Equity in education is often misunderstood. Frequently I hear or read about ‘equity’ in education as ensuring all students have the opportunity to go to a school that offers instruction in literacy, mathematics, technology, and all the other content areas along with advanced courses to enroll in if they so desire. While there can be no equity if not every child has an opportunity for an education, opportunity is insufficient to create equity. Equity is providing whatever it takes for each child to master the rigorous standards set by each state. This means that some children will require more support and instruction than others. 

I currently spend many of my days babysitting my grandsons.  One is three years old and the other just 3 months. With the continuing crush of contagious diseases this past winter, the entire family has joined in the efforts to keep the newborn protected from these viruses which means the grandmothers are providing childcare in the home while the parents are working.

Having so much time with my grandsons is a tremendous blessing to both me and to them.  They get all sorts of advantages from being with grandma. The three-year-old is developing a huge vocabulary and great number sense, doing simple addition and subtraction as a part of everyday household tasks. He knows his letters and is beginning to put sounds together into words. He ‘writes’ his words down on his papers, and devours books.   Being a grandmother who has plenty of time, gives me the opportunity to observe and think about their development. 

This reflection on my grandchildren’s development also makes me think about so many of the students I have known over many years of working in education. I remember Billy who came to first grade in the middle of the year never having held a pencil or a book before. I remember Jill whose family was very literate, but she struggled mightily to learn her letter sounds and develop beginning reading skills. I remember Robert who lived in unbelievable squalor and would do anything to get attention in class. I remember John who didn’t start school until he was 9 and supposed to be in grade 3; and I also remember America who was so shy and whose family didn’t speak any English. I could go on and on remembering students with extra challenges over the years.

Each of these children came to school needing more support to master academic grade level standards on time than my grandchildren will probably need due to their very different circumstances. These children also came to school with incredible strengths and resiliency. Billy was an incredibly hard worker and was always finding ways of helping others. Jill was very imaginative which helped her create stories to remember each letter and its sound. This then helped her begin putting sounds together into words. Robert was an incredible leader among his fellow students. John was an advocate for both himself and his peers with school staff.  He knew of his fellow students’ needs and connected them with staff to resolve the needs. America, was a gifted and ever thirsty bilingual learner. She helped members of her family find ways to start businesses and buy property all while a young student.

Educators provided each of them extra support and maximized their strengths, helping them quickly perform on grade level in literacy and mathematics. This allowed them to graduate high school on time with proficient skills in literacy, advanced mathematics, and a solid foundation in the many content areas that had piqued their interest. They left high school college and/or career ready with a wide array of choices available to them as they moved into adulthood. It wasn’t that they attend schools where they had opportunity or access to basic instruction, but that they attended schools staffed with educators that did whatever it took to ensure that they were mastering grade level content. 

Billy finished first grade ready for second grade level reading instruction, John left elementary school with all the skills a fifth grader needs to be a highly successful middle schooler.  Each them had teachers that worked to accelerate their learning to get it where it needed to be. They did not sideline their learning by tracking them in lower-level or remedial classes. Jill did not end up in special reading to only be marginally moved along each year, but rather she got pre-teaching and tutoring so that everyday in the classroom she was ready to learn with her peers. America had English language support in the regular classroom so that she was learning English and difficult content in multiple subjects at the same time.

Educational equity is providing each student with whatever they need to master rigorous grade level standards. It is not just presenting opportunities while some students are sidelined by ill-informed educators who believe they can only master a less rigorous education due to their life circumstances.  The educators that ensure every student masters rigorous grade level standards are unsung heroes in our country. They are ensuring that each of their students becomes a member of the community that contributes to the continued betterment of our communities, our country, and our economy. They are doing whatever it takes for each student.

 To learn more about educational equity, read Equity in our Schools: Ensuring Marginalized Students Achieve at a High Level.

This blog is written by Dr. GwenCarol Holmes, a long-time educator and passionate advocate for all students mastering rigorous standards.