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.
Transfer Students Are Key to Building a More Diverse, Better Prepared Teacher Workforce
by Judith CruzLeaders and advocates have focused on high teacher vacancy rates, but there’s no shortage of people who want to teach in Texas — our schools are employing more…
Marking the 70th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and the Work that Remains
I grew up in the suburbs of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, attending public schools that offered me a lot of opportunities: field trips to interesting places, AP cl…
Why Districts Should Focus on High-Impact Tutoring Interventions as ESSER Funding Ends
by Alan SafranESSER dollars, or pandemic relief funds for schools, are running out at the end of September, and educators and policy leaders see a stark fiscal cliff ahead. …
Hiding In Plain Sight: How Complex Decoding Challenges Can Block Comprehension for Older Readers
by Rebecca Kockler and Rebecca SutherlandThe news about American students’ reading abilities isn’t good: For far too long, our education system has failed to teach many children to become proficient r…
Which Teacher Impacted You? We Asked, You Answered
by Ed TrustWe can all think back to an educator who ignited a love of learning in each of us. For Teacher Appreciation Week, and the 70th anniversary of Brown v. Board, w…
Why I Teach, Where I Teach: To Ignite a Spark
by Anjali BhattEvery child has a spark in them that can be lit through a high-quality public education, but not every student has the resources and means to let them glow and…
Why I Teach, Where I Teach: To Build a Foundation for a Future
by Dr. Melissa CollinsFrom a young age, I knew that I wanted to become a teacher. When I was eight years old, I used to pretend to teach my neighborhood friends — I would imagine my…
Why I Teach, Where I Teach: To Empower Children Through Literacy
by Kylie AltierEvery child has great power, and literacy is the key to tapping into it. The power of being able to read not only opens endless doors for young learners but ca…
How a Black Teacher Impacted Me
by Nasharie Stewart"Did you read all of these chapters in one night?" Ms. Lewis, my fifth-grade teacher, asked. I looked her in the eyes and nodded confidently. "Yes," I replied,…
Federal and State Push for Universal Preschool Is Welcome News for K-12
by Haley SteedAs the federal government and states begin the process of setting next year’s budget, many are focusing on early childhood. Earlier this year, President Joseph…
Profile in Education Equity: Aneesh Sohoni, CEO, One Million Degrees
by Jinann BitarJinann Bitar, director of higher education research at EdTrust, recently talked with Aneesh Sohoni, CEO of One Million Degrees (OMD), which is a leader in bols…
How the Gifted Program Changed My Life
by Alexandra TrahanEvery student has a teacher they remember for making a difference in their academic journey — mine was my first-grade teacher, Ms. Vinning. It was my first yea…
Why Education Equity Should Include Climate Justice
Ask a young person about the top issues they care about. Climate change is one of them.Ask a teacher if they want to teach about climate justice. They do.Ask a…
A Time for Climate Action: Schools and the Inflation Reduction Act
by This is Planet EdLast fall, just as students were returning from summer break, schools across the nation were forced to close for “heat days.” The combination of excessive heat…
Under-Representation of Black, Latino, and Native American Undergraduates at Four-Year Universities: A Nationwide View
by Sandra Perez and Omar IbrahimIn 2020, EdTrust released a report titled, “Segregation Forever?,” which found that Black and Latino students are grossly underrepresented at selective public …
Introducing Our Graduate Student Advisory Council
by Blair Wriston and Jiaxin Jessie WangWe are excited to announce the formation of our Graduate Student Advisory Council to support our emerging line of work on race, disability, and equity.The Grad…
Focusing on the Intersection of Race, Disability, and Equity
by Jiaxin Jessie Wang and Blair WristonWe are proud to announce our new line of work on race, disability, and equity. While EdTrust has historically supported disability advocacy organizations and e…
Resource Equity in Action: Developing an Advocacy Campaign for Resource Equity
by Ed TrustAll students deserve to attend school in communities where educational resources like funding, high-quality teachers, and rigorous content are distributed fair…
Fighting for a Better Future for Transgender Youth
by Brian DittmeierFor LGBTQI+ students, the first three months of 2024 continue to highlight the urgency in pushing back against the sustained assault on transgender youth and t…
Faculty Diversity and Mentors of Color Are Keys to Success for Black Women in Graduate School
by Antoinette J. WallerFaculty diversity and student success go hand in hand for Black women. Research shows how having mentors in graduate school with whom students can identify can…