An Equity Lens for Equitable Decisions

Author and entrepreneur Seth Godin, in his blog The Permanent Rules, discusses the need for a new approach to decision making. He says taking the time to examine our previous decisions reminds us that rules are fluid.

New situations present opportunities to effect positive change. The only way a school system can improve is when leaders decide that a permanent rule, something that we would normally consider never changing, has to change. And then it does.

We need to recognize that our context is continually changing and that requires us to revisit the rules we have grown comfortable with and accustomed to maintaining.

When as superintendents we make decisions and take action, we should apply a series of equity-related questions:

• Does this decision align with our mission/vision?
• Whom does this decision affect both positively and negatively?
• Does the decision being made ignore or worsen existing disparities or produce other unintended consequences?
• Are those being affected by the decision included in the process?
• What other possibilities are being explored?
• Is the decision/outcome sustainable?

Education leaders must own this type of questioning and decision making if we are to become school systems where a student’s gender, skin color, home language and family income level no longer predict who does and does not graduate from our schools.

As education leaders, we must be compelled to begin altering the rules that are having a detrimental impact on student performance and start building new rules, policies and systems that benefit each student.