Strong Equity: Repositioning Teacher Education for Social Change

Abstract

Background: Equity is invoked as a watchword in teacher education—a catch-all connected to an array of issues related to diversity, justice, or gaps in outcomes and opportunities for minoritized groups. This conceptual article argues that equity is often undefined and undertheorized in teacher education, and the complexities involved in addressing the structural inequalities of schooling are seldom acknowledged. Purpose: This article unpacks recurring themes in the discourse of equity and teacher education. We suggest that in the teacher education discourse, equity appears frequently, but there is little attention to the structural and systemic policies that reproduce inequity in the first place. Second, we elaborate on the distinction between thin equity and strong equity, suggesting that this can be a powerful tool for clarifying, comparing, and critiquing the differences in meanings of equity. Third, we suggest that although thin conceptions of equity are prominent, some teacher education scholars and practitioners utilize stronger notions of equity in the work of teacher preparation. Conclusion: We conclude that notions of strong equity can help reposition teacher education as part of a broader effort to bring about genuine change.

Centering Equity in Teacher Education Evaluation: From Principles to Transformative Enactment

“…Across the United States, many teacher education programs have equity-related goals, and/or they include the language of equity in mission statements or lists of program highlights. However, programs do not necessarily mean the same thing by the word, “equity,” and programs that publicly advertise their commitment to equity do not necessarily carry it out in program design or ways of evaluating teacher candidates or program impact (Cochran-Smith & Keefe, 2022). In contrast, the programs we highlight in this section are noteworthy in that they have reframed teacher education evaluation by “baking” equity into multiple program components, including curriculum, coursework and fieldwork, and assessment/evaluation practices.…”

“…As we elaborate below, our analysis found that most major policy proposals regarding teacher education evaluation and accountability said very little about equity. We concluded our policy analysis with a clarion call for teacher education evaluation/accountability centered in "strong equity" (Cochran-Smith et al, 2018;Cochran-Smith & Keefe, 2022), and we posed 11 guiding principles toward this end. We stand firmly by those principles.…”

From Detractive to Democratic: The Duty of Teacher Education to Disrupt Structural Ableism and Reimagine Disability

“…This example is significant in illustrating structural ableism and institutional cyclic oppression. Although social justice and equity are dominant ideologies in the field of teacher education, these themes are often employed rhetorically (Cochran-Smith & Keefe, this issue) but are not always wholly instantiated within the work of the program, such as in this example. This illustrates the program’s failure to ensure its social justice philosophy was at work in all aspects of the preparation program, and internally, to challenge assumptions and expectations about the role of a teacher.…”

“…Again, the point here is not to police one another for political correctness, but to demonstrate real effort toward more equitable structures that are truly representative of the disability community that special education teacher preparation is so committed to, and better mirror the foundational values of teacher education. It is important to note that although using inclusive language is an important start, it is only one part of dismantling ableism within teacher education and one step toward embracing broader notions of justice and equity (Cochran-Smith & Keefe, this issue). Inclusive language may not hold power if companion structures, processes, and policies remain ableist and exclusionary.…”

“…Scholars have argued that education is the primary remedy for addressing persistent oppression, unseating inequity and injustice, and helping equalize outcomes across marginalized groups (Duncan & Murnane, 2011). Thus, promoting educational equity has become a central goal of almost all stakeholders in education and the focus of federal, state, and community education policies, programs, and initiatives (Cochran-Smith & Keefe, this issue). Many initiatives aimed at promoting equity focus primarily on race and socioeconomic status, but in recent years, a broader focus has also extended to language, gender, gender identity, sexual identity, and disability (Kumashiro, 2000; UNICEF, n.d.).…”