By Ronda Watson Barber
OhioMBE Publisher
I’m a proud graduate of Columbus City Schools, but it pains me to see that Ohio’s largest public education system is failing our Black children and their families. Between unreliable transportation and subpar classroom conditions, the elected board and administration isn’t taking responsibility for the failure.The elected board, well-paid administration, and teachers’ union need to seriously consider their accountability, especially in light of receiving D and F grades from the Ohio Department of Education.
Not only is the district failing students, they are failing Black vendors. Columbus City Schools is not following its equity policy.
Columbus City Schools, a district where the majority of students are Black, has an equity policy mandating that 20% of district contracts go to disadvantaged businesses. However, last academic year, only $8 million out of a total expenditure of $332 million was spent with Black vendors. Why is CCS not spending more with Black vendors? Why does the elected board continue to pass legislation that overlooks Black vendors? And why does the administration propose legislation contradicting their own equity policy? Many district administrators, including the melanated Chief Operating Officer, emphasize the ‘race-neutral’ aspects of the LEDE program. However, during his tenure, the district has never met its equity goals, leading me to question if a ‘race-neutral’ stance is inherently anti-Black. The idea of ‘race neutrality’ seems to serve as a veil for underlying systemic anti-Black biases.
Columbus City Schools appears to have enabled staff and administrators to engage in practices that are biased against Black individuals and businesses. This is evident in the restrictive vendor registration process, originally set up by a former white purchasing director who sued the district for racism and then admitted in a sworn deposition to crafting policies to exclude “undesirables.” The district uniquely requires both general liability insurance and a current W-9 for vendor registration, which serves as a hurdle for small businesses. Despite being informed of these issues, the elected school board and current administration have taken no steps to address them.
District leaders appear to allow department heads to make decisions that negatively impact Black vendors without penalty. For example, the Capital Improvements department has chosen not to advertise in OhioMBE, likely due to my public criticisms of the department and its vindictive director. He behaves as though he’s spending his own money, rather than taxpayer funds. His petty actions don’t harm The 912 Group or OhioMBE; they primarily hurt our readers who rely on our platform to find contracting opportunities. I’ve had to file two formal complaints against him and another staff member for their rude and unprofessional conduct, yet there seems to be no system in place to hold staff accountable for such inappropriate behavior. Essentially, the administration seems to endorse treating Black women, who are the district’s largest stakeholder group, in any manner, without repercussions.
I find it impossible to support any forthcoming levy for Columbus City Schools.
Columbus City Schools is not only failing its students but also its Black vendors by not adhering to its own equity policy. Whether it’s the obstinate director of the Capital Improvements department who refuses to advertise in OhioMBE or the biased vendor registration process, the lack of accountability and systemic biases are unacceptable.
The district’s administration and board members have been made aware of these issues, yet choose to take no action, essentially signaling that Black lives, whether they are students or business owners, don’t matter to them. For these reasons, I cannot in good conscience support a levy that would continue to fund a system that appears to perpetuate systemic anti-Black biases and lacks both transparency and accountability.
Just my thoughts…rwb
