The Equity Line contains original analyses, commentary, and “on the ground” stories of students, parents, educators, and activists all over the nation striving to improve education. It chronicles our efforts, as well as those of partners and friends who are working toward the shared goal of closing gaps.
How Teacher Shortages and Teacher Turnover Affect Students
by Rachel Metz“To hear Trina’s counselor say they haven’t offered a senior science class for the LAST THREE YEARS, I am flabbergasted. Then they wonder why their students have to take remedial classes their first year of college, while students from nearby towns can get right to work on classes that…
Profile in Education Equity: High School Senior, Chandler Nutall
by Ed TrustChandler Nutall is a senior at School Without Walls Senior High School, located in Washington, D.C. She is also a sophomore at The George Washington University, where she will receive her associate degree in general studies in the spring of 2019. Chandler was a 2018 summer intern at The…
Q&A with Ricky Castro, 2017 Illinois Teacher of the Year
by Letisha MarreroRicardo “Ricky” Castro is a Spanish, Dual Language, and ESL teacher at Elk Grove High School, just outside Chicago, which is 42 percent low income and 46 percent Latino. A former teen gang member, he won the 2017 Illinois Teacher of the Year, the first Latino to do so.…
Educational Justice: Which Are You — an Advocate, Ally, or Activist?
by Sharif El-MekkiI often describe myself as an activist and a teacher. Why? Because I firmly believe that a quality education is a basic human right that has been historically and currently denied to so many students of color. And things I believe in require my staunch activism and deliberate action.…
Serena Williams and the Audacity to be a Black Woman or Girl with a Voice
by Kayla PatrickBy now, we all know what happened in the women’s final match at the US Open. But what a lot of people don’t realize is that what Serena Williams experienced on the court that day is not only rooted in the same systemic and institutional racism that has left…
Q&A with Erika McConduit, Louisiana Director, The Education Trust
by Letisha MarreroWhy are you so passionate about social justice in education?Social justice is something that has been a part of me throughout my life. I grew up in New Orleans. My mother was a children’s book writer, and my father was a lifelong educator, so education was ingrained in me.…
Profile in Education Equity: Ohio State Senator Peggy Lehner
by Letisha MarreroThis summer, Ohio legislators passed a bill that bans expulsions and out-of-school suspensions for students in kindergarten through third grade. Ohio now joins a handful of states, including Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee that have taken measures to cut down the number of suspensions and expulsions for early learners. One…
10 Key Takeaways on Degree Attainment for Latino Adults
by J. Oliver SchakAs we stated previously, there are many benefits to having a college degree, both on an individual and societal level. Noting the economic and social benefits of a more educated community, more than 40 states over the past decade have adopted some sort of degree attainment goal — that…
7 Key Takeaways on Degree Attainment for Black Adults
The individual benefits of earning a college degree are well known, but the larger social benefits that are associated with a better educated population are often overlooked. Generally, people with higher incomes contribute more to federal, state, and local tax revenues, which provide more money for schools, colleges, public…
3 Ways States Can Improve Degree Attainment for Blacks and Latinos
In the U.S., if you are Black, you are two-thirds as likely to hold a college degree as someone who is White; if you are Latino, you are half as likely. While there have been gains in degree attainment since 2000 (9.1 percentage points for Black adults and 7.2…
How Civic Engagement and Activism Begin In the Classroom
Civics education should happen early and often, because it affects our everyday lives. Whether you are watching the news on your television, listening to it on the radio, or checking it on your phone, you are bound to find a report about an injustice committed on the political level…
Profiles in Education Equity: Daniel Zavala, Director of Policy and Government Relations at League of Education Voters
by Ed TrustA native of Washington state, Daniel Zavala started his career as a bilingual special education teacher after getting his bachelor’s and master’s from Stanford University. His path to policy work was shaped by his parents’ backgrounds in education and social justice. After earning his law degree at the University…
Parent to Educators: Stop Labeling Our Children
by Ivy EllisWhat parent doesn’t want the best for their child? Of course, we all would like to live and raise our kid(s) in the safest neighborhood with the best schools staffed by talented, attentive teachers who also advocate for our children. Regardless of status or color, parents do everything in…
Profile in Education Equity: Brigitte Blom Ramsey, executive director of the Prichard Committee
by Ed TrustBrigitte Blom Ramsey is the executive director of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence in Lexington, Kentucky. Previously, she spent a decade as an elected member of the Board of Education in Pendleton County, Kentucky and served as a governor-appointed member of the Kentucky Board of Education for six…
Why Congress Should Fund the School Leader Recruitment and Support Program and Title II-A
Soon, the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies will be deciding on a budget for the 2019 fiscal year. Among the programs to be budgeted under the committee are K-12 education programs. Unsurprisingly, the current administration has proposed to eliminate a number…
Supporting Queer College Students of Color
by Antonio Duran and David Perez IIAs we celebrate Pride Month, LGBTQ advocates continue to challenge the actions of the U.S. Department of Education. This advocacy should not be surprising as educational systems in K-12 and higher education have long been criticized for not being a welcoming space for individuals who identify as part of…
What’s Behind the Teacher Strikes? A Look at Teacher Salaries
by Rachel MetzThe school year may have come to a close, but for some teachers across the country, things are just getting started. From North Carolina to Arizona, teachers have been making headlines for strikes and “sick-outs,” which are expected to ramp up in other states next school year. While specific…
Profile in Education Equity: Gini Pupo-Walker, Conexión Américas
by Ed TrustAn educator for over 20 years, Gini Pupo-Walker is the senior director of education policy and programs at Conexión Américas, a nonprofit in Nashville that serves Latino students and their families. She also leads the Tennessee Educational Equity Coalition, where she works with other key groups in Nashville and…
Teacher Appreciation: Stories of Courage and Kindness from Room 40
My dad is a former cop turned special education teacher in California. For the past 20 years, his daily beat has been Room 40, a well-worn portable classroom, lined with books and anti-bullying posters, and lit with the energy of his seventh and eighth grade students.Watching him interact with…
The PROSPER Act Is About to Make College More Expensive
by Courtney BolligLast Saturday, I proudly joined thousands of students on college campuses throughout the country who are walking across the graduation stage to receive their diplomas this spring.And in the coming months, I will join many of these same students as we begin to pay back our federal student loans.Like…
