school so that every child has access to an excellent education,” she adds.
Overseeing charter schools
Fiddian-Green feels lucky to be able to look at other authorizers from around the country as she creates an initial charter-school application for the Indiana Charter School Board’s review and approval.
“The most important decision is to accept or decline those applicants based on the application, ensuing interviews and a public hearing as required by the law,” Fiddian-Green says.
As the authorizer, the Indiana Charter School Board makes the final decision.
“A charter school is a multimillion-dollar organization that is charged with educating kids,” Fiddian-Green explains. “Its board of directors enters into a contract, called a charter, with the authorizer. The board is then responsible for ensuring that the school meets its charter and adheres to all laws.”
That can mean everything from complying with health and safety codes and Title I to special education laws and providing a higher quality instructional environment.
Preparing for the school’s opening also means finding a facility, hiring teachers and recruiting students. Fiddian-Green admits it’s a huge amount of work to start and operate a school.
“Then it’s time for the school to work its magic,” she says.
Daily passions
In her spare time, the education advocate and busy mom enjoys bringing music into her household.
Her vocal talents were put to use as a singer with the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir before life heated up with an increasingly busy schedule. “I like almost any genre of music: jazz, opera, rock ’n’ roll… Lady Gaga is a favorite of mine,” she says with a laugh. “And we sing silly songs with our kids that they learn at camp and play piano.”
As she has in the past, she continues to make room in her schedule for volunteering.
She has been involved with a group called Connected by 25, which is operated through the United Way of Central Indiana and provides support to foster youth leaving the child welfare system. She also sits on the investment committee for the Indianapolis Museum of Art.
Through it all, she remains steadfast in her belief that education is the key to making a difference.
“As one of my heroes, former president of South Africa Nelson Mandela, said, ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world,’” Fiddian-Green quotes.
What Drives the Charter School Movement?
Charter schools are public schools that came about in the 1990s. There is open enrollment so that anyone who wants to apply for admission can do so. The term “charter school” refers to the contract between the charter school and the sponsor or authorizer.
“Charter schools can deliver instruction and operate the school the way they think is best,” says Claire Fiddian-Green, newly appointed executive director of the Indiana Charter School Board. “In exchange, they are held to very high accountability standards. They need to perform and adhere to the terms of their contract, or their charter can be revoked.”
Currently, there are two primary sponsors in Indiana. The Indianapolis Mayor’s Office of Education Innovation, which authorizes schools within Marion County, was launched under former mayor Bart Peterson when the Indiana charter law was passed in 2001.
Ball State University’s Office of Charter Schools is a statewide authorizer.
The Indiana Charter School Board will add a second statewide sponsor.
In just 10 years, the number of Indiana charter schools has grown to 62 schools.
