Reflections

As an advocate of equity for all children, I challenge the common, though usually unarticulated, assumption that the American educational "mainstream" is white, middle class, male-dominant, English-speaking, without disabilities and of Anglo-American culture. The corollary of this assumption is that other girls and boys-poor, or racially, culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse, or with disabilities exist on the educational periphery as exceptions with special problems to be corrected, deficits to be made up, and needs to be met before they are fit to join the educational "mainstream." The logic of this view divides our children between two student bodies - "mainstream" and peripheral and defines two distinct sets of educational parameters, making it seem natural to measure the quality of education by "mainstream" achievement while equity is measured by the extent to which peripheral boys and girls are given access to educational offerings and experiences designed to meet the needs and characteristics of "mainstream" students. It is this dualistic imaging of students that allows some to frame debate about national educational equity. I reject the exclusionary approach for which the term "mainstream" has become a code word. Our children are of both genders, many nations, every ethnic group and all economic backgrounds. They speak many languages, reflect all types and conditions, and represent all individual talents and abilities. And they are as different from each other within their groupings boy to boy, Latina to Latina, African American girl to African American boy, and so on - as they are different from each other by group. In all their diversity, they make up the true mainstream of our student population and it is our responsibility to meet their diverse needs as the needs exist, not as we find it convenient. We owe them all schools that give each the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and understanding at the highest possible levels. We owe them schools that expect to educate, are equipped to educate, and are committed to educate a student body that mirrors the rich diversity of our people. Schools that expect less, or that are only capable of less, fail their students and the communities that support them. In the national search for educational excellence, therefore, equity is not a secondary goal that can be postponed. Equity is education is a necessary condition for national educational excellence.