“Every system is perfectly designed to get the results it gets.”
We need only take a broad glance at the history of education1 in America to see the truth of this statement. Even the past few years, given an unprecedented opportunity by a nationwide pandemic to rethink school, saw a gravitational pull to return to the educational system as it was before. Instead of helping us root out inequities, the effects of the pandemic reinforced and exacerbated them. And it’s no wonder: American education systems and structures are designed to produce inequitable outcomes.
It’s the elephant in the (class) room — the problem we don’t want to discuss because the truth is uncomfortable and challenging to change.
With the support of an Equity Commission, we examined this hypothesis through the lens of NTC’s mission: to disrupt the predictability of educational inequities for systemically under served students by accelerating educator effectiveness.
- Who are we as educators, as people, and how do our experiences shape us and show up in our practice? How do we stay curious, do deep introspection, and support others?
- How do we grow from where we are to where we aspire to be?
- Who are we teaching? Do we know the full richness of our students’ stories?
- How can we honor the humanity of our students, their families, and their communities in instructional design and the culture of schools?
- What supports do educators need to balance the art and science of teaching with the goals of students and their families?
- What are we ultimately trying to achieve as educators, working in partnership with students, families, and communities? How can we protect and prioritize these goals in the structures and systems of schools?
Learn more about our anchors for equity: Embrace teaching and learning as a dynamic relational human exchange; expand the concept of educator and community in schools; and, co-design systems to sustain equity.