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Serving Educational Equity

Guest(s): Sonya Murray-Darden and Gwendolyn Y. Turner
Date: 09/25/2023
Run time: 31:37
Season 6, Episode 4

Planning for equitable accelerated learning is analogous to preparing a meal. Similar to a chef selecting the menu, gathering ingredients, and planning the occasion, educators choose aligned curricula to prioritize learning to help students internalize instruction. Straight from their new book Serving Educational Equity, Sonya Murray and Gwendolyn Turner share with listeners how to distinguish acceleration from remediation, establish effective foundational instruction, expand student engagement for all students, and use student excellence as the driver for full equity.

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Episode Audio

Series 6 Leaders Coaching Leaders

[00:00:00.00] [MUSIC PLAYING]

[00:00:00.34] NARRATOR: Welcome to Corwin's Leaders Coaching Leaders podcast with host, Peter Dewitt. This podcast is from education leaders for education leaders. Every week, Peter and our guests get together to share ideas, put research into practice, and ensure every student is learning not by chance but by design.

[00:00:19.45] TANYA GHANS: Hey, Peter.

[00:00:20.59] PETER DEWITT: Hey, Tanya. How are you?

[00:00:22.58] TANYA GHANS: I'm great. How are you?

[00:00:24.46] PETER DEWITT: I'm doing well. It's always good to see you.

[00:00:26.41] TANYA GHANS: Good to see you. I just automatically smile when I see you. You're just one of those people.

[00:00:30.49] PETER DEWITT: That's how I feel. Even when I get an email or a text from you, I'm like, oh, it's Tanya. It will always feels that way when I get texts and emails.

[00:00:39.82] TANYA GHANS: And it's genuine leader. It's genuine listeners, it really is. So yes, let's talk a little bit about today's guest. There's another exciting session.

[00:00:47.13] PETER DEWITT: Yeah, so Sonya Murray and Gwendolyn Turner. I actually met Sonya in Missouri, I was given a keynote. And she came up after, and she was a burst of energy. And she said, "I just wrote a book for Corwin." And she handed me a bookmark with her picture on it. And I thought, wow, I've never thought about doing that before. But it worked, it was fantastic. And I said, "I want you on the podcast. I want to hear more."

[00:01:17.66] And so yeah, it's going to be Sonya Murray and Gwendolyn Turner. And it to me it was a fantastic conversation because they talk about this five-course framework. And we'll get more into that about where the five courses came from. But I just-- I really enjoyed this conversation about serving up equity.

[00:01:38.09] TANYA GHANS: Yeah, I like the feel of these two authors. They were fun to watch, good energy going. One thing that I think listeners will appreciate, which I appreciated, they're talking about equity again, another term that's become very loaded and it's all over the place. And I think they really do a good job at defining what they mean by it.

[00:01:56.21] And I love how they center high standards and a desire for excellence from students. That even though, when we're talking about one thing, many people don't mean to parse it out and silo it, but it's very easy for things to become siloed when you get focused about talking with one term. So then we seem to be in this place where we have to remind everyone, ourselves, that it's not one or the other that we're bringing all of these things together holistically. And I think they do a nice job of trying to just make sure that these concepts stay as rich as they were conceived of. So I was excited about just the way that they speak on the topic.

[00:02:41.75] PETER DEWITT: Yeah, equity is one of those words that needs clarity because I think there's the political side, there's the pushback, but there's also just the common understanding of what do you mean when you're talking about equity?

[00:02:56.45] And I'll tell you for those of us old enough, Tanya, you wouldn't be one of them, but we remember the commercials with EF Hutton. And when EF Hutton talks, you listen. And that's how Gwendolyn Turner actually came off to me. Like, as soon as I asked her a question, she just took the moment to breathe and then she just talks slowly, and I found myself just kind of leaning in. And on the other side, you've got Sonya who's just a burst of energy too. So I love the juxtaposition between the two of them, especially during the conversation.

[00:03:35.83] So listeners, you're thoroughly going to enjoy the conversation, especially when they start talking about the reasoning behind calling it the five-course framework. I really loved what they did with that. So enjoy the--

[00:03:50.26] TANYA GHANS: And analogies. And analogy was fun. Listeners, enjoy. And we will see you on the other side.

[00:03:56.92] [AUDIO LOGO]

[00:03:59.50] PETER DEWITT: Sonya Murray and Gwen Turner, welcome to the Leaders Coaching Leaders podcast.

[00:04:04.16] GWENDOLYN TURNER: Thank you.

[00:04:05.15] SONYA MURRAY: Thank you for having us.

[00:04:07.78] PETER DEWITT: It's such a great energy. People will typically just listen to the podcast but it's going to be-- it's offered on YouTube as well. So hopefully they'll be able to click over and see the video too because you both have great energy to be able to talk about.

[00:04:21.90] But I want to talk to you because Sonya, we saw each other in Missouri?

[00:04:27.26] SONYA MURRAY: We did.

[00:04:28.49] PETER DEWITT: We met at Saint Louis about a month ago, which was fantastic. And you came running up to me and we had a really great conversation. And I thought you both would be such a great guest. You also gave me a bookmark. I don't give bookmarks out. Not too many authors have bookmarks. And that was cool because I actually found-- I still have it, actually so--

[00:04:51.59] GWENDOLYN TURNER: Excellent.

[00:04:52.40] PETER DEWITT: So that's a good thing to have. But the book is called, Serving Educational Equity, A Five-Course Framework for Accelerated Learning.

[00:05:01.05] GWENDOLYN TURNER: Yes.

[00:05:02.10] PETER DEWITT: Congratulations on the book.

[00:05:03.85] GWENDOLYN TURNER: Thank you.

[00:05:04.57] SONYA MURRAY: Thank you.

[00:05:05.73] PETER DEWITT: It is a labor of love when you write a book.

[00:05:08.16] GWENDOLYN TURNER: Yes.

[00:05:08.82] SONYA MURRAY: Yes, it is.

[00:05:10.08] PETER DEWITT: So tell me a little bit-- Sonya, I'll start with you. Tell me a little bit about why you focused on the whole idea of-- I mean, these are pretty specific words, serving educational equity. What got you involved in writing this book?

[00:05:29.90] SONYA MURRAY: So I've been in education for decades. I tell people sometimes I started when I was two years old, right? That's what I say. But I wanted alongside Gwen to build on the work of Linda Darling-Hammond and her research around the science of learning. We kept going in and out of schools and seeing that leaders wanted some support around how to meet the needs of all of their students.

[00:06:01.41] It was during the time of the disruption in education, and we wanted to really offer not just in theory but in practice some real life application and real-time strategies that they could use to accelerate learning. And so we wanted to return all educators back to what has always worked in schools. And that would be that caring adult who centers students, who deeply affirms them and engages them in those safe, culturally-affirming spaces.

[00:06:36.06] That's could be challenging, we recognize that. But we want it truly for leaders, for teachers, everybody who interacts with the student to have real-time strategies that they could use in order to get students to do grade level work no matter their ability level or grade level. And that's my personal why, it has always been my why in every role that I've had.

[00:07:02.64] And I currently support leaders in my role as CEO of Equity Matters and I also support leaders with the Missouri Leadership Development System through Education Plus, so this has been my passion. And so I kept getting the same requests every time I would go into schools and I said, well, why don't we put it in a book? Put it in a book and then we could support leaders and help them to be successful. So that was that.

[00:07:30.11] PETER DEWITT: That's usually how it happens, so that's great, actually. So Gwen, how did you get involved in this work?

[00:07:37.08] GWENDOLYN TURNER: Mine started a long time ago. And I always tell Sonya, my why started-- and I'm going to give my age away now, in the '50s, when we were involved in school and the expectation was excellence. There were no excuses. I reminded Sonya and of course, she always laughs at me.

[00:08:01.17] And I said, when I was a child in school, one of the things that we were expected to do was to read the newspaper in school because people in the community did not have access to the paper. And our teacher in second grade expected us to take the paper, to read it. And as a part of sharing what had happened in school that day, we had to go back, and we had to be the source of information for parents and for others in the community. So as children, we were taught to respect learning. And the expectation wasn't that because you were a small child you could only do so much.

[00:08:49.53] And so Sonya and I came to this work from she had a passion about working with children and I had a passion with working with teachers and other leaders to make sure that we never forget that we have to hold the highest expectations for children. And they will live up to them. They will live up to them.

[00:09:10.02] PETER DEWITT: That's really interesting, especially if you have a juxtaposition to what we're experiencing now in some of states where the thought of having elementary school kids read the newspaper and then bring the information back to their parents, that's a really controversial thing these days, isn't it? So it's really interesting that that was the experience that you had. What an amazing experience actually.

[00:09:37.41] One of the things that you talked about was the whole idea of affirming spaces Sonya. So could you talk a little bit about what you mean by affirming spaces? Because one of the things that I really like to be able to do, whether it's in the work that I do or on this podcast, is develop a common language and a common understanding. And I think we often use a common language in education, but we don't always have that common understanding.

[00:10:04.18] So when you mention affirming space, what does that look like? What does that mean?

[00:10:08.82] SONYA MURRAY: It's such a great question. Well, to begin, it means that you see students. You truly see them and you hear them. And specifically, you see them, and I always say, independent of your own preconceived notions and biases about their abilities. We all bring to the learning space that bias. And sometimes people hear the word bias and they think it's all bad, but we function day in and day out making quick assumptions about situations, about people.

[00:10:41.89] And so when I talk about culturally-affirming students, it's really thinking about and recognizing that they are bringing their own background and experiences to that learning space, to the school, and to the classroom. And so as an educator, if I'm going to get them to a high level academically, I cannot create roadblocks intentionally or unintentionally that would not allow them to experience or have access to high expectations.

[00:11:15.30] And so we loved Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond's whole idea about the whole child approach and the science of learning around that, where she talks about the brain always developing as a product of relationships and experiences. That learning is not just social, it's social, it's emotional, and it's academic. So when we say culturally affirm students, we have to recognize that and see them fully.

[00:11:43.74] Now, that's challenging because we think about the amount of responsibility everybody has, principals, teachers. No matter your level, if you're in the education space, you have a lot of responsibility. Which is why we created a five-course framework to help people to make those connections so that we don't see just one part of the student, we actually see ways to affirm them completely.

[00:12:10.23] PETER DEWITT: That setting the environment is so important. And it's not just for students either, it's for teachers when we're providing professional learning, that whole focus of on the experience that they can have. Just we know, I mean, self-efficacy research shows that if you're anxious, it diminishes efficacy and if you're excited, it increases efficacy.

[00:12:33.78] Gwen, you were shaking your head when Sonya was talking. Could you talk to us a little bit more about what the five courses are?

[00:12:43.19] GWENDOLYN TURNER: Yes. What we tried to do was think in terms of an analogy of what we do when planning meals. And I'm going to give you guys a big secret here. I'm going to reveal I'm a terrible cook. But when we were thinking of an analogy, we thought in terms of meal planning. In our five-course framework, one of the things that we thought about was the importance of meal-planning. If I'm going to plan for equity and excellence and education, it doesn't happen by having stance, I think very carefully about what I am doing.

[00:13:23.11] So if I could say the first thing that I do is I not only plan but I prioritize, how am I going to embrace equity? And what is my focus for accelerating learning? And then as with any meal, we think in terms of breaking it down into courses. And if I think in terms of first course, Sonya and I debated and we said OK, it should be the soup course. And the soup course, I want to basically view how I am looking at equity and how I would practice those interactions.

[00:14:02.08] Sonya talks about relationships. And one of the things that we all know is when a teacher and a student have a good relationship, learning can take place. When you've got barriers to that relationship, you are going to have to overcome them.

[00:14:19.90] As we moved into looking at how we viewed equity, we moved into our next course. And our next course, again, we are not cooks but we thought in terms of an appetizer. And it is so important in an educational setting for us to look at two things. I think the data. The data just reveals what has happened, where we are, and possibly where we will go in the future. And educators have to look at that data. We have to be very, very honest about what it is telling us.

[00:14:56.83] We then said you don't just look at the data, you look at the curriculum. There should be an alignment on that curriculum. If I am looking at courses that I take as an educator, as a leader, I want to move into the importance of what we call the third course. We called it the salad but this is where I'm getting into student voice and agency. It becomes really, really important at that point.

[00:15:25.34] And Sonya and I realized, and kind of a short story here, several years ago, she and I recorded African-American boys talking about what influenced their reading. And it was fascinating, the research that we gathered. That yet students having an opportunity to share, students having an opportunity to learn from teachers, students having an opportunity to participate, they weren't invisible. What they thought and how they felt and how they participated was so critical for the advancement of those voice. So when we looked at voice and agency we thought, this is a good salad. Now, those set up sort of our base.

[00:16:13.44] And then we thought in terms of the entree or the main course, if you will. Here, teachers had to get in and leaders into, what about the instruction that we deliver? Are we offering instruction for the past, like remediation, or are we offering instruction for the future and for the present?

[00:16:33.92] We were in so many, I think, places doing the just in case teaching instead of hey, look, I need my students to move ahead. And so when she and I thought in terms of the main course, we thought in terms of the diversity of learners but the diversity of methods in which students can learn. And we wanted a wealth of learning strategies and techniques but we wanted the teacher to always remember, you have to scaffold that learning. Students need to do that productive struggle but you have to scaffold, you have to support them.

[00:17:13.26] And as we looked at how that entree or that main course would allow us to teach for equity and engagement and acceleration, we thought about one area that teachers, I think in many cases, are not thinking clearly through and that's how they use the technology. Because in offering the variety of instructional strategies and techniques, we found that many teachers are looking at technology as the source for instruction rather than a tool.

[00:17:48.32] And so we thought in terms of our desert stage as technology is a tool that enhances learning but it doesn't take the place of quality instruction. And so when we were thinking in terms of this five-course framework of meal-planning and first course where we viewed and practice equity and our second course where we examined and used our data and our third course for salad for engagement and voice. And the main course, if you will, for our access engagement and acceleration. And finally, our desert for our use of technology to enhance, we felt that that would allow us to offer actionable steps for educators who wanted to accelerate learning.

[00:18:35.86] SONYA MURRAY: And we recognize that people need those resources, leaders particularly, they need to be able to have access to those resources immediately. And so in our book at the end, we actually have time to dig in tools, that they can go and apply those tools right away no matter out of their level. And we also wrote it in a phrase where teachers would have access and have their voice as well as leaders. Because we recognize that many times, leaders are planning those professional learning opportunities for teachers.

[00:19:14.34] And we really wanted-- and this was something that it was critically important to us. We wanted actionable steps. We wanted to move beyond theory to practice. Because we can talk about OK, let's provide grade level access, but what does that really look like when students are in my classroom and they're not on level? And so that's why we wanted to definitely in that fifth course, we wanted to provide some actionable steps that they can use.

[00:19:42.93] And then making the connection to the technology, too much dessert will make you sick. Just like too much exposure to technology could begin to be counterproductive.

[00:19:57.78] PETER DEWITT: Yeah, and I'm glad you said that there was a bounce. Now, what people don't know, though, is when we were first getting on the Zoom together, before Sonya came on, Sonya's otter pilot came on and I looked at Gwen and said, "What is that?" And then Sonya got on and said, "It's my AI personal assistant." And I thought, tell me more, because it's been a crazy day on my side of things and I don't have an AI personal assistant. And you said something really important you said, it's a really good way to model for leaders too what this could look like.

[00:20:34.10] So I'm here to tell you that when you're talking about using technology as a tool, you are modeling what you're talking about. Because as we speak right now, I had to put Sonya's otter pilot on mute because I was a little concerned that Sonya's autopilot was going to start speaking too.

[00:20:52.77] SONYA MURRAY: Yes, no, never face but really clear notes after the meeting.

[00:21:01.12] PETER DEWITT: No, I think that's great. And what you're talking about is modeling. So one of the things that has come up in the podcast before and it's come up in blogs as well is I think when we use words, people start to kind of pick at the words. It happened Equity for sure.

[00:21:18.42] SONYA MURRAY: Yes.

[00:21:18.83] PETER DEWITT: Equity came out and then there were illustrations. And everybody said yes, this is important. And then all of a sudden, it became a thing, that it became a hot button issue.

[00:21:29.33] Well, one of the words now is acceleration. Acceleration is one of those words. And somebody had recently written that acceleration still carries deficit thinking. What do you say about that? Does acceleration mean that we have deficit thinking because we have to catch them up from what they lost? What does acceleration mean to the both of you when you're talking about this idea of a five-course framework? And now, I understand what the courses are, which is great. But for accelerated learning, what does acceleration mean?

[00:22:04.88] SONYA MURRAY: Yes, so for us, it means strategically preparing students for success in grade level content. And so there are some associated unlearning that has to happen because there was a time where acceleration meant we propel the gifted students. And so for some people, that is a mental model. That's what they remember.

[00:22:27.75] But what we're talking about is that we ready students for new learning opportunities. So we address the past concepts and skills but always in the purposeful range of learning. And so what that means is if I have this fifth grade student in front of me who is not on grade level, I recognize where they need support. I don't go back and remediate their learning or give them the content at the level where they're performing.

[00:22:59.87] I don't say, hey, you're reading at third grade, so I'm going to give you all third grade content and never expose you to fifth grade. Instead I say, where are those potential places? I'm going to provide you just in time learning to say, where are those potential places that I can fill the gaps for you and help you to be successful with current grade level content? And so that is what the real conversation is about. And we have to go through those courses or it's best practice to go through those courses so that we can be purposeful in how we provide that grade level support.

[00:23:37.43] And there are some unlearning with remediation because there was a time where we talked heavily about providing just in case learning. Remediating, focusing on those isolated skills that were years ago, if they're not on target, give them multiplication facts and catch them up really quickly.

[00:23:54.86] And so I think one thing that leaders can do is have real conversation with their teachers. And a practice that teachers can do is have real conversations with their students around-- I'm so happy you asked that Peter, the difference between remediation and acceleration so that we're clear on what acceleration is so we can take some action around it.

[00:24:20.38] GWENDOLYN TURNER: I was hoping you were asking us both or just Sonya?

[00:24:23.16] PETER DEWITT: No, no, both is great.

[00:24:25.33] GWENDOLYN TURNER: One of the things that we learned as part of thinking through this, and I loved what Nikki Newton talked about when she talks about acceleration with math, she says, look, we need to teach the children on their grade level but we need to offer those intervention supports and scaffolding as needed.

[00:24:48.50] If you think in terms of any group of students coming in, there are going to be things that they know and things that maybe they've forgotten or they don't know. You have to start with moving them forward. You can't move them forward if you're going backwards. And that is so much of what we have tried to avoid with the book and helping teachers think in terms of, do you want to move your students to the next level or do you want to move your students backwards?

[00:25:21.33] And for those teachers who think about it you say, well, where could I offer my intervention or my scaffolding that would move them so that they could do the activities that we have in front of them right now? That's where I think we can support our teachers and our instructional leaders the most. Not trying to reinvent a wheel behind us but moving forward.

[00:25:46.03] PETER DEWITT: And I appreciate that, Gwen, because I also go back to when the first questions that we talked about when you talked about being a second grader and going home to read the newspaper. I think there are things that we can learn from the past and then ways that we can move forward in the future too.

[00:26:03.22] So Sonya Murray and Gwen Turner, thank you for being a part of the Leaders Coaching Leaders podcast. The book is called, Serving Educational Equity, a Five-Course-- and now we know what courses are. A Five-Course Framework for Accelerated Learning. But thank you for being on the show.

[00:26:19.75] SONYA MURRAY: Thank you. It was awesome.

[00:26:22.12] GWENDOLYN TURNER: Have a wonderful day.

[00:26:23.56] PETER DEWITT: You as well.

[00:26:24.54] SONYA MURRAY: Thank you.

[00:26:25.27] [AUDIO LOGO]

[00:26:28.62] TANYA GHANS: All right, Peter, what did you think?

[00:26:33.04] PETER DEWITT: I enjoyed it. When I met Sonya in Missouri and I knew that she was going to be a fantastic interview and I'm very excited about the book. It's always great when you meet people who write a book, and especially it's like, their first book that comes out. That's an exciting thing because books are not always easy to write. It's not like you Wake up in the morning and say, I'm going to write this book and I'm going to have it finished over the weekend, right? It takes a lot of work. So just the energy that's there, the energy that goes into it.

[00:27:09.04] But having the conversation with both Sonya and Gwendolyn, they have different styles, which is what we said in the introduction. But I liked when they started talking about why they were calling it serving equity and then going through the five courses.

[00:27:26.73] And for somebody who started cooking a lot over the past few months and has gotten into gourmet cooking, it was just a really nice-- it was a nice way to kind of see how it lays out. And I enjoyed how they did that. But I enjoyed that they were able to define equity for us and some of those finer details too.

[00:27:49.05] TANYA GHANS: Yeah, continuing on that point, when you asked them to speak about the difference between acceleration and versus remediation. And I don't know about you or listeners but even I can get fatigued at the pace of how terms can change and the spin of it, it's a lot. It's a lot. I think it's too much.

[00:28:08.98] But I think what it does mean is that our work becomes really important in asking people to define what they mean by things more than ever before because it's so easy for people to put their own take on it. So I do like how they made that distinction between remediation, which I think we widely understand is just as a global practice for a student or a group of students, that's not the way to go.

[00:28:34.84] And that acceleration is really about finding where children are so that you can take them where you want them to go. It's about being so precise in how you scaffold and you do your instruction, that you're getting children to that on and above grade level, which is the goal for teachers. So I'm glad that you brought that up. And hopefully you've headed off any concerns about what acceleration might mean because I think of it as a positive thing if you understand how-- if you understand that the way that these authors speak about it which is a part of their title, so it's important.

[00:29:13.81] PETER DEWITT: Yeah, and part of why I brought it up is because this is a season where we've had some people talk about not using the word acceleration, then we've got people that use the word acceleration. And to me, I think it's fair game. If you write a book and you're speaking on it, you're going to get these questions from the audience anyway. So I think it's fair game to be able to talk about why not to use it or why to use it. And it's just hearing different philosophies.

[00:29:44.86] And then from a listener standpoint you just have to move in a way that's going to make you feel comfortable. And when you get that definition, is that a definition that you can say, OK, I'm comfortable with that and I can move forward. So yeah. And I think the whole season.

[00:30:03.41] What I think is interesting too-- I use the word interesting a lot, I have to stop doing that actually.

[00:30:08.57] TANYA GHANS: It happens. Once you get a word in your head, it hangs around for a while.

[00:30:11.95] PETER DEWITT: Like another word besides interesting, I just--

[00:30:14.12] TANYA GHANS: It's a human thing. There's a whole study.

[00:30:16.25] PETER DEWITT: I should have that--

[00:30:17.42] TANYA GHANS: There's a whole study on this somewhere I'm sure that--

[00:30:20.45] PETER DEWITT: I should have a thesaurus in my mind where I'm not using these words. But I think what is fascinating is that when you've got a whole season and you have these different conversations, they play off of each other because you and I are the constant in all of these conversations. So hearing something from one person then bringing it into a different conversation somewhere else, I like that.

[00:30:47.56] TANYA GHANS: Yeah, I do. I think it's what paints nuance. It creates nuance in a fuller picture. So hopefully this sparks discussion and people feel moved to go out and get the book to learn more about it too. But we're really glad that you're all along for the ride, you continue to be here with us. So we appreciate it, listeners.

[00:31:05.75] PETER DEWITT: Yes, thank you. And if you have any feedback or you want to send me a thesaurus--

[00:31:10.86] [LAUGHTER]

[00:31:12.72] --feel free to do that too. If you want to give me some more words besides interesting, I'm good with that. But as always, thank you, everyone.

[00:31:20.91] TANYA GHANS: Oh, and you're so interesting to talk to. So I love-- until we chat again next time, I always love learning with you.

[00:31:29.38] PETER DEWITT: Good to see you, Tanya. Love learning with you as well.

[00:31:31.84] TANYA GHANS: Bye.

[00:31:32.54] PETER DEWITT: Bye.

[00:31:33.20] [MUSIC PLAYING]

Episode Video

Sonya Murray-Darden

My "why" has evolved throughout my experience serving students in numerous educational settings as a professional developer, classroom teacher, leadership coach, reading specialist, administrator, and researcher. But no experience entirely shaped my why, like losing my former student who was shot and killed in Ferguson, Missouri. His death would spark public protests, social unrest, and outrage within my community and beyond, forcing much-needed conversations across the country about the role of social justice in schools.

Mike was a gentle soul who loved math and was part of my reading club. There was much in the news media about his tragedy, but what I knew as his former teacher was that he loved math even after graduating from high school. I wanted to think the teaching and learning he received, and the information I poured into him as a student, influenced his love of mathematics. Ironically, his tragedy occurred the same day I graduated from college with an advanced degree, causing me to reflect deeply on the external and internal influences of teaching and learning and my personal "why." As I pondered the many sacrifices of my parents and teachers, I concluded that the work of equity is about using education as a vessel to change lives. The educators I encountered influenced my life trajectory and educational experiences. My path began as a student in an urban school district with teachers who cared and provided the foundational learning I needed to succeed, but I didn't live in an area where schools were "considered" the best. My mother decided to transition my siblings and me to a desegregated school by eighth grade, riding a school bus for nearly an hour each way to a new school community. This community was very different from where I was raised and was considered "a better educational opportunity."

As I traveled across town to a school that offered more opportunity and access, the program offerings were better, but I felt isolated. I was invisible. The experience helped me understand the difference between "intent" and "impact." The school was challenging and rich in experiences, intending to diversify educational experiences for all students by offering more opportunities, yet the impact was a stifled voice. I quickly learned that serving equity requires elevating the voice of the underserved, choosing the right curriculum, understanding the impact of external influences, building relationships, and reflecting on the instructional decisions we implement when we elevate students' possibilities.

Ultimately, I founded Equity Matters Consulting, a consulting company focused on helping educators advance education by giving students a voice and a seat at the table. Our team focuses on adult learning theory to disrupt the status quo in schools and organizations using a practical, inspirational approach. I began testing parts of the serving educational equity framework with practitioners over the past few years. I assembled strategies from our recent day-to-day consulting experiences with schools and organizations to offer as best practices in this book.

Educational equity shines a spotlight on our expectations and asks us to reflect on how we hinder or elevate opportunities for students to have a better life. We should center a vision of excellence for every child, no matter their zip code, background, or linguistic ability. Our book supports practitioners with resources to operationalize educational equity using actionable practices that ensure educational equity for all students.

Gwendolyn Y. Turner

As an educator who has worked in numerous educational settings: classroom teacher, substitute teacher, reading specialist, adult educator, administrator, educational consultant, teacher educator, college professor, and researcher, I have learned to respect both the teaching and learning process. One can expect culturally, linguistically, and academically diverse students in any educational setting. My career as an educator started in a rural area and later with migrant populations, in which very few opportunities for economic advancement were available for families. These families taught me the importance of resiliency and the timeliness of quality, relevant educational experiences that allowed students to acquire tools such as problem-solving, reasoning, and critical thinking. Tools that could be used in both academic and general life settings. We did not have time to waste on meaningless or irrelevant learning activities because a quality educational experience would be a ticket to greater life opportunities. When I started working with educators and visiting classrooms in Bolivia and Brazil, I realized that quality education does not just prepare students to complete school assignments but prepares them for all of their life experiences as adults, parents, employees, and citizens. In America, we take education for granted, but my experiences in schools and classrooms in South Africa and Thailand reinforced my belief that education changes lives. We serve students best when we honor their voices, acknowledge their identities, and value their life experiences. Students who receive a quality education have many more life opportunities than those who receive an inferior education. Too often we provide the best educational resources, activities, and experiences for those students who are already advantaged. Equity is a lens that educators can use to ensure all students reach their full potential. I believe in respecting the teaching and learning process. I believe that a quality education improves the quality of one’s life. Lastly, I believe that as an educator, I can help students improve their life trajectory.
As I worked in suburban and urban educational settings, I realized that students enter a classroom expecting to learn, to be engaged, and to have their opinions matter and their voices heard. My beliefs, practices, and actions can profoundly impact the learning success of students regardless of their academic abilities, cultural background, or linguistic ability. We are not helping students complete assignments for class; we are assisting students in the tools they need for success in their lives. This is why I have embraced educational equity throughout my career. I believe that educational equity provides opportunities for all students to soar academically.
Our work as educators is to help students acquire the tools they need for both careers and life. Therefore, it is imperative that we provide instruction that meets students’ academic and social needs. Respecting the rights of students to experience rich, meaningful learning experiences has been the cornerstone of my work as an educator. This is a lesson that I have embraced in my work in this country and as a visiting instructor in Bolivia, Brazil, Thailand, and South Africa. I believe that students want to learn and experience success while learning. All students deserve intellectually challenging, relevant, and engaging learning activities in a supportive environment. Education is still the key that unlocks opportunities for students now and in their futures.

Peter M. DeWitt

Peter DeWitt (Ed.D) is the founder and CEO of the Instructional Leadership Collective, and approaches everything with a learner's mindset. He was a K-5 teacher for 11 years and a principal for 8 years. For over 12 years, he has been facilitating professional learning nationally, and internationally, based on the content of many of his best-selling educational books.

DeWitt's professional learning relationships are a monthly hybrid approach that includes both coaching and the facilitating workshops on instructional leadership and collective efficacy. His work has been adopted at the state level, university level, and he works with numerous school districts, school boards, regional networks, ministries of education around North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the U.K.

Peter writes the Finding Common Ground column for Education Week with Michael Nelson and they host Corwin’s Leaders Coaching Leaders podcast. In 2020 DeWitt co-created Education Week's A Seat At the Table where he moderates conversations with experts around the topics of race, gender, research, trauma and many other educational topics.

Peter is the author, co-author or contributor of numerous books and his articles have appeared in educational research journals at the state, national and international level. His books have been translated into numerous languages.

Michael Nelson

There is no more noble profession than that of an educator was what Michael Nelson’s mom said almost every day while he was growing up. For almost 40 years, Michael has been an educator. His mom would be pleased.

Even though Michael still considers “teacher” as his primary title, he has served in roles of principal, district instructional leader, superintendent, assistant executive director developing professional development for the state of Washington, and currently as the Thought Partner for the Instructional Leadership Collective.

Michael has received many state and national awards during his time as a principal and superintendent. As principal, his school received the National Blue Ribbon Award from the United States Department of Education. As a superintendent, he was named Washington state’s 2019 Superintendent of the Year. During his tenure as superintendent, Michael was elected President of the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) by his peers.

Michael Nelson co-facilitates coaching, keynotes, and workshops with Peter DeWitt. Their first book “Leading with Intention” was released in May 2024.