Equity Literacy Summary

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Recommended: Promoting multicultural education

This article addresses the impact that equity literacy has on students’ education. Equity Literacy, is having the knowledge and skills that allow us to recognize, respond to, and redress situations that deny some students educational and other opportunities enjoyed by their peers. The article summarizes results from a school-wide focus group on multiculturalism, the appreciation of diversity and the understanding of equity and inequity. The sole purpose for the discussion and focus group was to celebrate the joys of diversity, in hopes of spreading that awareness. The author stated, “In dealing with education equity, we shouldn’t worry with the lack of multicultural programs or diversity initiatives in schools. Also, it is not necessarily …show more content…

The students were asked to participate in an equity assessment, examining the extent to which Green Hills was an equitable learning environment for all. When students were questioned to characterize their schools two-year old Multicultural Curriculum Initiative, some students stated that they felt invisible, but also hyper-visible. The students also felt like their school only offered multicultural programs about twice a year. One student, visibly upset, told the group, “Those attempts to help add diversity to the school didn’t mean anything. No one is trying to help end the racism at this school” (Gorski, Paul …show more content…

We could start by making sure that qualified development associated to diversity and multiculturalism concentrates not only on racial ability or diversity awareness, but also on recognizing sexism and ableism, for example; not on a mythical “culture of poverty,” but on responding to economic inequality; and not on how to help marginalized students fit into school cultures they experience as alienating, but on how to redress the alienation by making changes in our own practices and policies. When planning curriculum for our students and work to develop our own skills and knowledge related to equity literacy, it is beneficial to follow and keep these five principles in mind. The principles are: Principle 1. Fair and Equal education is essential in every academic area. Principle 2. The most useful approach to a fair and equal education for all is integrative and interdisciplinary. Principle 3. All students, no matter their ages are informed for equity literacy. Principle 4. Students from all backgrounds need a chance at an equal education, and Principle 5. Teaching for equity literacy is a political act—but not more so than not teaching for equity

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