Thea Bowman Leadership Academy believes that educated citizens emerge as the true leaders of a community.

What are public charter schools? Simply, they are public schools operated by a local group. Charter schools are designed and operated by private citizens, called organizers, who seek to educate the students enrolled in a specialized way. The contract is awarded by an authorizer (sometimes called the sponsor) established by state law. In Indiana, the mayor of Indianapolis, some local school boards and Ball State University are the current official authorizers. Public school funding follows the students enrolled in the charter school. The organizers can decide how that money is to be spent, the curriculum, the staff and the teaching method.

The emphasis of Thea Bowman Leadership Academy is academic excellence. The basic curriculum is the Core Knowledge Sequence which outlines specific themes to be taught simultaneously across all the disciplines to provide a solid, coherent foundation for learning. The instructional method utilizes the Paidei school principles which include student-centered classrooms, self-governing students poised for lifelong learning, technology integrated into each content area. Manipulatives are emphasized as well as Socratic seminars and nurturing in the fine arts, music, physical education. Like the different sweets in a candy store, due to its smaller size, a charter school can shape the curriculum to the exact needs of its student body.

The organizers of the Thea Bowman Academy believe that educated citizens emerge as the true leaders of a community. Consequently, throughout the curriculum and daily activities of the school, the concept of leadership will be central to student learning and action. Since another basic belief is that the true leader is one who serves his fellow man, civic and family leadership will be emphasized in the early grades, and an introduction to business, professional and entrepreneurial leadership in the upper grades.