By Jarret Liotta
WESTPORT — So the school’s Equity Study was released this past week, but maybe a lot of people didn’t notice because they were on vacation. (I think the same thing happened with one of my best columns, wherein I took the risk of interviewing one of Westport’s most colorful parents during February break, but it seemed like no one read it based on the absence of meaningful compliments I received.)
BOE to Hear Presentation Today
Well, the Board of Education will hear an official presentation about the Equity Study tonight (Monday night), so hopefully people will both tune and chime in as they see fit. Based on the substantial emotion its production generated among many locals, it would be a shame if the work went unnoticed or ignored, if only in terms of closure.
All In Favor
People who know me personally — and I think there are about four of you — understand that I take concepts like equity to heart. As I hope I’ve expressed in past editorials, anything we as a community can do to not only augment untarnished acceptance of everyone, but also help generate true feelings of belonging in the hearts of all people — are essential, right, and just good life-policy.
So on that level the entire concept of the study is positive to me. In particular, if awareness of conduct among staff members as it relates to cultural variants can be expanded — and staff and the community at large can lovingly be shown some new outlooks, strategies and practices to help make some others feel more accepted and an equal part of said community — that is a terrific outcome brought about by this well-intentioned endeavor.
But …
That said, I’m struggling to not find the study a disappointment in that it states the obvious, outlines sad but unsurprising facts that most of us have been aware of for years, and then concludes with four near-meaningless pedagogy-sodden recommendations sadly akin to “Education President” George H. Bush’s nonsensical Education 2000 goals.
(“All children in America will start school ready to learn … Every school in America will be free of drugs and violence …” Yes, Mr. President, tell me more broad, unnecessary gibberish aimed at giving a purpose to top-heavy bureaucracy while legions of dedicated educators continue to struggle on the ground actually trying to take action to amend these problems year after year after year …)
Likewise, the Equity Study’s profoundly pointless pronouncements include a suggestion that Westport “Invest in Ongoing Professional Learning” and also “Develop Welcoming and Affirming School Communities.”
Wow! Aren’t we lucky to get such great advice!!
Tell Me Why … (but I honestly don’t want to know)
Why is it I find this so tragically annoying and pointlessly bureaucratic? Maybe because I find bureaucracy in all its forms so tragically pointless and annoying.
Maybe it’s things like the mere second sentence of this analytical study’s Executive Summary, which states with a straight face: “We offered a capacity building approach in conducting the equity study by employing an evidence-based root cause analysis process that examined both quantitative and qualitative data and beliefs, policies, practices, and procedures to unveil the root causes of student experiences and outcomes.”
Personally, I think the school district should hunt down another $40,000 grant to do a study on what a “capacity building approach” even is, because it can mean many different things and I’m not convinced anyone even knows for sure.
The New York Times Syndrome
I don’t want to make light of the issues and experiences highlighted in this document based on personal interviews with Westport parents, students and staff, but I’ve always found the unnecessary need to quantify and over-examine things according to some version of academic authority to be just so much cow kah kah. It’s like when The New York Times finally reports on something that’s been underground knowledge for years, and then it becomes accepted as real because the Times is authoritative according to some pedant’s perception.
According to the study the first session of the work opened with Supt. of Schools Tom Scarice highlighting “current district priorities,” which apparently already include “examining policies that limit access to students, developing welcoming environments, and fostering inclusive curriculum and instruction.”
Sooooo …
So, what did they need to tell us?!
I think (hope) you see my point.
Looking back at much of the criticism of the study, one key claimed complaint centered on the district not involving a broad-enough swathe of the public in its planning and execution. I say to these critics, “You’re silly to have fought so vehemently for involvement, because from a bureaucratic standpoint it’s actually rather meaningless, as this whole exercise is, in essence, the authoritative New York Times affirming what we’ve known all along.”
But that’s how bureaucracy — laws and policy — are forged, so you can’t fight City Hall, or Central Office, etc. It had to be completed and it was … In the end I’ll concur (concede) that that’s a good thing.
Of course, some people will still argue against the validity of the sometimes bitter content and claims made in the Equity Study …
But they’re just idiots!
.
I am a retired physician living in Westport. I suppose I might be called various names by some, but hopefully not “idiot” by many. And I could have predicted the conclusion that Asians and Caucasians are “over represented” in AP and Honors courses at Staples without paying me one cent. Does that require action? Should we do away with meritocracy in schools? Let’s strive for mediocracy everywhere so we can see “EQUITY” everywhere??? That would be an excellent way of putting our town, Country, and the world on the path to destruction. Being inclusive is laudable, but do not punish the successful in your attempts to achieve it!
Well, Jareet, Bush held back on the additional “gibberish” you requested, but the Equity Study” stepped in and gave you all you want.
WTF is “educating through an intersectional lens” about which the BOE will her tonight? And why should the “disproportionality” in advanced placement courses be examined…is not the whole point of ADVANCED PLACEMENT to separate from the herd those who are the best and the brightest, which is, by definition, a DISPROPORTIONATE number, for Christ’s sake…the BOE will, most likely, be encouraged to “address disproportionality” by dumbing advanced placement down so anyone can take the courses which, de facto, will, therefore, be “un-advanced.
What absoluet educational bullshit.
The use of the word ‘equity’ should by examined carefully. If ‘equity’ is intended to mean ‘guarantee of equal results’ it ignores a fundamental fact: all human beings are different from the moment of conception and are genetically blessed with different characteristics. If ‘equity’ is intended to mean ‘equal access to opportunity based upon merit’ with no guarantee of results that is very different.
By creating a system that seems to seek ‘a guarantee of equal results’ we will destroy the very essence of the foundation of this country: freedom, with the ability to work hard have combined to create America…..
I wonder why my comments has not been displayed on your website?
Thanks,
Jeff Schwartz
I’m not sure why it would be assumed that helping certain students achieve more of their ability will automatically mean other students, especially high achievers, will be penalized or “dumbed down”. We are not talking about making AP classes easier, we are talking about making sure all students are trained appropriately enough to take the AP test and excel, should they choose to do so. Westport has more than enough resources to go around and we can (and should) help ALL students achieve their maximum ability in a manner that works best for them. My own son is a student at Staples and I am not worried one iota that he won’t get exactly what he needs. As the saying goes, “All boats rise with the tide”. If ALL of our students are taught in a manner that brings out their individual best, then we, as a town, will be much better for it.
This town spends too much time and money on studies to which everyone already knows the answers.
The study is disappointing to me because it appears to have been aimed with a preconceived inclination towards the notion of fitting it into an intersectionality study…. Which is easy because it excludes nothing,. But is also extremely difficulty because it includes everything: ethnic heritage, family structure, racial inheritance, educational level, occupational experience, etc etc of everyone involved..;;. How to address of counter (?) all that.
Why do consultants seem to feel the need to latch onto trendy business consultancy concepts
Better to look at the manifestations of educational aspirations and how they effect the actual educational practices and experience of teachers in Westport. At Staple many if not most families hire tutors to get students into AP course and eventually into desired colleges… there is one insignificant reference to tutoring in the entire 72 page document. If (lack of) access to tutoring doesn’t have an impact on Open Choice students (most of the colored or Latino students in the report) I’d be astonished.
There is not a single reference top cheating in the entire report. When I taught at Staples, cheating was pervasive. Cheating was also ignored then and appears to be ignored now. The report claims to look at disciplinary records, but I would be surprised if any of those records had anything to do with academic integrity or honesty. That, in my opinion is where the hard work that will lead to an honest, open, non-discriminatory, academically solid culture that allows all students to achieve at their highest potential must start.