Missoula mayor, county commissioners praise MCPS for equity, inclusion
We applaud Missoula County Public Schools Superintendent Rob Watson for his support for incorporating language that prioritizes understanding of equity, inclusion and respect for human diversity into the Professional Educators of Montana Code of Ethics. The recent contention surrounding this topic underscores the clear need for more education and productive discussion around it.
Prioritizing equity in education, and other fields of public service, is long overdue. The American Society for Public Administration, an organization that helps guide our work at Missoula County and the City of Missoula, also emphasizes equity in its Code of Ethics: “Strengthen social equity. Treat all persons with fairness, justice and equality and respect individual differences, rights and freedoms. Promote affirmative action and other initiatives to reduce unfairness, injustice and inequality in society.”
If we want to make real progress in this field, it’s crucial that we infuse it into our guiding ethos whenever possible. We commend Superintendent Watson for his efforts to incorporate it into the code of ethics that guides Montana educators.
We also appreciate Dr. Watson’s recognition that prioritizing equity is not intended to reduce outcomes for some students while improving outcomes for others. Rather, it reflects that not all students begin from the same starting point as they work toward those outcomes. Prioritizing equity means addressing specific needs, providing the necessary resources and assistance, and dismantling barriers where possible so we can ensure all students begin on equal footing.
A familiar example of prioritizing equity in our community is the free and reduced lunch program. Students experiencing food insecurity and hunger are often from low-income families, and a student’s ability to focus on learning is significantly compromised when their basic needs are not being met. Multiple studies have shown that as a result, these students often have lower test scores, poor attendance and decreased participation in class.
Offering free and reduced lunch addresses the specific need (hunger), provides the necessary resources and assistance (healthy meals), and dismantles a barrier (requiring full payment for the meal). By applying an equitable approach, it puts these students in a place where they are more likely to achieve higher test scores, better attendance and improved participation in class, among other outcomes.
As a longtime Montana educator, Dr. Watson has witnessed the impacts of programs like this first-hand and knows the benefits that result when educators view their work through this equity lens. We appreciate Superintendent Watson for his commitment to justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in Missoula County Public Schools, and we’re confident he will continue to encourage others to prioritize those values in his new role with the School Administrators of Montana.
Missoula County Commissioners Juanita Vero, Josh Slotnick and Dave Strohmaier; Missoula Mayor John Engen