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Equity Counts!
Dr. India White • July 28, 2021
Equity, Diversity and Inclusion for All!
Defined simply as the fairness or justice in the way people are treated, equity is the new norm we, as a society should be working towards. In this broken and crooked world we’ve inherited, not everyone is granted the same privileges. We all start off with different families and different advantages, raised in separate cultures and worldviews. Some are able to reap the benefits of their family’s wealth while others must fend for themselves. Some are able to experience a healthy emotional upbringing while others struggle with trust well into adulthood. Some can live their entire childhoods without knowing pain, while others must face discrimination and strife on a daily basis. The point is, we all lead and have led different lives in different places with different obstacles. Why then does our society operate as if we all started off the same?
Equity is the recognition of the fact that not all people start off in the same position in life, and therefore, we must make adjustments for those imbalances. This, as opposed to equality, which means providing the same to all, aims to give more to underprivileged and less to those more fortunate for the sake of true equal opportunity. Picture a tall wooden fence with three children trying to see a baseball game happening behind it. One is quite short, one is quite tall, and the other is in between. Currently, none of them can see over the fence, but luckily they found six boxes near them. The tall one only needs one box to see over, the middle, two, the shortest, three. In the name of equality, each child would receive two boxes, but ultimately, only two of them would be able to see the game. That’s not true equality. No, but with equity in mind, the shortest child would receive three boxes, the middle, two, and the tallest, one. In that way, all three would be able to see over the fence and watch the game. True equality. But beyond the metaphor, equity is really just about giving more help to those who need it. It is important to note that equity is not the pursuit of equal results. Although equity believes that all people should start out the same, it does not mean that all people will end up in the same place. The journey itself is up to the work and effort of the individual. The results then, would truly be theirs, and not born of their particular advantages or disadvantages.
Now, in theory, equity sounds great. But in reality, what would it really look like? I mean, the world is not actually as simple as a fence and a few kids. No, the world is far more complicated, but as long as we understand what equity really means, the real world applications are actually quite obvious. In education, a simple step towards equity is free preschool for all families. Preschool is a crucial step towards the educational success of children, and many parents are barred from providing their children this opportunity because of high costs. Unlike public schools, preschools are not paid for by the government. Doing so will take us one step closer to true educational equality for all. There is also equity for the disabled. This initiative would really be about accommodating special needs in as many or all buildings. Among the accommodations would be ramps and lifts for the disabled, information readers for the blind, visual signals for the hearing impaired, etc. There are many more examples of equity and with a cursory glance, it seems as though equity and equality are interchangeable. And in a sense, they are. However, it is important to remember that equity is the pursuit of true equality. It is the effort to give everyone an equal start, an equal opportunity, because we all know that life does not start us all off equally. It is a human effort, and it’s an effort we should push everyday. We can reach equity. It is possible. But, the struggle comes with convincing those in power to reallocate resources into equity. So go out and help your local organizations and promote the ideals of equity to your politicians. If it’s not equity, I don’t want it! And neither should you.
Join us on the Let's Get Gritty Podcast with Dr. India White. On this show, we will repeat a show from the Grit and Equity talks Podcast with Dr. India White, where we walk through the recently released NAEP data from the National Report Card and speak about moving the needle forward. Listen on Spotify: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/india-white3 #grit #equity #naep #drindiawhite #nctm #ncsm #bwxme #math #teachers #students
🌟 Just wrapped up an incredible G.R.I.T. Training session with the amazing leaders from Imagine Schools! 💪✨ We took a deep dive into the G.R.I.T. framework, and I can't wait to see the results unfold! 🚀🙌 #drindiawhite #grit #imagineschools #tedx #nctm #ncsm #bwxme 🎉 (I don’t own music copyright
Check out my Feb. 2025 Newsletter!
Thankful for Partnership and Recognition: A Shoutout to Dr. Matthew Joseph and X-Factor EDU Network I am incredibly thankful to partner with Dr. Matthew Joseph and the amazing leadership of the X-Factor EDU Network! It is truly an honor to collaborate with such a visionary leader who is dedicated to amplifying voices in education and creating spaces for impactful conversations. This month, I was deeply grateful to be mentioned in Dr. Joseph’s newsletter during Black History Month. His recognition means so much, not just for me, but for the work we are all doing to inspire and empower educators and students alike. You can check out the newsletter here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/drmxj_stongertogether-activity-7291502796753809408-0zX3?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop&rcm=ACoAAAmqD2wBkz8Qc7EA0bvwxWyMJH2HykCUA-Y But beyond the shoutout, I’m even more excited about the opportunities ahead—including the chance to have a podcast on Dr. Joseph’s platform! Partnering with X-Factor EDU Network opens doors to share insights, engage in meaningful discussions, and continue championing grit, resilience, and equity in education. Thank you, Dr. Matthew Joseph, for your support, encouragement, and belief in this mission. Looking forward to what’s to come! 🚀 #StrongerTogether #GRIT #XFactorEDU #BlackHistoryMonth #EducationalLeadership #Thankful
Fired Up for FDLA/FAMTE Keynote: Let’s Build Grit Together! I’m beyond excited to take the stage as the keynote speaker at the FDLA/FAMTE Conference tomorrow! 🎤🔥 We’ll be diving deep into the power of G.R.I.T.—Great Resilience in Time—and how it transforms both educators and students. This opportunity means so much, and I’m grateful to everyone who has supported this journey. Grit isn’t just a concept; it’s a movement. It’s about growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management, and it’s what drives success in the classroom and beyond. Let’s empower educators and students across the nation to push past obstacles and embrace productive struggle. Who’s ready to get gritty? 💪🏾 #Grit #DrIndiaWhite #TEDx #FDLA #FAMTE #Education #GrowthMindset
Had an Amazing Time at the Imagine Summit! I had a fantastic time speaking at the Imagine Summit on G.R.I.T.! 🙌🏽 We engaged in powerful breakout sessions, had meaningful discussions about NAEP data, and explored strategies to build **growth mindset, resilience, self-efficacy, and time management** in education. Thank you to everyone who participated and brought such great energy to the conversations! Let’s continue working together to bridge gaps and empower students through grit and perseverance. 💪🏽 #GRIT #ImagineSummit #Resilience #Education #GrowthMindset #EquityInEducation #drindiawhite
Building Grit in Teachers at the Imagine Leadership Summit I am beyond excited to be speaking at the Imagine Leadership Summit today, sharing insights on how we can build grit in teachers and empower them to foster resilience, self-efficacy, and growth in their students. 🌟 This summit is an incredible opportunity to collaborate with principals and education leaders who are committed to supporting and strengthening teachers. When we invest in teacher grit, we build stronger, more effective classrooms where students develop the perseverance to tackle challenges and achieve success. A huge thank you to the Imagine Summit leaders for this amazing opportunity! It’s an honor to be among such an outstanding lineup of speakers, including the incredible Kyle Pearce and Jon Orr. Join our sessions today and take GRIT with you—because when teachers grow in resilience, our students thrive! #GRIT #Teachers #Principals #DrIndiaWhite #NCTM #NCSM #ImagineSummit 😊
🌟 What an incredible time at the ICTM conference in Indiana! The lineup was amazing, and the energy was contagious! 🎉 Since I missed the snow back in Florida, I embraced it fully here and made my very first snow angel! ❄️ So grateful for the fun and gritty spirit of the ICTM rockstars! Huge thanks to Angela and every rockstar for this fantastic opportunity! 💙 #drindiawhite #grit #ictm25 #math #teachers #students #indiana #nctm #ncsm
✨ Today’s Grit training at Stockton Unified was absolutely amazing! We had a fantastic time connecting with friends and meeting some incredible rockstars in California. 🌟 I can’t wait to see how gritty Stockton becomes! Huge thanks to Andrew and the tribe for the opportunity to train your amazing leaders. Let’s all take grit with us as we move forward! 💪 #Grit #Leadership #StocktonUnified #drindiawhite #tedx #nctm #ncsm #nabse
🎊Super excited about this opportunity! Looking forward to connecting with these amazing leaders! 🥰🥳🎉 Please register below and let’s connect so we can bridge the achievement gap together! hashtag#drindiawhite hashtag#ncsm hashtag#grit hashtag#math hashtag#teachers