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.
A Snapshot of English Learner Student Performance During the Pandemic
by Jazmin Flores PeñaThe COVID-19 pandemic has caused massive disruptions to student learning, as well as statewide assessments. Students have faced barriers to learning and engagi…
Profiles in Education Equity: Sandra Rodriguez, Advocacy Director at Latinos for Education
by Ed TrustSandra Rodríguez is a native Houstonian, daughter of immigrant parents, and the advocacy director at Latinos for Education, where she leads the organization’s …
One Solution to the Teacher Shortage: Tapping into the After-School Pipeline
by Soo Hyun Han-Harris and Priscilla ParchiaJosé Lopez-Garcia discovered a passion for teaching when he took a position with AmeriCorps as an after-school program instructor. Though he had to sign up for…
NAEP Results Show Dismal Learning Loss Due to Pandemic. What Can Be Done?
Today, the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP) long-term trend scores in reading and math were released — the first national assessment of student…
What You Need to Know About Student Debt Cancellation
Yesterday, the Biden administration took a bold first step to tackling the $1.7 trillion student debt crisis in this country by providing limited student debt …
Biden Cancels $10,000 in Student Debt. But What Do Borrowers Really Want?
President Biden announced today that his administration will cancel $10,000 in student loans for federal student loan borrowers for individuals making less tha…
Black Women’s Mental Health and the Student Debt Crisis
Any moment now, the Biden administration will announce its plan to forgive student debt as the moratorium on loan payments will expire at the end of this month…
Restorative Justice Not School Suspensions: Disciplinary Reforms Help Students and Teachers Connect
by Gabriel ClarkAs students head back to school, they’re still coping with the complicated effects of the pandemic and the transition from virtual schooling back to more struc…
HBCU Enrollment is on the Rise. But On-Campus Housing is Scarce. Black College Students Demand Solutions
by Yemisi BadmusAccording to a recent New York Times article, Black students across the nation have been flocking to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) to fi…
A Call for Less Harsh School Discipline Policies, Including Dress Codes
by Tameia WilliamsMounting research shows that students of color, and students who are disabled often receive harsher punishment in the school system as opposed to their White p…
July 2022 Update: Addressing Unfinished Learning, Student Debt, Justice-Impacted Students, and More
by Denise ForteIn Washington D.C. and across the country, Ed Trust has helped steer the nation’s attention on the scale and scope of unfinished learning due to the pandemic. …
It’s Time to Double the Pell Grant
I am proud to be the oldest son of Wilfredo and Lillian Del Pilar. Born in Puerto Rico, my father was a protestant minister. My mother — a New York native — wo…
A Dream Project, Staff Shortages, and Canceling the Ku Klux Klan—Wait, What?
by Karin ChenowethIn Episode 4, we hear from Melinda Young, superintendent of Steubenville City Public Schools, Kayla Whitlatch, Steubenville’s treasurer, and Lynnett Gorman, th…
Why Statewide Assessments Matter: Parents Need to Know How Their Children Are Doing
by Jerusha CapleAs a mom of three children, I make lots of decisions every day about how to support their individual needs. I’m involved in my children’s education and engage …
Leading the Way
by Karin ChenowethIn 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
by Karin ChenowethIn 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?
by Karin ChenowethIn 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 …
