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.
Brains, Poverty, and Educators
by Karin ChenowethComplex scientific studies are often misleadingly cited to bolster long-held political beliefs, and a recent study measuring the brains of children and adolesc…
‘Where Is the Compassion?’ Conversations About Baltimore and Educational Improvement
This week, I had dinner with my sister-in-law in Chevy Chase, Maryland, and was deeply immersed in our conversation about the Baltimore protests when a Jewish …
Between the Echoes: High School Show Down
by Brooke HaycockAn offshoot of Ed Trust’s Echoes From the Gap series, drawing stories of students from behind the statistics, this blog series shares shorter narratives — brie…
Why I Teach Where I Teach: Increasing Levels of Professional Autonomy and Commitment to Community
by Justin RobinsonJustin Robinson is a seventh-grade teacher at Samuel P. Massie Academy in Maryland, where more than 75 percent of students receive free or reduced-priced meals…
Teaching Vocab in a Way That Sticks
by Allison HorowitzIf students are going to be able to make sense of what they’re reading, express themselves, or interpret phrases used figuratively or symbolically, they need t…
Why Teach Where I Teach: Diversity With Splash of Arts Integration
by DeMarcus LewisDeMarcus Lewis, a seventh-grade educator, teaches global studies at Wiley H. Bates Middle School, a performing and visual arts magnet and Title I school in Ann…
Teachers as Civic Leaders
by Karin ChenowethFaced with sniffling kindergarteners who can barely sit in their chairs, it can sometimes be difficult to see them as responsible adults 12 years hence; even h…
The FAFSA Divide: Getting More Low-Income Students to Apply for Aid
by Kimberlee Eberle-SudreAlmost 20 percent of students with family incomes low enough to qualify for a Pell Grant never even apply. And many more students who qualify for other types o…
Is Funding in Your State Equitable? A Tour of Our New Data Tool
by David WilliamsRecently, we released Funding Gaps 2015, along with an online data tool, which looks at local and state funding for high- and low-poverty school districts, as …
Traditional Autonomy Isn’t Necessarily Supportive
by Karin ChenowethIn Huffington Post this week I write about how most teachers think “supportive leadership” is very important to retaining good teachers.But what is supportive …
Why I Teach Where I Teach: To Give My Students the Same Opportunities My Teachers Gave Me
by April GreeneApril Greene is a third-grade English language arts teacher at The Walker-Jones Education Campus in Washington, D.C., where she has taught for two years. Ninet…
Persistent Inequities in School Funding: A Q&A with Natasha Ushomirsky
by Gail Zuagar and Natasha UshomirskyToday, Ed Trust released Funding Gaps 2015, a new report and online data tool, which compares local and state funding among school districts (1) with the highe…
Between the Echoes: Right Place, Right Time
by Brooke HaycockAn offshoot of Ed Trust’s Echoes From the Gap series, drawing stories of students from behind the statistics, this blog series shares shorter narratives — brie…
Senate and House Republican Budget Proposals: Protecting Pell Not A Priority
D.C. insiders know that the congressional budget proposals don’t have the force of law. However, these proposals should not be summarily dismissed, as they set…
What Does a DTM Principal Brag About?
by Karin ChenowethPrincipals of schools that have earned our Dispelling the Myth Award are a very diverse group and don’t really share many outward characteristics — they are ma…
Debunking Myths in NH’s New Assessment Pilot
by Daria HallContrary to news headlines, the U.S. Department of Education hasn’t approved local assessments to take the place of the statewide tests in New Hampshire. Inste…
Calling All Teachers of Color
by Hilary Tackie and Ashley GriffinNearly half of public school students are of color, but only 18 percent of teachers are.Why is that?The trouble is that answer isn’t clear. We know that greate…
NYC’s Teacher Tenure Reform: Good or Bad for Equity?
by Marni BrombergFive years ago, New York City began providing data — including evaluation scores — to principals about their tenure candidates. Principals could use that infor…
What Schools Can Do
by Karin ChenowethGeorge Hall Elementary School was recently the subject of an online discussion, which I write about this week in Huffington Post.That prompted me to think abou…
Why I Teach Where I Teach: The Opportunity to Rebuild a School
by Jozette MartinezJozette Martinez, a former businessperson, now teaches business and coordinates the career technical education programming at West Generation Academy in Denver…