As explained elsewhere on this site, Equity and Equality are not the same thing and represent two very different approaches to addressing racism. FCPS has chosen to approach racism using Equity as its base premise. This should be a concern for parents who believe in equality and a color-blind education system.

The first seven pages of the 28 page FCPS School Opening Plan covers four topics:  the Executive Summary; Ensuring Equity in FCPS; Partnering with the FCPS Community; and Ensuring the Success of Every Student.

In its Executive Summary, the Reopening Plan states that FCPS will “use a streamlined approach focusing on relationships, excellence, and equity.” It stresses the critical importance of the “transformation in every aspect of the school’s system’s operation,” which based on the details of the plan seems to cover the higher priority of equity and its integration into teacher training, the elevation of student input into the lessons and priorities, and academic improvement**.

The summary also states that there will be “expanded and enhanced Social and Emotional Learning supports for students” and each school’s improvement plans “will focus on equity” and include tracking to ensure progress.

In the Ensuring Equity in FCPS section the definition of educational equity explains that every student should have access to the resources they need and that “personal and social identifiers (ability, age, ethnicity, gender, gender expression, gender identity, language, national origin, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status)” should be considered a valuable asset. Ensuring resources are available to all should be required, but how social identifiers will be used to achieve equity isn’t clear. The answer is more than likely contained in the details of the new training for FCPS teachers and staff. The plan states that in the past FCPS employed a “reflective practice” for equity where staff and teachers were asked to assess their own values and perspectives and how it could impact learning and relationships. This year staff and teachers will be asked to take on a more active and direct role in ensuring equity is achieved by being advocates, demonstrating courage and are expected to ”take risks to forge improvement.” To implement the new approach an  “Equity in Action” strategic professional learning training program will be rolled out for FCPS “leaders” that will be supplemented by optional and required “multiple professional learning opportunities.”  The plan states “professional learning in the equitable instructional leadership and assessment practices is required throughout the school year in a variety of ways and contexts.” There is no information that explains what that means, and while concentrating on a message that tolerance is an important part of learning is the right thing, parents should accept this approach with caution. Taking the wrong approach and focusing too heavily on social identifiers and the principles of Equity (as described earlier on this site) can be extremely divisive since, by its very nature, it separates students by focusing on and emphasizing our differences, placing students into groups, and teaching that one group makes it impossible for the other group to succeed.

The details of the training programs and how that will appear in the classrooms and approach to instruction isn’t clear. We have requested details on teacher training as far back as February but do not have the information yet.

**Related to academics the plan includes additional student learning time such as tutoring, Saturday Learning Days, and mobile learning labs. (This is well intentioned but the FCPS has stated there is a shortage of manpower and funding to support the existing plan let alone an expansion.)