EQUITY IN EDUCATION
spur fast action than when they are carried on the
collective shoulders of a broad and diverse coalition.”
Second, if we are purposeful and intentional in our
actions, we can “narrow the achievement gap.”
School performance by black and Latino students
has climbed by a full grade level over the past
two generations. Yet achievement disparities have
narrowed only slightly compared to white students,
perpetuating a significant gap that clearly divides
America. The causes of those gaps are multiple and
complex, so our policies, no matter how well-crafted,
must be adjustable. But early childhood education,
health care, housing, after-school and summer
programs, and other social and economic supports,
must be considered. We must narrow the achievement
gap among racial lines, as well as between lower- and
middle-class children.
Finally, teachers are the single most important
resource we have to ensure that our children learn.
We have to make sure we retain our best teachers
in our most challenging classrooms. Recruiting and
retaining great teachers is the key to improving
education, ending the school to prison pipeline and
narrowing the achievement gap. If we focus on these
goals we take the important step toward healing the
open wounds of racism in our state and country.
Rita Pierson stated: “Every child deserves a champion,
an adult who will never give up on them, who
understands the power of connection, and insists
that they become the best that they can possibly be.”
If we want to fight racism: we need more champions.