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.
Leading the Way
In Episode 3, leaders in two states explain how they are using ESSER funds to pursue statewide improvement efforts. In Delaware, recently retired state superin…
Profiles in Education Equity: Judith Bradley, Founder of JackBeNimble
by Ed TrustJudith Bradley is founder and managing partner of JackBeNimble, a nonprofit organization based in Kentucky that is dedicated to re-imagining special education …
Addressing Learning Needs
In Episode 2, we sit down with Tricia McManus, superintendent of Winston-Salem Forsyth County Schools, who says that her district is making the most of its rel…
Creating More Equitable Schools Amid a Pandemic. Yes, it Can Be Done!
by Josh ParrishThe last big shock to the educational system before the COVID-19 pandemic was the Great Recession of 2008, which decimated K-12 budgets, cost 300,000 jobs acro…
Where Are All Those Dollars Going?
In Episode 1, we talk about the big picture with Phyllis Jordan of FutureEd, a Washington think tank that has been tracking how districts are spending the mone…
Why Assessments Matter: Data Quality is Essential for Education Equity
by Brenda BergWhen advocates say, “We all know what’s happening,” and are only armed with anecdotes and not data, it is hard for policymakers to distinguish between what is …
Speaking Out and Showing Up for LGBTQ+ Students
by Blair Wriston and Bonnie WashickLast month, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed into law the “Don’t Say Gay” bill, which prohibits educators from teaching children in kindergarten through th…
How are Schools & Districts Using the Money That the Federal Government Has Provided to Help Them Get Through the COVID Crisis?
Are you wondering how school districts are spending the money the federal government sent them to get through the COVID crisis? Karin Chenoweth, a writer-in-re…
A Transparent Attempt to Divide Parents from Their Children’s Schools
by William RodickPulitzer Prize winner and intellectual icon Toni Morrison has received national attention that has forced students to fight for the right to high-quality educa…
The First Cohort of Justice Policy Fellows Graduate
"History teaches us that change is often made when an organized segment of those most affected, leading in solidarity with allies, disrupt business as usual."—…
Profiles in Education Equity – Dina Walker President and CEO, BLU Educational Foundation
by Ed TrustDina Walker has over 20 years of experience working with educational, government, and community organizations. As president and CEO of BLU Educational Foundati…
Student Voice: Students are the Collateral Damage in Adults’ Culture War
by Kayla HiggsIn another attempt to silence the history and experience of Black and Brown communities and coddle White guilt, certain factions are engaging in a political cu…
Let’s End the Criminalization of Black Children in and out of School
Lately, there’s been a rise in school suspensions, expulsions, and other disciplinary actions across the country — primarily due to social isolation, poor ment…
Expanding Child Care is Crucial to the U.S. Economy
In his State of the Union address last week, President Biden emphasized cutting the cost of child care as a key action the nation can take to “change the stand…
Is Your State Building An Intensive Tutoring System?
A six-year-old boy looked up at his teacher, searching for confirmation that the sounds emanating from his mouth matched the word she was pointing to. His face…
U.S. Public Education is Under Attack. It’s Time to Take a Stand.
Black History Month is a time when we honor such American heroes as Toni Morrison, Ruby Bridges, and Martin Luther King Jr. And yet, the celebration of the con…
American History Can Never Be Unlived
by James AndersonDr. James Anderson, dean of education at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and author of Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935 (UNC Press, 198…
Is Your State Prioritizing Social, Emotional, and Academic Development (SEAD)?
by Nancy Duchesneau and Caitlin DermodyAs the pandemic persists, many educators report that students are experiencing academic, behavioral, and personal challenges — resulting in difficulties in bot…
Teachers Shouldn’t Have to Be Afraid to Teach Honest History
by Eric DuncanAs Black History Month continues, many teachers are primed to teach lessons related to the United States’ history of Black people. But given the current social…
Learning Honest History isn’t Criminal — It’s What Students Deserve to Know
Amid the debate surrounding so-called Critical Race Theory (CRT), Republican lawmakers in 37 states have introduced legislation or taken significant steps to l…
