The Equity Imperative: Using Education as a Resource to Shape our Future Pedro A. Noguera Graduate School of Education and Information Studies University of California, Los Angeles

Can education play a role in solving the major challenges confronting New Mexico and the US today?

Inequality is Growing “The United States has become the most unequal country among the advanced industrial countries… what this means is the life chances of an individual are more dependent on the income and education of his parent than in other countries…people born in the bottom…will be more likely not to be able to live up to his potential.” —Joseph Stiglitz, June 6 2012

Education and inequality are intertwined in New mexico

Quality Counts New Mexico earned its worst grade, a D-minus, in achievement Just 19.7 percent of students in grades 3-11 showing proficiency in math 28.6 percent proficient in language arts on the most recent round of PARCC exams Mississippi edged out New Mexico with a D-plus this year, earning a score of 66.8. Nevada earned 65 — a D.

What must be done for schools to play a role in breaking the cycle of poverty? What must the state and districts do to improve education and expand access to opportunity?

The goal should be to eliminate barriers to learning for ALL students Barriers Gone EQUALITY – giving everyone the same, regardless of whether it is what they need or not EQUITY – giving everyone exactly what they need, when they need it. You will have seen this image showing the difference between equality and equity.   What I am talking about goes further. It tells the truth about the realities for children in our education systems who are not from the dominant culture.  and takes deliberate action to remove the barriers – caused by generations of systemic failure. That’s authentic critical, culturally sustaining pedagogy, that is about freedom. THAT should be the norm for all our children, and all our efforts, and all our professional development has to genuinely target dismantling that fence, — which we put there, and seem to be happy to maintain. If we can do that, then that’s a collaboration I might become more interested in. I wish you all the best in identifying your White spaces. Kia ora tatou. The goal should be to eliminate barriers to learning for ALL students

Common Barriers to Equity Unequal and inadequate resource allocation Deficit orientation toward the culture of marginalized groups Parents and community not treated as partners Schools lack capacity to meet student needs Education policies create constraints that limit the ability of educators and communities to undertake efforts to systemically address student needs

Schools must be given support to address challenges facing our children

An Equity Agenda Prioritize allocating resources to enhance, extend and ensure learning opportunities for children Set and maintain high standards for learning conditions Community Schools – wrap around services, preschool and afterschool services Transparency and mutual accountability Local community must be engaged as partner The language and culture of the children must be treated as resources to be cultivated and sustained

Schools improve when they focus on the five essential ingredients - A coherent instructional guidance system – teachers plan together - Ongoing development of the professional capacity of staff - Strong parent-community-school ties - A student-centered learning climate/culture - Shared leadership to drive change

Students in control of learning at Hollenbeck Middle School, LA

Cultivating hope: Bronx Academy of Language and Technology

Countering the pull of the streets: David Banks, Founder of Eagle Academy

Building Capacity at SJHHS Community building Data-based decision making School-community partnerships Teacher empowerment Students evaluate teachers Results: 4th highest grad rate in LA, 95% college enrollment, no fights in 6 years

Educators Can Promote Equity by… Cultivating Agency – Individual and collective through collaborative problem solving and problem posing education Fostering Deeper Learning – By developing critical thinking, problem solving and curiosity. Building social capital – creating bonds based on trust and solidarity between schools and the communities they serve.

Narrow vs. Broad Approach Narrow Broad Focus on learning conditions/capacity building Use assessment to diagnose Develop teacher skills continuously Focus on “whole child” Hold all stake holders accountable Treat parents as partners Use discipline to develop character Expand learning opportunities Promote cooperation among schools Use pressure/closure to foster accountability Focus exclusively on achievement Use test scores to rank Adopt scripted teacher-proof curriculum Hold principals/teachers accountable Treat parents as consumers Punitive discipline Encourage competition among schools

We have been asking the wrong questions. INSTEAD OF: ASK: How do we raise achievement? How do we get students excited about learning? How do we hold teachers accountable? How do we close the achievement gap?

Three Horizons Transformation Innovation within The system The schools we have