Category: equity in school
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Meritocracy Undermines Equity
Equity in schools is often short circuited by our culture’s deeply held practices of meritocracy. Meritocracy is a deeply held belief in much of American culture, especially among those who are white, privileged and less aware of how positionality impacts others less fortunate than themselves. Meritocracy prevents us from establishing equity in our schools. While…
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Understanding Equity in Education
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…
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Strong Teacher-Student Relationships Required for Equity
Positive teacher and student relationships are key to all students achieving at a high level. Like so much of life, relationships are critical to success. In schools, relationships between students and teachers are the foundation for creating an inclusive culture where all students feel like they belong, are seen, and valued for who they are.…
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Eliminating Honors Classes or Raising the Bar?
Are schools eliminating honors level work and classes; or are they raising the bar for all students? There has been a flurry of news articles about school districts doing away with honors classes, especially those offered to 9th and 10th grade students as they begin their high school career. One of the most recent being…
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School Choice Does Not Guarantee Equity
School Choice Does Not Solve Our Equity Problem Educational equity is doing whatever it takes to ensure each child masters the grade level standards set by the state in which they live. When equity in education has been achieved, all students will demonstrate proficiency in literacy, mathematics and other content standards set by their home…
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Institutional Racism in Full View
Systems that Marginalize People The world has watched in sorrow the video footage of the traffic stop and subsequent beating that resulted in the death of Trye Nichols, an African American man, in Memphis. The world has also observed that this heinous atrocity happened at the hands of African American police officers. How can this…
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Mental Health Supports Improve Student Achievement
Ensuring equity in our schools so that all students master rigorous standards and graduate high school college and/or career ready requires that we provide mental health supports when students need them.
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Establishing High Expectations for All Students
We communicate our lesser expectations for some students from the moment they walk in the door; before they are even tracked into our system.
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Stop Marginalizing Students Living in Poverty
Stop Marginalizing Students Who Live in Poverty Many of our students who do not graduate high school college and/or career ready are our marginalized students. Our educational systems often marginalize these students, inadvertently, when they: These are some of the ways that our educational system often marginalize students and fail to ensure that all students…
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Without Equity There is No Common Good in Schools
Schools Cannot Provide for the Common Good Without Equity A free and thorough education is critical for maintaining our democracy as well as establishing a robust and healthy economy. It is essential for a vibrant and healthy nation. These factors have been driving forces behind the belief that public schools are a common good (Hussian,…