Make equity a part of how you do business every day

Leadership, March, 2001 by Lillie Campbell

Dear Colleague:

Parents, politicians, community leaders and educators all understand that high stakes, high standards and high expectations now define our schools. What many don't understand is what this means for students who don't speak English, students who are taught by inexperienced teachers in schools with poor facilities, and those who are disabled or who are at-risk for a variety of other reasons.

"For years, educators have worked to build a system in which all students, with very few exceptions, can achieve high standards in academic content and performance," writes Karen Humphrey on page 8. "But this high-minded ideal is not yet a reality.... As we pursue an aggressive reform agenda, how do we ensure that the system is equitable -- that we are not just pushing low-achieving students out of the system altogether?"

That is the question we answer in this issue of Leadership magazine. The eight authors featured this month not only offer their perspectives on educational equity, they provide practical examples of ways school leaders can take action.

"The fact that racism permeates our society is not an excuse for school personnel to let themselves off the hook," write Terry Keleher and Tammy Johnson, in their article on page 24. "As an institution, each school must take responsibility for acknowledging and addressing racism. Unless a school takes steps to actively counteract racism, it is likely that it is unintentionally aggravating the existing inequalities."

In addition to offering action strategies that will make equity a part of the way school leaders do business every day, we also take a look at "enlightened" retention policies, programs that model tolerance for differences, research on the impact unequal school resources have on student achievement, how accountability can be used as an equity tool, what equity in special education really means, and much more.

Many educators say they believe that all students can learn. Our real work is to ensure that all students do learn. Making a commitment to equity requires knowledge, faith and resources. With these tools, educational equity can become not just a goal, but a promise.

Sincerely,

Lillie Campbell President

P.S. Learn more about these issues at ACSA's Valuing Diversity conference in Newport Beach on Sept. 21-22. Call ACSA at (800) 800-0325 for more information.