Wednesday January 25, 2023
Culture wars, not "equity" are the problem
Stafford Country faux pas shows flaw with
anti-equity argument
The recent dustup over schools in Fairfax, Loudon, and Prince William counties delaying National Merit Scholarship commendation awards has anti-equity parents and government leaders up in arms.
Speaking with Fox News, Youngkin said of the scandal, “there has been a consistent cover-up in the relentless pursuit of equity."
The problem with this statement, of course, is that to date there has been no evidence to support this charge. The original story in City Journal, a conservative free-market publication of the Manhattan Institute, cites only a conversation between a parent and assistant principal as proof – a conversation that has yet to be verified.
Now that Stafford County Public Schools has identified six students who were late receiving notification - bringing the total number of districts in the state dealing with this problem - it’s time parents and the governor take a step back and consider that a disorganized distribution system, and not any “equity” programs, are the problem here.
Unlike National Merit Scholarship finalist and semifinalist awards, who are notified of their awards by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, commended students learn through their principals, who are alerted by NMSC.
To be sure, it is unacceptable for principals to fumble this responsibility, and an investigation is warranted into understanding why this happened, and to prevent it from happening again.
That’s not the governor’s concern, however. Admitting the problem is an administrative one doesn’t fit his goal of dismantling public education. Blaming equity – in the same way he made an issue of critical race theory and parental rights – is a better path for Youngkin politically.
Over the past year, Youngkin - who can’t seem to decide if he’s a classic Reagan Republican or a Trump wannabe - has consistently ginned up hysteria over education. First over CRT, then “parents’ rights,” and now equity.
Perhaps he, along with parents and others who misunderstand the difference between equity and equality, should spend some time doing some remedial reading on the subject. The National Society of High School Scholars has a fine primer.
Spending the time to understand equity, instead of demonizing it, might lead Youngkin and others to come to appreciate that equity is actually their ally.
Equity is about giving students what they need to succeed, as well as recognizing that not every student in school has the same tools to be successful. Addressing equity issues is an important step toward ensuring that every student has an opportunity to achieve equal outcomes – excellence.
We all need to take a collective breath, understand the issues, and realize that at the end of the day we’re working for the same thing. Quality education for all children. Demonizing non-Republicans is no path to getting us there.
I agree with you to a point. Where we differ is that I do not believe that at the end of the day we're all working for the same thing, a quality education for all children. I've attended enough Spotsylvania School Board meetings the past year and a half to know that there is a group of extremists, locally and nationwide, who are not interested in quality education for all children. They're interested in their perception of a quality eductation that is partisan, political, and most important, only for some children. They're for parents' rights, but only for some parents. Their goal is to destroy public education and to do so from the bottom up, beginning with local school boards. Those of us who have been watching the circus that takes place at almost every Spotsylvania School Board meeting have a clear picture of what's happening. What we don't have is a path to rectify the damage being done because that's been removed by this board's majority. The only thing that most of us see as saving our Spotsyvania Public Schools is November's election. If this board's majority doesn't flip in November I fear greatly for the future of our local public school division. As for Youngkin? He cares nothing for the students, families, or educators in the commonwealth. He sees the destruction of our public schools as a ticket to the White House, nothing more and nothing less.