In this essay, I discuss three key ideas related to the construction and treatment of "difference" in and around schools and schooling. First, just as difference is most commonly located within marginalized populations at the intersections and along the lines of race, disability, social class, national origin, sexuality, sex, language,…

This case study documents a professional learning community (PLC) comprised of urban elementary educators working toward equitable education for students with dis/abilities. We employ an equity-expansive learning frame to evoke and then examine tensions and contradictions that emerged during the PLC and mediated learning as evidenced by…

Despite the push for inclusive mathematics education, students with disabilities continue to lack access to, and achievement in, rich mathematics learning opportunities. We assert that mathematics teacher educators have a central role in addressing these contradictions. This role includes enacting facilitative moves during mathematics teacher…

There is currently a national debate surrounding what can and cannot be taught in K-12 public schools. In this Equity Dispatch we remember that centering equity and being able to recognize, name, and address the history of systemic racism and oppression in the United States is inclusive, not divisive.

This "Equity by Design" brief highlights equity issues that arise in the process of reopening schools during a global pandemic. The authors examine state plans and guidance for reopening schools across states in the Midwest & Plains Equity Assistance Center (MAP EAC) region which includes the 13 states of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa,…

In this edition of "Equity Dispatch," we explore the concepts of allyship and accomplice, and how they may manifest at the intersection of education and advocacy.

In this article, we provide commentary on the "state of play" of inclusive education in the United States. We focus on the promises and limitations of inter-related accountability- and market-driven policies and Response to Intervention (RTI) (Vaughn and Fuchs, 2003). We argue that these policies and practice have "hopscotched"…

In this edition of "Equity Dispatch," we discuss equity implications around disciplinary policies in virtual learning contexts. We offer practical applications of principles of Universal Design for Learning & Culturally Responsive Pedagogy as proactive strategies for engaging students in virtual learning activities.

This edition of "Equity Dispatch" poses the question: what is the responsibility of state education agencies (SEAs) to support local education agencies (LEAs) in centering educational equity? Here, we focus on the impact of SEAs, aiming to illuminate the ethical necessity of concurrent, coordinated, equity-focused efforts within and…

In this issue of the "Equity Dispatch" we focus on the collective power of minoritized communities to positively impact the quality of education students receive within their districts through the selection of equity-focused, locally-elected school board members.

Despite remarkable progress along many indicators of equitable access, participation, and outcomes of schooling, there are still persistent, pervasive issues that must be addresses, including continued disparities in access to athletics and academic programs, sexual harassment, hate crimes, and discriminatory treatment of girls and women. This…

Re-committing to equity work means that equity-oriented educators must reflect on the impact of historical and systemic inequities on minoritized students, accepting that transformative change towards equity takes time and unrelenting and continuous hard work, and it means being willing to pursue educational equity even in the face of fierce…

In this edition of "Equity Dispatch," we will discuss the definition and characteristics of a caring classroom community, its benefits, and the practices that educators can leverage to create caring classroom communities.

This Equity Dispatch newsletter discusses ways in which professional learning can be designed and carried out to promote educators' deep understanding of educational equity and therefore, better situate educators to provide every learner with access to a high-quality education in an inclusive environment, regardless of educational content area.

This edition of "Equity Dispatch" aims to reimagine a school environment where student-led activism, towards social justice, of oppressive school systems is legitimized rather than marginalized.