Fighting for fairness: Overcoming roadblocks to educational equity

Equity in education is important to foster and sustain a healthy democracy. It ensures that students and teachers reach their full potential to become leaders and active citizens of tomorrow.

But the U.S education system has been criticized for being inequitable. Systemic racism, funding disparities across states, and curriculum conflict are some of the factors that exacerbate education inequities in the U.S. and affect learning and performance outcomes. 

Understanding these barriers is the first step toward meaningful advocacy for change. Here, we explore the challenges within our education system and how we can work together to create a more equitable future for every student.

The major roadblocks to equity in education

The obstacles that prevent all students — regardless of their unique background and circumstance — from having an equal opportunity to get a high quality education are systemic and complex. Here’s a look at some of the top challenges.

Inadequate funding to support student learning

An underfunded K-12 school system is an underlying problem. In 2020, the U.S. government allocated $189.5 million to 16,000 school districts across the country to help institutions, communities, and students prepare for the impact of the pandemic on learning. 

These funds helped support student learning by providing laptops for online classes, introducing valuable after school programs, and providing nutritional relief to low-income students. It also provided teachers with a one-time stipend of $3,000 in some states. As these federal dollars run out, and there are no plans to renew funding, schools are struggling to stay afloat and maintain an equitable learning environment.

Vulnerable communities affected by budget cuts

Studies show that funding and where it’s allocated determines educational achievement and the future of children – especially students of color and those from low-income backgrounds.

Poverty hinders educational progress

Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds are the most vulnerable to the recent rollback of federal funds in education. Child poverty rates in the U.S. have increased by 50% since the 1970s and currently stands at 12.4% according to latest data. 

These children often have poor diets, are under nourished, and work several jobs to provide for their families. This affects early childhood education and a child’s capacity to do well in school. 

The rollback of federal funds has implications for these children and their ability to access mental health therapy. Students from low-income communities already live in unsafe neighborhoods where shootings are more common and puts the youth at risk, adding to their stress. 

Poverty also impacts college attendance. Data shows that about 51% of low-income students enroll in college, while 89% of students from well-off families enroll.

Communities of color losing access to important resources and facilities

A 2019 study found that predominantly white neighborhoods and school districts received $23 million more in education funding compared to non-white neighborhoods. This is because education funding directly comes from property taxes and white neighborhoods tend to be wealthier than non-white neighborhoods. 

This means that children from wealthier neighborhoods have access to better facilities and resources, and ultimately better academic outcomes. Moreover, the various afterschool programs and exciting excursions that schools once offered are planning to be discontinued. 

A school district in Texas with an 85% poverty rate and a predominantly Black and Hispanic student body received $43 million in funding to offer its students classes on skydiving and robots. But, it’s unable to do so due to federal dollars running out.

The chronic teacher shortage impact

The low supply of teachers has an impact on learning outcomes. Currently, there are 55,000 vacancies in teaching positions across the country. Teacher retention is a problem because of low wages and poor working environments where educators aren’t valued for the work they do. 

Recent budget cuts have resulted in school closures and an increase in classroom sizes. This not only overworks teachers, but creates a low teacher-to-child ratio, affecting how much attention or quality time a teacher can give a student. The presence of 163,000 teaching positions held by unqualified staff also impacts the overall quality of education.  

The shortage of math educators in most states has led to math scores declining across the country. Similarly, 25 out of 50 states are experiencing a shortage of English as a Second (ESL) teachers. Delays in learning the English language affects how immigrants adapt to the new country.

Unmet needs of neurodivergent students

About 7.3 million children in the public school system are neurodivergent and suffer from learning disabilities including ADHD and autism. These children have unique sensory processing differences, behavioral issues, and suffer from mental health challenges including depression and anxiety. 

Despite the existence of Individual Education Plans (IEPs) to support students’ academic and social needs, parents are concerned that their neurodiverse children are not getting the most out of the education system. In a statement, a parent revealed how the school leaders at her daughter’s school weren’t amenable to modifying her daughter’s plans to support her educational development, as it took “instructional time away from other students.” 

Moreover, 44 out of 50 states report a chronic shortage of special needs teachers, affecting how many neurodivergent children have access to a specialized education. 

Restrictive curriculum

While English, math and science are standard school subjects, some feel that schools should have a diverse curriculum that teaches students about America’s history with racism, specifically Critical Race Theory (CRT). 

CRT is an important area of study in post-secondary education as it explores how racism is embedded in legal, political, and social systems and its harmful outcomes.  About 18 states put a ban on teaching Critical Race (CRT). 

Critics argue that the ban on CRT not only restricts academic freedom and deprives students of a well-rounded understanding of systemic racism, but alienates students of color. There is also little support to teach gender studies in schools. In a survey, 62% of elementary school teachers said that gender identity should not be taught in schools. 

How can we achieve equity in our education system?

While there are obstacles that hinder an equitable education for all, there are some solutions that can reduce this gap. These are some major areas where education reform advocates are fighting for change.

Equitable distribution of funds across school districts

Distributing funds equitably across school districts provides all students with the appropriate resources to succeed academically. 

Data shows that wealthier states tend to spend 2 to 3 times more money on education, simply because their property tax is higher. To mitigate this requires a specialized federal body or commission to oversee how funds are allocated and distributed across the country and pin-point areas where there are gaps in resources.

Alternatively, given the success of the pandemic-era relief funds, grants could help inadequacies in the public school system caused by teacher shortages and infrastructure issues like HVAC systems and broadband access in schools.

Foster an all-inclusive learning environment

To recognize and honor the culturally and racially diverse population of the U.S., it’s important to promote a school curriculum that includes the study of race, gender, and climate justice. 

In addition to teaching CRT, educators should prioritize gender studies to empower young girls, especially those in co-educational environments. Climate change is another important area of focus so students can understand the socio-economic and environmental impact of climate change and how the world can adapt to it.

Empowering educators

As the old saying goes, teachers are nation builders as they play a pivotal role in educating the next generation of leaders and shaping history. Supporting teachers requires a policy framework that provides the resources they need to succeed. 

Compensation is a key issue. Currently, 65% of teachers between the ages of 18-35 have taken out student loans and are accruing debt. Increasing teacher compensation budgets and offering loan forgiveness programs to teachers are two ways to help resolve this.

Better teacher training is needed to improve the quality of education. As of April 2024, the U.S. Department of Education introduced $25 million for a Teacher Quality Program (TQP) competition. While this will give teachers high-quality instructions on how to approach education and teaching, the competition factor restricts accessibility. Teachers across the board should be able to benefit from programs like this.

Grassroots advocacy as a tool to highlight issues in education

Advocacy can be a powerful tool for bringing issues of educational inequity to the forefront. A community-led approach including parents, students, influencers, and policy analysts will help encourage decision makers to act on important issues.

This is the model that Rodel, a Delaware nonprofit policy institute that focuses on education inequity, follows. Julia Zamith, advocacy manager at Rodel, used grassroots advocacy to push the issue of funding in education to the gubernatorial race in May. After her efforts, the five candidates in the race began to speak about the issue.

Another form of grassroots advocacy is to start a petition. If there is any issue that you find in your local district related to education, or if there is an issue you feel passionate about, you can start a petition with Change.org. 

Education equity petitions on Change.org

Education is a hot button issue in the U.S., and many have used Change.org to start petitions on issues they feel most passionate about. Here are some examples of powerful petitions that reflect pressing education issues.

Confronting racism and homophobia in the education system

This petition, started in September 2021, currently has close to 5,000 supporters. It addresses racism and the rights of the LGBTQ+ student body in the Waukesha school district in Milwaukee. 

It challenged the unpopular ruling of Superintendent James Sebert and Deputy Superintendent Joseph Koch that DEI work in the school would be “paused” as it was too “political” and “controversial.” Signs with statements like “Safe zone,” “You belong here,” and “This classroom is anti-racist,” were all taken down at the behest of the school leadership.

Petitioners argue that this has had a negative impact on the mental health of LGBTQ+ students and students of color.

Advocating for an equitable learning environment for deaf students

This petition, started in April 2022, aims to bridge the gap in learning for Deaf students in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD).

The petitioners demand, among other things, that under the Deaf Bill of Rights (Assembly Bill 1838), all Deaf students should have access to language. That includes offering American Sign Language (ASL) as a language curriculum option.

As of May 2023, the LAUSD School board unanimously voted yes to the terms laid out by the petitioners. 

Racial equity in California’s Contra County

This 2020 petition addresses the issues of racism in the Lafayette and Acalenes High school districts in California’s Contra County.

The petitioners laid out a framework to eliminate bullying towards students of color, and ways to honor their heritage. This includes celebrating the heritage months of Asian-American heritage and Pacific Islanders, just to name a few.

In an update, the petitioners said that they received overwhelming support for their movement by the local school board.

Respecting the subject choices of students

This petition contests California’s Culver City School District’s decision to prevent ninth and tenth graders from pursuing advanced Honors English classwork for the 2022-2023 academic year. School leaders said that eliminating these classes, and only having AP English classes, would improve racial equity and expand student participation.

The petitioners argue there is no causal link between racial equity and Honors classes. They call for the schools to have options for students with accelerated learning capabilities. They also highlight that AP classes and Honors classes are open to all and only increase learning opportunities for students and helps them prepare for college.

Shaping the future of educational equity in the United States

Despite persistent inequities in the education system, change is within reach. Through the power of petitions, grassroots advocacy, and empowering educators, we can drive awareness and action toward equitable funding and ensure that every student has access to high-quality education.