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.
Every Dispelling the Myth School Has Something to Teach Us
by Karin ChenowethI’ve been lucky enough to visit all of Ed Trust’s Dispelling the Myth Award winners since 2005 (and even a couple from 2004), and together they give me a sense…
Voices of Reason Taking Hold in Common Core Debate
by Sonja Brookins SantelisesEducation leaders and policymakers should take note of states like Louisiana and Massachusetts that plan to slow down the implementation of assessments aligned…
Duncan Backlash: A Sign That We Aren’t Communicating Effectively
by Blair MannThere are some misconceptions about the Common Core State Standards — namely that they were created by the federal government and represent a federal overreach…
Choosing Differently: Instead of Pursuing Ever-Higher Rankings, Some Colleges Serve a Nobler Purpose
by Kati HaycockUPDATEDAt a time when so many colleges and universities are making what seem to be deeply immoral choices, about what to do with their financial aid dollars, i…
So What Is PISA, and What’s All of the Fuss About?
by Allison HorowitzThe Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is one of the best ways — one of the only ways, in fact — that we have of comparing our teenagers’ kn…
Common Core: Making Progress for All Students
by Sonja Brookins SantelisesThis post initially appeared at the National Center for Learning Disabilities.I have spent more than a decade in public education, working to make sure that al…
Colleges, Take Notice: Your Federal Tax Breaks May Be Ending Soon
by Mary Nguyen BarrySix years ago, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, put wealthy colleges on notice: If they didn’t start doing a better job on college affordability, their tax-exempt …
Class Size Isn’t as Important as Who’s at the Front of the Room
by Sarah AlmyThis post originally appeared at the Fordham Institute's Flypaper blog.For decades, lowering class size has been touted as a strategy for improving student lea…
3 Take-Aways From MA’s Teacher Eval Data
by Sarah AlmyThe educator evaluation data that Massachusetts released last week doesn’t include all of the state’s teachers or districts, nor does it include all of the com…
Steering Department of Defense Dollars Away From For-Profit Colleges
by Ed TrustA new amendment introduced this week seeks to close a funding loophole that many for-profits are taking advantage of — and at the expense of our nation’s servi…
Federal High School Initiative Modeled After a School With No Proven Track Record
by Marni BrombergUPDATEDMuch of the attention around President Obama's new competitive grant program for high schools focuses on a Brooklyn school that partners with the City U…
There’s More Than One Way To Think About Gap-Closing on NAEP
by Allison HorowitzLooking at achievement gaps that separate low-income students and students of color from their affluent and white peers isn’t only about looking at differences…
Students With Disabilities Need to be College- and Career-Ready Too
by Brooke HaycockOutside of Ed Trust, I volunteer as an educational surrogate for young men with disabilities who are in the foster care system. I often meet them at the end of…
States, Please Prove Us Wrong on Teacher Equity
by Ed TrustAt a meeting with chief state school officers from across the country last week, Secretary Arne Duncan talked about groups like Ed Trust that are worried about…
Yet Another Reminder of the Power of Effective Principals
by Karin ChenowethWriting recently about Dr. Carlos J. Finlay Elementary School — one of the schools honored this year with Ed Trust’s Dispelling the Myth Award — reminded me of…
Texas Should Keep Algebra II Requirements for High-Schoolers
by Daria HallTexas State Board of Education members are set to begin debate tomorrow on the courses that high school students will be required to take under the state’s swe…
Matching First Generation Students’ Ambitions With Their Preparation
by Brooke HaycockKids from the Bronx neighborhood where Julia grew up, in a one-bedroom apartment along with three siblings and her deaf mother, aren’t expected to make it off …
Transforming Financial Aid, Marty McFly-Style
by Michael Dannenberg and Joseph YeadoLast week, members of Congress heard testimony on our antiquated, inadequate, and inequitable financial aid system. But rather than a call for bold action and …