In Columbus and Bartholomew County, we have been engaged in community conversations about equity for three years. We are engaged in these conversations because equitable systems bring out the best in all people. But the current system results in tremendous inequity in our community. According to the US Census Bureau, in Bartholomew County:
- The neighborhood where a child is born may have a poverty rate that is 42% higher than the neighborhood next door.
- The median income in one neighborhood may be as much as $66,000 higher than another.
- A child born in one Bartholomew County neighborhood will die 17.3 years earlier, on average, than a child born in a different part of our community.
For these reasons, conversations about inequitable systems are important for all members of the community, including in our schools. Recent legislation passed by the Indiana House of Representatives (House Bill 1134) would suspend or revoke the license of a teacher who engages students in meaningful discussion about systemic inequity. Educational activities specifically addressing racial equity would be banned if any student were to be made to feel discomfort, guilt, or anguish.
We are opposed to this legislation because:
- It is unnecessary. The schools in our community are available and open to conversations with parents who have questions or concerns about classroom curriculum and activities. We trust our professional teachers and live and work beside them. If we have questions, we contact our schools and teachers. We have a successful record of working through challenges, disagreements, and misunderstandings as a community. All of which have strengthened us.
- It creates unnecessary busywork for teachers who are already overburdened. The bill requires local educators to waste time and energy posting every classroom educational activity to a website.
- Most importantly, we are committed to addressing the inequity in our community and need our schools to engage in that work. Not only is BCSC the largest educational organization in our community, but it is also a top 5 employer in our county. We cannot address equity without our schools as partners.
The ideas behind this bill have moved to Indiana’s Senate. Local Senator Greg Walker (R-Columbus) stated publicly that he does not see the need for this legislation and does not support its passage. We applaud his stance and ask other legislators to oppose this bill.
We are engaged in this conversation because where children live should not determine their outcomes and potential in life. We are driven to become the most equitable community for children in the nation.
Respectfully,
Joy King, Convener, Imagine Columbus
Mark Stewart, President, United Way of Bartholomew County
Jim Lienhoop, Mayor, City of Columbus
Dr. Jim Roberts, Superintendent, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.
Chad Phillips, Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp.
Tracy Souza, President, Heritage Fund of Bartholomew County
Julie Abedian, VP Community Partnerships, Healthy Communities
John Burnett, CEO, Community Education Coalition
Tom Harmon, CEO, Taylor Brothers Construction
Johnnie Edwards, President, NAACP
Aida Ramirez JD, Director, Human Rights, City of Columbus
Chuck Kime, Executive Director, Foundation for Youth
Heather Carson, Director, Council for Youth Development
Amy London, President, Columbus Educators Association
