Out of many, one. E pluribus unum. This phrase or motto appears on the Great Seal of the United States. This is a goal our founding fathers put forth when they selected it as a motto in 1776: the thirteen colonies and their peoples coming together as one united, great country. (See https://www.greatseal.com/mottoes/unum.html). We must continue to pursue this goal as country if we want to continue to be one of the greatest nations on earth. Equity is necessary for reaching this goal.
Our country is composed of a multitude of peoples from all over the globe and with a vast array of backgrounds. However, these diverse peoples have formed a country that is has had great success in addressing numerous issues and challenges that its people have faced over the years. This merging of ideas, thinking and problem solving from our many peoples has allowed us to become a world leader in improving the human condition. We have found ways to imagine impossibilities and make them realities in government, health care, agriculture, manufacturing, technology and many more areas.
Our continued success in addressing the ever-rising issues that face our nation and our world will depend on if we continue to strive for e pluribus unum through our public schools. Our country will continue to be strong and successful if we continue to strive for every student, regardless of background or circumstances, to master rigorous grade level standards at a minimum.
Our public schools bring together our diverse peoples to provide a free education to all. Out of many, one or from our diversity and vastness we create one strong country. However, if some of our students receive a substandard education, we cannot sustain one strong country. We deny ourselves the untold possibilities of our peoples when we fail to ensure all students master rigorous grade level standards. When we fail to provide equity in our schools, we are ensuring that some students receive a lessor education. Equity in education is providing each student whatever they each need for them to achieve at high levels.
When we allow some students to be undereducated, we are attempting to create one strong country out of a few and hindering our country’s strong development. These undereducated students become adults who are unable to robustly contribute to our country’s economy. We have handicapped them through their education. Undereducated students lack the skills needed for postsecondary and/or workforce training programs which is critical for obtaining employment that provide family-sustaining wages (National Form on Education Statistics, 2015; Carnevale, Strohl, Gulish, Van Der Werf, and Campbell, 2019.)
When we allow some students to receive a lessor education by such practices as tracking students into basic classes versus advanced classes or failing to ensure each student becomes a proficient reader, we are not striving for e pluribus unam. Rather, we are denying our country a strong future built on our diverse people united for the good of all.
Over the years we have expanded the groups of students that we provide with a free public education from predominantly upper-class white males to also including females, students of color, students living in economically challenging situations, students overcoming disabilities, and students learning English while also learning advanced content in school. As a country we have continued to expand the group of students we include in the schoolhouse. Now, we must ensure that we are striving to educate each group, all students, so they master at least the rigorous grade level standards. We can do this. Our history is rich in the challenges and battles we have faced and conquered to create a greater nation. Let’s face this current challenge with the same determination and ensure all our children are highly educated. E pluribus unum.
References:
National Forum on Education Statistics (2015). Forum guide to college and career ready data. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics.
Carnevale, A.P., Strohl, J., Gulish, A., Van Der Werf, M., Campbell, K. P. (2019). The unequal race for good jobs: How whites made outsized gain in education and good jobs compared to Blacks and Latinos. Washington, D. C.: Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.
This blog is written by Dr. GwenCarol Holmes, a long-time educator and passionate advocate for all students mastering rigorous standards.