A forum being held Tuesday and Wednesday will bring together a wide range of people including teachers, students, principals and family groups to discuss educational inequity issues and how to alleviate the struggles at hand.
Equity Alliance at ASU is hosting the annual event that brings professionals and interest groups from across the nation, said ASU’s Director of Equity Alliance, JoEtta Gonzales.
“The main objective is to try and develop ideas to ensure minority and highly marginalized students receive access to opportunities and outcomes,” Gonzales said. “[The forum] is about helping leaders build a coalition and understanding the complexities of change in social justice.”
The forum will explore the appropriate direction to address national issues, centering around providing funding for advanced placement courses, accelerated programs, and extracurricular activities — areas that schools with high minority populations lack, Gonzales said.
There will also be a strong focus on these issues locally, she said.
Renee Morales, a kinesiology sophomore, said her experiences in the local education system significantly affected her transition to college.
“I learned a lot more when I attended a private middle school. The teachers were more qualified and more resources were available,” said Morales. “In [public] high school, there was a standard. Resources were limited, and there wasn’t much room for exploration.”
Morales’ underdeveloped high school lacked necessary resources and programs and did not prepare her for college coursework, she said, an example of a problem with the current system.
“I definitely wish I went to a better high school, especially now that I am at a university,” Morales said.
On the other hand, kinesiology freshman Alesia Ash said her high school had all the right tools and resources she needed.
“We had a lot of advising and clubs, and the school had a lot of money to support the programs. There wasn’t any major problems like not having enough books or chairs in the classroom,” Ash said.
No one was left without the tools needed for success, she said.
The problems faced by students in underprivileged and culturally diverse schools are the main issues up for discussion at the conference.
The education equity forum will help bridge the gaps and tear down walls that now exist in the education system, Gonzales said.
“I don’t believe there is a silver bullet. We need to have ongoing professional learning. If our efforts focus on one particular area, it becomes too narrow and change will not happen,” said Gonzales. “I think our nation as a whole needs to work on education equity. We all have to work on this.”
Reach the reporter at asjohn10@asu.edu
