Equity in Education

Can we achieve equity in education, if we don’t have equality across the country?

Recently, the world has been reminded of and confronted with issues of pervasive discrimination against members of our global community based on their skin color, race, ethnicity, or background. The resulting protests have raised awareness and sensitivity to the ongoing hardships and injustices that continue to threaten communities of color and other minorities across America.

In the midst of the unrest across our country comes an opportunity for open dialogue and much-needed action. To support the ongoing conversation, we have compiled information, articles, and research from Frontline Education, the Frontline Research & Learning Institute, and The Line to provide a repository of data-informed, action-based resources focused on issues of bias, discrimination, diversity, and equality.

The time to have these critical conversations is now and our hope is that these resources will serve as a starting point for meaningful discussion and thoughtful action.

Defining the Issues

There are many terms, often used interchangeably, to address the issues of inequality and discrimination that continue to plague our community.

equity
/ˈekwədē/ /ˈɛkwədi/
The quality of being fair and impartial. Fairness, fair-mindedness, justness, justice, equitableness, fair play.

equality
/ɪˈkwɒlɪti/
The state of being equal, especially in status, rights, or opportunities. Impartiality, even-handedness, egalitarianism, equal rights, equal opportunities, non-discrimination.

A Message from Frontline Education

We stand in solidarity and support of equal rights and just treatment, especially in the face of pervasive discrimination against members of our community based on their skin color, race, ethnicity or background. There is no room for discrimination or hate in our homes, our schools or our communities. We owe our nation’s students, the future of our country, a commitment to protecting civil rights and a culture of ensuring human rights.

Resources from Frontline Education

• The Reason so Many Black Teachers Leave the Job Early
  New report probes why African-American teachers become frustrated with a profession that desperately needs them. What will it take to get more black teachers to stay in the classroom?
• How “Cultural Fit” Could Be Masking Unintentional Bias in Teacher Hiring
  According to a new report from the Frontline Research & Learning Institute, hiring managers believe cultural fit is one of the most influential characteristics in deciding which teachers to hire — even above experience or training. But here’s the problem. Few districts have any clear, systematic way of defining or measuring cultural fit throughout the hiring process.
• A Call for Divergent Leadership
  There are many potential teachers and administrators who have that innate ability to lead, to guide, to bring out the best in others, but they are not tapped: they go unrecognized because they may not be the same color or may not be deemed the brightest or may not have right economic background to be discovered.
• Student Liberty and Justice for All
  Independence Day gives us yet another opportunity: to reflect on the critical issue of student liberty and how it comes to life in K-12. How are we doing in pursuit of equitable education for all students? How are student liberties balanced against the rights of their communities? How is K-12 changing in the face student protests, systemic racism and illegal immigration?
• 3 Real-life Stories About Equity in Education
  Coming from a small town in the not-Philadelphia-and-not-Pittsburgh part of Pennsylvania, the idea of equity in education wasn’t top-of-mind for me when I was a high school student. Nor was the whole idea that some kids might not have the same kind of opportunities as others.
• A Vote for Educational Equity, Opportunity and Civil Discourse in Education
  In the land of opportunity, too many of our students do not participate in true equity of opportunity, or equality of outcomes. In a country as diverse as “amber waves of grain” and “purple mountain majesties,” we also face a diversity in educational experiences — some positive and some quite detrimental.

Defining the Issues

diversity
/dəˈvərsədē, dīˈvərsədē/
The state of being diverse; variety. Variety, assortment, difference, distinctiveness.

discrimination
/dəˌskriməˈnāSH(ə)n/
The unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex. Prejudice, bias, bigotry, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, inequity, unfairness.

Resources from The Line

• Educating Good Citizens: What are the promises made by K-12 education to our American society?
  Former Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. says, “A healthy democratic society needs strong defenders — people who not only understand how our systems function but who can navigate those systems and disrupt them when necessary so that they truly promote America’s ideals of equity and opportunity.”
• Social Impact: Changes to the Teacher Workforce in America
  In the 18th century, the founding fathers were considered radical for wanting an educated populace. A nation of educated citizens requires teachers as a fundamental component of the idea of democracy - though in their time, only white, land-owning men could participate.
• Winners & Choosers
  The Line sat down with retired two-time NBA world champion M.L. Carr to ask his perspective on current civil rights issues. Carr played for the Detroit Pistons then the Boston Celtics, where he also coached. We learned his point of view has been shaped by a lifetime of personal as well as professional experiences.
• Matching Cultural Relevance to Curriculum
  If what we teach and how we teach are to have ongoing value, then we must reconsider all the components of an evolving K-12 education and have those critical conversations about cultural relevance.

Resources from Frontline Research & Learning Institute

• The Teacher Pipeline: Recruiting and Hiring Practices That Worsen the Teacher Shortage
  The ongoing teacher shortage continues to be a crisis for many school systems. Most district leaders are familiar with well-known causes for the shortage like retiring baby boomers, a decrease in new education graduates and disillusionment with the teaching profession. But we wanted to dig a little deeper.
• A Leak in the Pipeline: Part 1
  So Why Does It Matter How We Hire Teachers?
• Repairing the Leak: Part 2
  How “Cultural Fit” Rusts the Teacher Pipeline.