Education policies elevating DEI over merit hurt black students.
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Equity Over Merit: Why education policies that elevate equity over merit hurt black students. This article, written by Dr. Brandy Shufutinsky, was originally published in The Washington Perspective.
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Education policies that elevate equity over merit negatively impact the ability for black students to access quality education. For decades, the public school system has made claims that it is focused on closing the achievement gap between black and white students. Policies proposed range from providing higher quality resources to underserved schools and students to eliminating assessments, testing, and even grades. Gifted and talented programs have been cut, and academic standards have been lowered. The result: A growing achievement gap between black and white students. For all the policy proposals in the name of equity, there has been little to no measurable improvement in academic achievement. Now, instead of learning from policy missteps, education activists are choosing to double-down on policies that have been failing underserved communities. In 2021, the Oakland California chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) petitioned the Oakland Unified
School District (OUSD) board to address the abysmal literacy rates for Oakland public school students. Specifically, the Oakland NAACP requested the OUSD adopt literacy standards that include research-based literacy curriculum. Instead of addressing concerns about low literacy rates amongst black Oakland public school students, teachers and district administrators fought against programs and standards that have been proven to raise literacy rates. So why would teachers, whose entire profession is centered on working with children, one of the most vulnerable populations in society, support policies that harm that population? As teacher unions become increasingly politically motivated, they divert from the mission of educating kids and protecting the rights of teachers. Progressive policies become central to their narrative, replacing what’s in the best interest of students and educators. In May 2023, the Oakland Education Association (OEA) held its third strike over the past five years. This
may not come as a surprise to the many Americans who are impacted by low wages and inflation. However, the OEA demands had nothing to do with a pay raise. Salary increases were offered by the school district. OEA still went on strike, keeping Oakland’s children out of school for two weeks because their demands — that have nothing to do with educating kids and everything to do with partisan policies — were not met.This type of union activism is not limited to the Golden State. In 2012, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) decided to launch a strike called “Bargaining for the Common Good” (BCG). CTU sought to use their union power as a method to reignite the labor movement. Jackson Potter described this phenomenon as a form of “social justice unionism,” which ignores the injustice of preventing black student achievement by standing firmly against the very elements that would improve learning outcomes.
** The National Education Association falsely depicts supporters of school choice as being “rooted in white supremacy.”
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Teacher unions are not only focusing on securing salary increases and better benefits but are now demanding what can only be described as a progressive shopping list that includes things from reparations to housing for the homeless. I’m not suggesting that these issues should go unaddressed. However, I am arguing against denying public school kids their right to an education because teacher unions are entering the political fray and trying to win partisan points. If policymakers were not beholden to the unions, this politicization of education wouldn’t be too concerning.In 2023, the California State Board of Education (SBE) decided to adopt a new math curriculum, eliminating access to advanced classes for gifted students in the name of equity. What SBE administrators ignore is that the policies they implemented only increase inequity by preventing students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged from accessing quality resources. Students who have parents who are able and willing to enroll
them in extracurricular academic courses will remain on the path to advancement. Unfortunately, those students who are dependent on the public school system to provide challenging scholarship will be left behind. A significant majority (more than 70%) of black parents support some form of school choice, from vouchers and charter schools to open enrollment. Instead of acknowledging this inconvenient fact, the National Education Association falsely depicts supporters of school choice as being “rooted in white supremacy.” The paternalistic bigotry of low expectations disregards the reality that black parents want what other parents want — our children to learn, be challenged, and be safe at school. If a school fails to provide those basic things, we want the freedom to choose a different learning environment for our kids. Union leaders, district administrators, and educators use their positions of privilege to influence political leaders that they know what’s best for black students. However,
the blame does not only lie with activist unions. Political leaders should engage with the community members whom they serve instead of relying on direction from scholar-activist overseers. Black students are being used as an excuse to lower the bar of achievement, even when black community members have proven time and again that we will reach every bar set. Our forebears who were denied schooling taught themselves to read and compute, even under the threat of mutilation or death. There is zero excuse for education activists to continue to attribute their bad policies on equity as being for black students.
This article was published in the TakeCharge Magazine, The Washington Perspective.
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