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.
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…
In Their Words: ‘I, Too, Am B-CC’
by Marni BrombergDuring our research for “Falling Out of the Lead,” the third report in our Shattering Expectations series, we interviewed high-achieving, low-income students t…
Why I Teach Where I Teach: The Opportunity to Make a Difference
by Jessica BeaudoinJessica Beaudoin is a chemistry and physics teacher at University Park Campus School in Massachusetts, which is 82 percent low-income. She has been an educator…
Between the Echoes: What He Learned at School
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…
Bridging the Gap ‘Between Helplessness and Hope’
by Karin ChenowethOnce a year during the National Title I Association conference, thousands of people from schools and districts that receive this federal money converge to talk…
Why I Teach Where I Teach: To Disrupt the Pedagogy of Poverty
by Andrew BirosAndrew Biros is a teacher and head of instructional technology at Kensington Creative & Performing Arts High School in Philadelphia, where 95 percent of st…
What Do Teachers Really Think About Assessment?
by Rachel MetzThis week, congressional staffers and others had a too-infrequent opportunity to hear from teachers about the role of assessments in education. During a Hill b…
Solving the College Affordability Crisis Requires Yanking at the Root
by Andrew Howard NicholsLast week, a POLITICO Magazine article called attention to the annual re-estimate of the federal student loan program. Apparently, the feds expect to earn $22 …
Bridging the College Info Gap
by Marni BrombergWhen researchers mailed college information to high-achieving, low-income students last year, follow-up survey results were promising: Many students reported f…
Counting All Students … Because They’re Counting on Us
by Brooke HaycockIn 2000, I was a 22-year-old, fist-pumping student organizer barely out of college working with a beautifully motley crew of high school students from across W…
Students Want More, Not Less
by Allison HorowitzPolicymakers in many states are debating what it means to be college- and career-ready — and whether expectations for students should change to match that defi…
Why I Teach Where I Teach: I Practice What I Preach
by Whitnee GarrettWhitnee Garrett, a third-year educator, teaches Advanced Placement U.S. history at Madison Park Business and Art Academy, a Title I school in east Oakland, Cal…
Closing Long-Standing Opportunity and Achievement Gaps: Testing and Transparency Are Critical, But Schools Must Be Accountable for Doing Their Part
by Kati HaycockIt’s a common refrain on Capitol Hill that the new education law Congress is working on right now should get the federal government out of micromanaging Americ…