Letter to the editor: Gateway’s need for equity director is real
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In 2011, I was elected to the Gateway School Board. Gateway has been discussing and working at reducing the achievement gap since 2013. In 2015, Gateway published an equity audit of the school district. In 2016, Gateway established an Achievement Gap Committee, which produced a number of recommendations.
In 2018, Assistant Superintendent Dennis Chakey was given the added task of working on equity in the school district. He has done much to start the equity process, including the development and board approval of an equity policy.
The achievement gap is real. The need for an equity director is real.
So why do some residents oppose these issues?
During my time on the school board, I never heard a parent of an underachieving student complain that their child did not need academic help. However, various groups of parents came to school board meetings to protect and preserve special benefits for their children.
So who are the people opposing equity in education?
They are the residents who have or know students who are doing well academically. They want to maintain the “status quo,” because that is good for them.
All school districts would be much better off if the “haves” did not always prevail of the “have nots.”
And the sad fact is this: Having equity and reducing the achievement gap benefits all students. Equity is not about pulling any student down. Equity is about raising the achievement of all students.
Many students could do much better if given the needed resources.
Robert Elms
Monroeville