Category: mastering rigorous content
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Equity Is Denied When Blame Is Cast
Blaming others or circumstances prevents us from creating equity in our schools. Equity in our schools is defined by doing whatever it takes to ensure all students master grade level standards. For some students that means providing more supports than others may need. That is okay. That is equity. (For a more in-depth definition of…
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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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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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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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With Equity There Are No Lessor Scholars
With Equity There Are No Lessor Scholars Isabel Wilkerson in her enlightening Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents names the eight pillars of caste systems. Number eight is “Inherent Superiority versus Inherent Inferiority.” This system raises its ugly head in our schools when our programs create lessor scholars based on how children arrive at school.…
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Equity Makes Mathematics a Gateway
Equity Makes Mathematics a Gateway: Instead of a Gatekeeper It has long been documented that high school students who succeed in the rigorous mathematics of algebra and geometry are more likely to graduate high school and complete technical and/or college course work successfully (Checkly, 2001; National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, 2018; Rech & Harrington,…
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Inequities Exacerbated by Lowering Teacher Standards
Lowering standards to become a teacher threatens student achievement, especially in high poverty schools. Master teaching is a profession that requires a great deal of education and skill. Master teacher are required for establishing equity in our schools.
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Does School District Size Matter for Equity?
Do large school districts prohibit equity for students? Would having smaller school districts ensure equity for students?
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Overcoming the Pandemic Learning Gap
As schools across our country are now open for a somewhat ‘normal’ school year, educators are grappling with the incredible learning loss many of our children experienced during the last two school years. The most recent NAEP (National Assessment of Educational Progress)scores verify what we already knew. Our children have suffered greatly from the isolation…