Why We Choose to Reaffirm Our Commitment to Equity Work
The 2024 election has brought both reflection and resolve to forwardED. It has been a mirror to our times, exposing fissures in our collective commitment to justice and equity, but it has also been a call to reaffirm our mission with conviction. At forwardED, this moment is not about retreat but resurgence. It is a time to lean forward—not out of stubborn allegiance to ideology but because of a sincerely held belief that our work is necessary, urgent, and transformative.
Our mission has long been rooted in the belief that equity is the bedrock of education, that it has the potential to transform lives, uplift communities, and create a better future for all. Yet, we are painfully aware of the disparities that persist in our schools. Vulnerable students continue to face systemic barriers, and many schools are ill-equipped to extend quality education across lines of difference alone. Our institutions—though imperfect—are yet vital in expanding the great promises of democracy. They need champions, support, and partners committed to helping them uphold the values that make our society unique.
Thus, our mission is clear: to champion the rights and dignity of all students, especially those who remain on the margins of our education system. We know the stakes. Achieving equity is nothing less than a battle for the soul of education itself— a battle to ensure that schools live up to their promise of providing quality learning for every child, across every difference, and in spite of every barrier.
The Enduring Struggle for Equity
Equity is not a final destination but an ever-evolving labor rooted in a history of struggle. It requires acknowledging the injustices that have shaped our institutions while forging new paths forward. As James Baldwin once wrote, “Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.” Equity demands that we face the hard truths of systemic inequities and confront them honestly and with courage.
Equity in education is not a static goal; it is a dynamic and ongoing commitment. As historian Howard Zinn once said, “We don’t have to engage in grand, heroic actions to participate in the process of change. Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can transform the world.” This labor of many hands requires a constant reckoning with our history and an unflinching commitment to our present. It asks us to confront messy, often uncomfortable truths while holding fast to a vision of a more just and possible future.
We recognize that the values we champion—fairness, dignity, and opportunity—are not universally embraced. These values have been shaped through centuries of struggle and are continually up for negotiation. However, the challenge is not to eliminate conflict but to transform it. As Roger Fisher and William Ury argue in Getting to Yes, “The ability to deal with differences in a constructive manner is one of the most important skills we can learn.”
This work is not about eliminating differences or silencing conflict. Instead, it is about transforming how we engage with those differences. Conflict, when approached constructively, can lead to new possibilities. As John Dewey observed over a century ago, “Conflict is the gadfly of thought. It stirs us to observation and memory. It instigates to invention.” In this spirit, we view the work of equity as an act of invention—a continuous process of imagining and creating systems that honor human dignity. In this work, we lean forward!
Reclaiming the Promise of Equity in Education
At forwardED, equity is not an abstract ideal but a tangible practice that touches every corner of the educational experience. It is found in the poetics of policies that govern school discipline, in the margins of curricula that shape how students see themselves and their world, and in the quotidian rhythms of relationships that forge the foundations of all learning. Equity work, as we see it, is about more than solving problems; it is about creating the conditions for people to thrive.
Yet, we also recognize that not all equity work lives up to this promise. There is a brand of equity discourse that has become disconnected from the realities of people’s lives—work that is performative, self-serving, and ultimately ineffective. We reject this outright because true equity work begins and ends with people. Not canceling them but honoring their dignity, prioritizing their needs, and seeking to strengthen relationships even in the face of disagreement.
At forwardED, we are resolved to meet the challenges of equity work head-on. This is not blind optimism but a pragmatic belief in the power of human agency and collective action. We understand that advancing equity is difficult and sometimes unpopular, but Audre Lorde reminds us, “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” Therefore, true equity work will require innovative tools, bold strategies, and a willingness to disrupt systems perpetuating injustice.
So, we reject work that has lost touch with the needs of real people—institutions, families, teachers, and students. We reject arrogant and self-serving approaches to equity that fail to address the heart of the issue: people. As Bryan Stevenson writes in Just Mercy, we believe, “Each of us is more than the worst thing we’ve ever done.” Equity work must prioritize dignity and respect for individuals while addressing systemic inequities. It must disentangle people from problems, fostering stronger relationships even in the face of disagreement.
These principles guide our work at forwardED. By disentangling people from problems, we can address systemic inequities without losing sight of the humanity of those involved. This approach allows us to build bridges rather than walls, fostering collaboration and trust even as we tackle the most difficult challenges that vex so many of us working to transform our institutions.
Building Momentum Toward the Future
The year ahead will be one of action, innovation, and unwavering commitment. At forwardED, we are leaning into our priorities with renewed vigor, energy, and focus:
Leveraging Technology for Equity: We are harnessing the power of generative AI and extended reality (ER) to scale our impact. These tools will enable us to create immersive learning experiences that empower educators to address systemic inequities in real-time.
Driving Thoughtful Research: Our applied research and evaluation efforts will continue to uncover critical insights, which will inform policies and practices that advance equity and excellence in education.
Developing Transformative Tools: We are releasing a suite of instruments—fidelity measures, curriculum evaluation metrics, and more—that will help districts assess their progress and refine their strategies for equity.
Fostering Dialogue and Reflection: Through initiatives like our “Can We Talk” podcast (which will debut in 2025), we will create spaces for honest, thought-provoking conversations about the most pressing issues in education today.
Strengthening Partnerships: We will deepen our collaborations with schools, districts, and communities, working together to solve systemic challenges like chronic absenteeism and disproportionate suspensions, among other challenges.
A Declaration of Conviction: Equity Matters
Our commitment to equity is not naive. We understand where the political winds are blowing. We are aware of the difficulty of this work, the resistance it often encounters, and the complexity of the systems we seek to change. Yet, we are undeterred. We know that the pursuit of equity is both a moral imperative and a practical necessity. As Paulo Freire reminds us, “Education either functions as an instrument to bring about conformity or as a means of transforming society.” We choose transformation.
Though the pendulum of progress may swing, our dedication to equity remains unshaken. We do this work because we believe in it—in the power of education to uplift, heal, and inspire. We lean into this work because we know every child deserves the opportunity to learn with dignity. We are convinced that equity is not just a good idea—it is the idea that will shape a better future for ourselves and our children.
In the fourth grade, I learned a small but profound lesson about possibility one day when I encountered two words: “colonel” and “kernel.” Their shared pronunciation taught me something magical: that rules, though important, are not what define us. What matters most is the capacity to adapt, learn, and find meaning in the unexpected. In much the same way, equity work is not about rigid adherence to rules or ideologies. It is about bending toward justice, finding hope in complexity, and believing in the transformative power of possibility. This is our cause. This is our commitment. And this is our victory.
References
Baldwin, J. (1962). The fire next time. New York, NY: Dial Press.
Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education: An introduction to the philosophy of education. New York, NY: Macmillan.
Fisher, R., & Ury, W. (1981). Getting to yes: Negotiating agreement without giving in. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Freire, P. (1970). Pedagogy of the oppressed (M. B. Ramos, Trans.). New York, NY: Herder and Herder.
Lorde, A. (1984). Sister outsider: Essays and speeches. Trumansburg, NY: Crossing Press.
Stevenson, B. (2014). Just mercy: A story of justice and redemption. New York, NY: Spiegel & Grau.
Zinn, H. (2002). You can’t be neutral on a moving train: A personal history of our times. Boston, MA: Beacon Press.
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Suggested citation: Kirkland, D.E. (2024). Equity Matters. forwardED Perspectives, https://www.forward-ed.com/post/equity-matters.
David E. Kirkland, PhD, is the founder and CEO of forwardED. He is a nationally renowned scholar of education equity and author of Pedagogy of the Black Child. He can be reached via email at: david@forward-ed.com.
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