What We Mean When We Say 'Equity'

Vol. 37 No. 5

Equity is discussed with such regularity in education that it’s shocking to discover many of us probably aren’t sure how to define the term. To be more specific: When two people talk about equity, it’s very possible they’re assuming agreement but really talking about different things. That’s my takeaway from a recent survey commissioned by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation as part of its quest to better understand what other charitable foundations are doing to incorporate equity (Putnam-Walkerly & Russell, 2016). Their findings suggested that: Funders are confused by the definition of equity; Everyone strongly desired a clear definition of what equity meant to their organization; and Groups that had a clear definition of equity — “however unique to that institution” — had more evolved

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Authors

Eric Celeste

Eric Celeste ([email protected]) is associate director of publications at Learning Forward.

References

Learning Forward. (2011). Standards for Professional Learning. Oxford, OH: Author.

Putnam-Walkerly, K. & Russell, E. (2016, September.) The road to achieving equity: Findings and lessons from a field scan of foundations that are embracing equity as a primary focus. Westlake, OH: Putnam Consulting Group. Available at https://putnam-consulting.com/wp-content/uploads/Equity-Field-Scan_Layout_FINAL.pdf.