School Boards: Facilitating Successful Outcomes for All Students

As part of a civic involvement fellowship I’m participating in, I often have an opportunity to visit with high school students. In my last visit, one student said that he wished teachers practiced equity versus equality. As an educator, his statement reminded me that students know what they need to be successful and they want us to do it. Equity is a simple, yet powerful idea, that is often misunderstood. Equity is simply seeing students as individuals and providing them with the resources they need to achieve a successful outcome.

When we consider the allotment of resources, we know that school boards play a significant role determining how resources are allocated. If you attended or listened to Monday’s school board meeting, you know that the school board trustees approved the continuation of a partnership with Via, Arlington’s transportation service. Students in the early college program and families in transition are able to utilize Via, at no cost to them, to get to school. This allows all students an opportunity to get to school every day so they can learn. This is equity in action.

(Image from: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mpcaphotos/31655988501)