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.
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…
How to Use the FundEd Digital Tool to Advocate for Better School Funding Formulas
by Zahava StadlerThere are a lot of disagreements over education policy, but many people agree that how public schools are funded needs to be fixed. In 2021, 32 governors highl…
Profile in Education Equity – Betsy Bonilla Jimenez-Hurst, Executive Director, HOLA Lakeway
Betsy Bonilla Jimenez-Hurst is from Costa Rica but has spent nearly 20 years living in Tennessee. She currently serves as the executive director of HOLA Lakewa…
Federal Law Requires Equity Conversations. Anti-CRT Laws Ban Them. Now What?
by Karin ChenowethTwenty years ago this month, federal law began requiring schools to report the academic achievement of students, not only overall but by student groups.The dat…
Educator Diversity: Why It Matters & How to Make It Happen
The sad fact is that educator diversity in our nation’s public schools does not reflect the rising diversity of our student population. More than 50% of Americ…
How the Build Back Better Act Will Help Children With Disabilities and Delays
by Carrie Gillispie and Mina HongAmid all the disruption to in-person learning due to the pandemic, it’s time to focus on students with disabilities, which account for nearly 8 million youth, …
Babies and Toddlers Need Early Intervention Services Too
by Carrie Gillispie and Jamie ColvardFor many babies and toddlers, visiting the pediatrician means pulling up into a parking lot, where a masked doctor or nurse reaches through the car window to a…
Holding Students Back: Is Grade Retention Really Necessary During the Pandemic?
by Brittney DavisWhen I taught high school English, many students entered my classroom reading several grade levels below ninth grade. This meant that I was adjusting my lesson…
Black Undergraduate Women Reflect on What Prepared Them for College
by Janice A. ByrdThe hashtag #BlackGirlMagic was created by a Black early childhood educator named CaShawn Thompson in 2015 as a way to "celebrate the beauty, power and resilie…
How A School District is Helping First-Generation Students Shape Their Career Goals
by Michael MatsudaIn California, you can often find residents from around the world. It’s the same phenomenon in the Anaheim Union High School District (AUHSD), home to nearly 3…
Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) as a Means to College and Career Readiness
by Natalie EdirmanasingheImagine how schools might be different if educators co-crafted their content, policies, procedures, and expectations with the young people they teach. Critical…
NAEP Is Telling Us Again That It’s Past Time to Close Long-Standing Resource Gaps
by Denise ForteThose who study educational disparities know that money matters in education. And it’s not just about how much money is allocated, it’s about resource equity, …
How a Student Organization Is Building a Memorial for Victims of Lynching
by Sarah ElliottStudents have unique ambitions and perspectives that they often voice through school projects. From learning how to effectively work with others to how to prio…
How the Build Back Better Act Will Dramatically Improve the Lives of our Youngest Learners
by Carrie Gillispie and Amanda GuarinoFamilies of kids under five face a particular set of challenges when it comes to child care. Early care and learning facilities across the country have shut do…
Redefining College and Career Readiness Through Critical Design
by Joanna Ali and Kia AllahCollege and career readiness are often assessed by indicators such as test scores and grade point averages. But there are other ways to forecast and encourage …
A New Approach to Supporting Students on Their Journey to College Graduation
by Lindsay PeckAs her first semester of college at Delaware State University began in fall 2020, Kadiatu Mansaray had a problem: She didn’t have a computer. While the first-y…
Blog Series: College and Career Readiness Through a Race-Conscious Lens
by Jonathan Davis and Wing Yi (Winnie) ChanGoing to college or entering the workforce after graduating from high school are quintessential milestones for our nation’s students. Preparing for these key l…
Funds for College Completion Are Essential for Educational Equity
by Reid SetzerRecent reports indicate that negotiations for the congressional reconciliation bill, the Build Back Better Act, are nearing completion. The draft bill includes…
