Sohn: We can’t afford not to ensure education equity

Your third-grader is a whiz at reading, but he’s having trouble in math.

You understand. You’ve always had trouble with math, too, you tell his teacher – a very capable instructor who has good scores for her students’ overall academic gains from year to year.

Interaction Institute for Social Change | Artist: Angus Maguire

But your son’s math struggle worries you, especially since he tells everyone he wants to be an architect and build tall buildings. To help him, you enroll him in a private summer tutoring program.

What you’ve done demonstrates the difference in equality in education and equity in education.

Your son has had a level playing field in his classroom with a good teacher. That was equality. But his need in understanding math concepts exceeds that of his fellow third-graders. When you met that extra need with extra help, that was equity.