Is Schooling Equitable?

 


Educational equity is the measure of achievement, fairness, and opportunity in education. This is a concept that should be a no brainer for all educators. Personally, I read this definition and thought yes that sounds right all schools should have equal opportunity and equal treatment no matter who is in the classroom. However, that is not the reality of this situation. The reality is simple; kids of color are treated differently. Whether they are always the ones taking the heat for problems in the class or they are criticized at for being "too crazy", kids of color are constantly under scrutiny. According to scholar Subini Ancy Annamma, who researches how schools contribute to the criminalization of Black youths, "schools create a culture of punishment that penalizes Black children more harshly than their white peers for the same behavior. Her work also shows that youth of color are more likely to be closely watched, over-represented in special education, and reported to and arrested by the police." This statistic just makes me think back to my time in the classroom as a student and how much truly went on around me that I did not notice because I was ignorant to the situation.

 Being able to learn about educational equity and what I can do for my future students of color has impacted me greatly. I do not want any of my students feeling unequal just because of the color of their skin. These kids will face enough of that outside our school doors. It is our job as educators to create that safe place for them and close the unequal treatment curtain that is so normalized in our world. 

Comments

  1. Chandler SerraMarch 10, 2023 at 2:36 PM

    Hey Ella! Your blog is so well written and I enjoyed reading your thoughts over this topic. I agree that as an educator our students should all have the same opportunities, but unfortunately they do not. While I was in high school, there was a big divide between class and race that affected the opportunities some of the students had. I believe that what students of color endure within some public schools is an issue. Schools although they aren't "segregated", in a way they still are. This situation is different however with schools claiming there is not a divide between students, whether that be caused by race, class, or identity. As future educators I think it is extremely important to give our students the same opportunities, regardless of who the students may be. I loved how you ended your post and I couldn't agree more. Our students should be treated as equals and be shown a kind and loving space within our schools.

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  2. Ashley VallesMarch 10, 2023 at 8:16 PM

    Hi Ella! Great post this week. I agree that the path toward making schooling equitable must begin at the individual level. Teachers are human. Society has influenced them to uphold prejudiced ideas, even if it is subconsciously, just as it has influenced us all in one way or another. Learning to dismantle these notions about different kinds of people will allow for a greater connection between educators and their students. What do you think? Unfortunately, it is not the only issue in the way of equitability. Racism is ingrained in our society as a whole, including the government. It is systemic. Underfunding schools, not having the same opportunities and resources available, and a lack of engagement with students in impoverished schools also contributes to the inequity. I hope that one day these issues will be addressed fully, but we must not wait. As people who care about the success and flourishment of students, we must advocate for equity in all educational settings.

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