A few minor clashes erupted when Rep. Ryan Lauer, R-Columbus, and his Democratic rival, veteran Columbus educator Dale Nowlin, faced each other during a District 59 candidate forum hosted by the Columbus Rotary Club Monday.
One disagreement that emerged inside YES Cinema came after Lauer voiced his support of school choice because — in his words — parents know best how their child should be educated.
In response, Nowlin said GOP lawmakers like Lauer have lost sight that school choice is about giving low-income kids enrolled the opportunity to go to a better school. But now, it is about providing public funding for affluent families to send their children to private schools, which they would have done anyway with their own income, Nowlin said.
Near the end of the forum, Lauer said Indiana schools should have plans on how their teachers can succeed and move up in their careers.
“Move up in their careers?” Nowlin asked. “Right now, by state law, you can’t move up on a salary schedule. So I’m not sure what ‘move up in their careers’ mean.”
There was also a minor dispute raised by Nowlin regarding Lauer’s comment that “lawmakers should allow teachers to teach.” But Nowlin said low salary, rather than testing and other factors, is most disruptive to teaching.
Lauer also politely chided Nowlin when his challenger disputed Lauer’s claim that both of his parents were teachers.
A list of questions were posed by Bartholomew County Council president and Rotarian Matt Miller. The two candidates were given a set time to respond, but prohibited from directly debating each other on the stage.
For more on this story, including additional issues discussed during the forum, see Wednesday’s Republic.
