Editor,
I would like to share several observations regarding the Feb. 22 cover story, “We Want to Be That Voice.”
First, I know the parents who have spoken out at school board meetings, and they are not opposed to diversity, equity and inclusion as these concepts are properly understood. What reasonable person is opposed to a student body that welcomes all students? The problem is not including all students and treating them equally; the problem is using the terms “diversity,” “equity” and “inclusion” to discuss issues that many parents find outside the scope of academic education.
Nowhere in the article does Keep Carmel Clay Schools Inclusive founder Sarah Penquite or Current writer Ann Marie Shambaugh describe what CCS’s DEI initiatives include. When DEI efforts discuss gender expression, gender identity and sexual orientation, many parents argue that the school has overstepped its bounds and entered into instruction that belongs in the home.
I do not suggest that parents who support DEI efforts have ill intentions; of course, they “want what’s best for their kids,” as CCS mom Amal Anthony said. Parents who oppose some aspects of DEI instruction also want what’s best for their kids. These parents are not asking the school to end all DEI efforts; they are asking that issues surrounding sexual orientation and gender identity be left to the home, where they can be discussed in a context of morals and personal values.
It would have been instructive and ingenuous for Ms. Shambaugh to also interview parents who have a different view of Carmel Clay’s DEI initiatives. These parents want to “be that voice” for their children.
Julie Link, Carmel
