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.
Let’s End the Criminalization of Black Children in and out of School
Lately, there’s been a rise in school suspensions, expulsions, and other disciplinary actions across the country — primarily due to social isolation, poor ment…
Expanding Child Care is Crucial to the U.S. Economy
In his State of the Union address last week, President Biden emphasized cutting the cost of child care as a key action the nation can take to “change the stand…
Is Your State Building An Intensive Tutoring System?
A six-year-old boy looked up at his teacher, searching for confirmation that the sounds emanating from his mouth matched the word she was pointing to. His face…
U.S. Public Education is Under Attack. It’s Time to Take a Stand.
Black History Month is a time when we honor such American heroes as Toni Morrison, Ruby Bridges, and Martin Luther King Jr. And yet, the celebration of the con…
American History Can Never Be Unlived
by James AndersonDr. James Anderson, dean of education at the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana, and author of Education of Blacks in the South, 1860-1935 (UNC Press, 198…
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…