Equity Teaching Philosophy
“Education, then, beyond all other divides of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men—the balance wheel of the social machinery.”
Horace man once said, “Education, then, beyond all other divides of human origin, is a great equalizer of conditions of men—the balance wheel of the social machinery.” This is a commonly accepted phrase revolving around the world of education, but how much of it is true? On a base level, it may seem to be the case; if you give everyone the same education, logic follows that they should all reach similar heights. In execution, we see that this is simply not the case. Education is not the great equalizer, and if anything, functions in a manner that generally keeps the downtrodden in their place and propels the rich to grander heights.
Through my own experience working with English Language Learner students, as well as through the education I have received at the University of Las Vegas, it has become abundantly clear how multicultural education needs to become a priority in our schools for everyone to thrive. From a euro-centric curriculum to the aforementioned equality mindset, there is much in schools that needs to change to let everyone have a fighting chance. A fighting chance not only for themselves, but which gives them the tools to be social agents for future generations. Amongst the myriad of changes necessary to make this a reality, these are a few I will focus on in this paper. As a future teacher, it is paramount to me that schools strive for equity in their classrooms, and to teach my students the importance of social justice, not just through words, but through my actions.
Equity vs. Equality
Kuttner, P. {2015} Equality Equity Track [Image]. Socialventurepartners.
The image above demonstrates a key difference between equality and equity that helps clarify why the quote by Horace Mann is inherently flawed. In this image, we see runners starting on the right next to each other before starting a race, while we see runners starting in different positions representing equity. I feel this is a very apt comparison, because the reason runners start in different positions on the track is because, due to the design of the track itself, it is necessary to make sure every runner is running the same distance. This can be applied to the idea of equity in education quite easily, in the sense that although the track is designed to be longer for some racers, we are not adjusting their starting position in a way that gives them a chance to compete. Now there is a chance that one of the disadvantaged runners might beat the one with a head start, but this is an outlier, and should not be used as a means of judging a system. Another way we can see the flaws in the argument for equality and not equity is in the Plessy v. Ferguson case from 1896. Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark 1896 U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the “separate but equal” doctrine. The case stemmed from an 1892 incident in which African American train passenger Homer Plessy refused to sit in a car for Black people (History.com, 2009). In modern America, we have transitioned away from this decision, thankfully, transitioning instead to colorblind racism, which has its faults. This is all to say that we need to adjust the circumstances and opportunities surrounding individual students in order to make sure they are performing on par with their peers, this includes recognizing that in some ways, race still matters, and working to mitigate the differences that undermine a student’s success. Although this might mean that all students are not treated equally, what it does mean is that students are being treated equitably. One example of this mindset could be applied to the euro-centric curriculum seen in America. For reference, “Despite U.S. diversity, the school, college, and university mainstream curriculum primarily reflect mainstream Americans(anglo-centric/eurocentric)” (Banks, 2020, 8). With this knowledge in mind, perhaps it could be a wise idea to gear the curriculum towards anything besides a Eurocentric background. Truthfully, we see eurocentrism represented in countless places in society, evidenced by the prevalence of Hollywood not only in America, but throughout the world. To make sure that those of different cultures are equitably treated, it seems far more important to represent a variety of cultures in the classroom. Thankfully, since the civil rights movement, educators have been trying to move away from the mainstream-centered curriculum we’ve had for the longest time (Banks, 8).
Social Justice
Social Justice has been defined in a variety of different ways, but in regards to education, I view the definition as such. Social justice is bringing light to a myriad of societal issues that expose the reasons behind discrepancies in the success between students. By this definition, social justice seeks to give reason behind certain phenomena, while striving to fix the problems at the root. This responsibility is on the teachers, students, parents, and administration to work together to mitigate societal issues in a way that reinforces student success. One way in which teachers should strive to engage in social justice is to, “…know and appreciate the culture of their students” (Banks, 2). Social justice starts with understanding, and it is difficult for students to have trust in a teacher that does not seek to understand them. Instead of using a mold for each student, teachers need to see their students as individuals, with their barriers and strengths when it comes to reaching their full potential. Once the student trusts the teacher and their understanding, it could be important, depending on the age of students, to engage with them, and let them know about society’s barriers that they are facing. As teachers we can have a large impact on how students view the world, and most importantly how they can change it. It is important to encourage the younger generation to take issue with their disenfranchisement and the problems which plague us as a society, because apathy is the source of many problems that we view as unchangeable..In summary, it is through understanding and supporting social action that we can begin to work on dealing with issues such as the achievement gap, as well as the pipeline (Banks ,3).
Experiences that shape my understanding
Aside from my schooling in low socioeconomic areas, I am a white man, which means that I inherently have had some advantages in my schooling that I am sure have helped me succeed. POC have more roadblocks to their success, such as their achievements being… “attributed to the fulfillment of a racial quota” (Banks, 9). So although I can not speak to my personal experience of being discriminated against, I was able to learn a lot more about the injustices POC face through my experience as an ELL aide. One of the primary things that bothered me about my experience was a rather innocuous program involving a reading assessment. Essentially, everyone in the school had to take this reading assessment at the beginning of the school year, and if they did poorly, they would be put into a special remediation class for the entire semester, with no room to test out until the next semester. I didn’t think much of it at first, but once the remission classes got on their way, I noticed many things. For one, many of the students noted that they didn’t understand the consequences of the test before taking it, and were begging to take it again. The teacher in charge refused to allow this, I speculate because she knew many of them would be capable of testing out, and as a result, her class numbers would look lower. Now, remission classes have their place, and if a student is at an especially low reading level, it is important to make sure they receive extra help. The real blunder of the situation comes with the teachers’ handling of these students. The majority of the time, she would send them to do solo work on the computer, and when she did interact with them, she treated everyone equally. Equally with disrespect. It really seemed like she thought less of these kids, and it was pretty disturbing for me to watch. I informed the administration about how she treated these kids several times, because I refused to believe that you could treat kids with so little respect and get away with it, but I couldn’t do much, as I was just an aide. In summary, this experience taught me that as a teacher I should strive to do the exact opposite as she did. Respect my various students, their cultures, and their rights as individuals. I am no better than any of them just because I am lucky enough to have the privilege to pursue a college degree. Who knows what led them to the grades they are getting, or the reading level they are at, the goal should be to see improvement, and maybe even build a small connection along the way. Kids need people who believe they are capable and not a burden, and through these experiences, as well as the teachings from UNLV, I hope to be someone that cares. One way of establishing this respect, which I learned in EDU 280, would be learning each student’s name and pronouncing it correctly. In Solorzano’s article on racial microaggressions in the classroom, it is established that even something seemingly as simple as messing up someone’s name are “…subtle daily insults that, as a form of racism, support a racial and cultural hier-archy of minority inferiority” (Solorzano et al, 2012, pg.1). To be someone who truly cares, it is important to understand social justice, equity, and multicultural education as a whole to make all students feel welcome and valued for their individuality.
References
History.com Editors. (2009, October 29). Plessy v. Ferguson. History.com. Retrieved September 18, 2022, from https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/plessy-v-ferguson
Banks, J. A., & McGee, B. C. A. (2020). Multicultural education: Issues and Perspectives. John Wiley & Sons.
Kuttner, P. {2015} Equality Equity Track [Image]. Socialventurepartners.
Rita Kohli & Daniel G. Solórzano (2012). Teachers, please learn our
names!: racial microaggressions and the K-12 classroom, Race Ethnicity and Education.