Why Does Equity Matter?

In our Voices from the Field video, you will see what equity means to educators from our featured schools and TSL’s TeachLab podcast, and why working on making schools more equitable is important to them. We’ve included each of the educator’s name, role, and affiliated school below, in order of appearance. As you go through the course, you will learn more about these educators, their schools, and the equity work they are doing. 

• Colin Rose, Assistant Superintendent, Office of Opportunity Gaps, Boston Public Schools
• Lillian Hsu, Founding Principal, Latitude High School 
• Sara Islas, Humanities Lead, Latitude High School
• Geoffrey Canada, President, Harlem Children’s Zone
• Derek Jensen, PSI High Coordinator, Seminole High School
• Neema Avashia, Civics Teacher, John W. McCormack Middle School
• Jacob Hunter, Educator, Purdue Polytechnic High School 
• Christian Martinez, Dean of Students, Latitude High School
• Lex Schoenberg, Design-Engineering Teacher, Latitude High School
• Jose Vilson, Math TeacherCoach, NYC Dept. of Education; Founder, EduColor
• Ronni Moore, Instructional Leader/College & Career Readiness Coordinator, Purdue Polytechnic High School North 

As you watch, keep the following questions in mind. Feel free to record your thoughts in your course journal.

• Colin Rose, Assistant Superintendent in the Office of Opportunity Gaps in the Boston Public Schools, defines equity as: “having the opportunities and the resources that folks need to succeed at whatever level we’re trying to get them to succeed at.” Is this how you would define equity? How else have you heard it defined?