Fairness in schools

It was not exactly English for dummies. But while the College Prep class, which I also had wandered into, was dissecting the symbolism of “The Old Man and the Sea” (Jesus was known as the “fisher of men.”), the class I was teaching was using workbooks, the contents of which were, shall we say, basic.

My high school days vastly preceded the profound changes in diversity that have occurred here in the past two decades. There was a scant handful of minorities in the school. The construct of all the classrooms was based on test scores, the school being sufficiently homogeneous to be oblivious to language differences or cultural or historical barriers.

However the selection might have been made, the reality of their categorization was not lost on the students, who took my presence, and the absence of the regular teacher, to complain they were bored. And to indicate they were well aware how their future had been laid out for them.

I think of this as the debate over educational equity continues to spread, and as the post-George Floyd push for diversity, equity and inclusion fades as a corporate priority.

No one wants to be left behind.

And there is the essence and the challenge in the equity debate: Does the effort to lift up some bring down others? Does it have to?

I believe we can all agree that this nation has a long history of systematic denial of equal opportunities, particularly at our schools. The flip side of that same coin has been the advantages that have come historically from being born in the right ZIP code, under ideal circumstances, including good schools.

The remedy has been equity, which generally is defined as fairness and justice. It is important to note both — justice having a value that extends beyond simple fairness. Equity is distinguished from equality, and has been implemented as a blanket expectation that everyone should be treated the same. For all I know, this may be equity. It may even be some form of justice, but I am unsure if it qualifies as fairness.

Fairness is a fundamentally American notion. It is why we love sports and expect the games we enjoy to be conducted in an environment of fairness. But we also accept certain kinds of fair advantages. In basketball, if someone is taller or faster that is a fair advantage.

Schools are not supposed to be competitive environments, but we all know they are, especially in the highly charged and ambitious atmosphere of the Peninsula.

It would be unreasonable to expect a 7-foot-tall basketball player to play shorter, or to require a faster player to run slower. Is it reasonable to expect the same from an advanced math student? Is that what it means to eliminate advanced math classes at a local high school and have everyone take the same level of math? Is it benefiting those students who would not qualify for the advanced classes? Is it holding back those students who are prepared for the advanced work — for whatever reason?

Clearly, local school districts have embraced equity and it permeates some classrooms with a studied determination that every student get exactly the same treatment.

More interesting, perhaps, is the emergence of a parent/student/teacher campaign to restore the advanced classes at the high schools of the Sequoia Union High School District.

It has been three years since the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer and a national push for reforms and reshaped attitudes.

The incident and subsequent reaction shifted momentum to progressives who long carried equity as a banner and as an antidote to systemic injustice.

The momentum, it appears, may be shifting when opposition to local school board actions becomes organized and intentional.

As must be painfully obvious, it’s hard for me to find a comfortable place in this debate. I know I want our schools to be the rising tide that lift all boats. I know I want no one denied the opportunity to excel as their talents and hard work will allow.

I know I want no one denied the benefits of their fair advantage.

Mark Simon is a veteran journalist, whose career included 15 years as an executive at SamTrans and Caltrain. He can be reached at marksimon@smdailyjournal.com.