Running head: EQUITY TEACHING PHILOSOPHY 1

Equity in Education

Erika Martinez

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Submitted in Partial Completion of the Requirements for EDU 280-1003

Instructor: Rosnidar Arshad

September 17, 2018

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Abstract

In this paper, I will cover the difference between equality and equity as well as why educators

should utilize equity – not equality – in their teaching. I will also cover why that is the case,

especially for high-needs students. Then, I will define social justice and connect it to

multicultural education. I will do this by touching on how social justice can be achieved in the

classroom as well as why educators should strive to do so. Finally, I will describe how my

experiences as a Latina woman as well as my experiences as a low-income minority student have

shaped my understanding of social justice and equity – especially through the injustices that I

have experienced throughout my schooling.

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Equity in Education

Introduction

We hear the terms “social justice”, “equality”, and “equity” multiple times a day. What

do they really mean, though? Many people only have a vague understanding of what these things

mean and actually look like. In this paper, I will define these terms. I will explain why equity

should be preferred to equality – especially in high needs schools, and connect social justice to

the concept of a multicultural education. I will do this by giving some pointers as to how social

justice can be achieved in the classroom as well as why educators should strive to do so. Finally,

I will describe how my experiences as both a Latina woman and a low-income minority student

have shaped my understanding of social justice and equity – especially through the injustices that

I have experienced throughout my schooling.

Elements

Equity vs. Equality

(Maguire, 2016)
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When I first heard the term “equity”, I had no idea what it meant. I was under the

impression that equality and treating people equally was enough to foster a just society. I chose

this graphic because it shows why equality is not enough. It shows how ones’ past experiences

and privileges – represented by the boxes - might give them more of an opportunity for success

than someone without them – even if they are being treated equally otherwise. Most importantly,

though, it shows why equity should be the ultimate goal – not equality, as I had once thought

(Maguire, 2016). It is important to consider equity for all students, especially those in high-needs

schools and communities, so that they are all being given the same chance at success. No one

group will have a higher chance at succeeding than another group because they are being treated

fairly, not just equally. Equality is problematic because not all students start from the same place

or have access to the same resources. For example, some students are able to afford resources

that can help build on the skills that they are learning at school at home and some are not. Some

students are able to afford a high-functioning calculator and some are not (Berger, 1998). Some

students are able to afford a professional tutor and some are not (Winerip, 2005). Some students’

families are able to afford internet and some are not. In fact, A Pew Research Center study found

that about 5 million households with school-aged children cannot afford high-speed Internet at

home (Neal, 2016, pg. 9). When equality is the goal in a classroom, teachers do not take this into

account. They do not make accommodations for less privileged students – and they need to.

Otherwise, the students that are more privileged are being given a better education than the

students who are not as privileged – as their education is actually structured in a way that is made

for students like them. Less privileged students, on the other hand, are being told to fit into a box

that is not made for students like them.

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The “Separate but Equal” doctrine gives some historical context to the concept of equity

vs. equality. Through it, people of color had the same kinds of facilities white people had. The

treatment of these groups was, therefore, deemed equal and compliant with the 14th Amendment.

However, the conditions of these facilities were not equal (“Brown v. Board of Education”,

2009). That made this a matter of equity vs. equality. Yes, they might have had equality in that

they had access to all of the same kinds of facilities as white people had. However, the

conditions of these facilities were so poor compared to those of white people’s that it was not

equitable.

Definition of Social Justice

Social justice is fairness in the distribution of wealth, opportunities, and social privileges

given to groups in a society regardless of their race, gender, sexuality, or ability. In education, it

is educators using their “… power to strengthen our abilities to create equitable learning

environments and to maintain high expectations for all students by considering [these] contextual

factors in addition to the everyday practicalities of our work as we shape our professional

practice (Gorski & Pothini, 2013, 1).” It is educators representing all cultures within their

curriculum and giving students the same opportunities to succeed. There are many ways to

represent all cultures within a curriculum. For example, Banks & McGee's (2016) Dimensions of

Multicultural Education state that teachers can represent all cultures within a curriculum by

utilizing content integration, knowledge construction, prejudice reduction, equity pedagogy, and

an empowering school culture (Banks & Mcgee Banks, 2016). They could also utilize the four

levels of integration of ethnic content – the social action, transformation, additive, and

contributions approaches (Sadker & Zittleman 2016). This is important, as all students deserve to

feel represented in their education. They all deserve to feel as though their needs have been
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listened and attended to. It will help them to feel more included and supported, creating a more

positive learning learning environment – hopefully one in which they will feel motivated and

excited in regards to their education. In fact, “Students learn best and are more highly motivated

when the school curriculum reflects their cultures, experiences, and perspectives (Sadker &

Zittleman, 2016, pg. 72).” Social justice in education also means believing in all your students

equally, and not giving in to the expectation theory – in which teachers do not expect as much

from kids of certain races and ethnicities (Sadker & Zittleman, 2016). One way that this can

materialize is by encouraging only your white students to go to college – not your minority

students. Additionally, social justice in education can be fostered through the use of the universal

design for learning (UDL) approach. The universal design for learning approach focuses on

developing strategies that will benefit all the students in a heterogeneous classroom regardless of

their diversity (Banks & Mcgee Banks, 2016). This can be done through the three UDL

techniques summarized in the textbook – representation, engagement, and expression.

Representation involves making the way that content is presented accessible to all students

(Banks & Mcgee Banks, 2016). Some simple ways of doing this is by bolding key words, or

putting fancy jargon in parentheses alongside a simpler translation of said jargon. Expression

involves making the ways that students demonstrate their knowledge accessible to all students

(Banks & Mcgee Banks, 2016). For example, teachers may give students the option to work

individually, in pairs, or in small groups. They may also let students choose the way in which

they would like to demonstrate their knowledge. Some may want to present a PowerPoint

whereas some may want to present a poster. Engagement involves making the way that students

participate in the classroom accessible to all students (Banks & Mcgee Banks, 2016). There are a

lot of ways to do this. Some days, teachers can have students work in groups whereas on other
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days, teachers can have students work individually. Some days, teachers can have students

integrate technology into their classwork whereas on other days, all classwork can be done on

paper. Making lesson plans accessible to all students is important, as “UDL techniques not only

promote social interaction, cooperation, and learning from difference within the classroom but

also create a context in which children can develop positive social relationships (Banks &

McGee Banks, 2016, 249).”

Experiences That Shaped My Understanding

Being a Latina woman has shaped my understanding of social justice and equity a lot.

Being a woman, for example, has often left me feeling powerless. I have often felt as though my

existence was meant to please men. I have felt as though I have had to work twice as hard as men

to be recognized. I have often felt unsafe in the presence of men. Most importantly, though, I

have often been shut down by men and even some women when I express these things. I am

invalidated and told that I am “overreacting”. Though I am often white-passing, being Latina has

often left me feeling powerless, too. For example, once, in middle school, a boy in one of my

classes told me that some of my features – all typical of Mexican women – were unattractive.

Though he probably did not realize that the features he was picking on were typical of Mexican

women, I did – and it made me feel ashamed to be Mexican. It made me wish to have the

features often deemed beautiful in Western cultures. I have also had to see my parents – who

look Mexican, have an accent, and speak in “broken” English, be degraded and taken for granted

by others because of these characteristics. This certainly takes a mental and emotional toll that

white people simply do not have to deal with.

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Being a minority and low-income for most of my schooling shaped my understanding of

social justice and equity a lot, too. For example, in elementary school, when I was a low-income

student at a Summerlin school, my peers would always talk about how their parents would help

them with their homework. I never got this privilege, as my father was usually working long

shifts to try to provide for our family. We could not afford many materials that would help me

build on the skills that I was learning at school, either. However, my teachers never thought to

inquire about my lack of access – much less offer any additional help to make up for it. I had to

fend for myself in this respect. Additionally, all throughout my schooling, I rarely ever saw

anything depicted from my culture that was not Dia De Los Muertos or Cinco De Mayo related.

My teachers rarely went above the contributions or additive approaches of content integration,

either (Sadker & Zittleman 2016). Rather, their attempts were very shallow and really only

holiday related. These experiences have shown me first hand just how important social justice

and equity is – as the lack of it has often left me feeling unappreciated and beaten down.

My past experiences as well as my research have really helped to build my teaching

philosophy. As a teacher, I will make it a point to make social justice and equity – not equality

my goal every school year I spend with students. I will do this by having a multicultural

curriculum where any child can feel listened to and recognized – regardless of whether they are

low income, disabled, or a student of color. I will also do this by expecting the same from all of

my students. After all, that is what is right by students.

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Work Cited

Banks, A. B., & Mcgee Banks, C. A. (2016) Multicultural education: issues and perspectives.

Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Berger, M. (1998). Graphic calculators: an interpretive framework. For the Learning of

Mathematics, 18 (2), 13-20.

Gorski P. C. & Pothini S. G. (2013) Case studies on diversity and social justice education.

Abingdon, United Kingdom: Routledge.

History.com Editors. (2009). Brown v. Board of Education. (2009) Retrieved from

https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/brown-v-board-of-education-of-topeka.

Maguire, A. (Photographer). 2016, January 13. [Equality vs. Equity][digital image]. Retrieved

from http://interactioninstitute.org/illustrating-equality-vs-equity/

Neal, D. J. W. (2016) Closing the homework gap: A guide to increasing student success with

home connectivity. Mclean, VA: Kajeet. Inc.

Sadker, D. M., & Zittleman, K. R. (2016) Teachers, school, and society: A brief introduction to

education. New York, NY: McGraw Hill Education.

Winerip, M. (2016, November 16). Test prep help for students who can’t afford Kaplan. New

York Times, pg. B9.