Ten Principles of Equity Literacy
By Paul C. Gorski

Principle 1:
The right to equitable educational
opportunity is universal.

Inequities occur in opportunities,
not in student abilities

We need to see that all
students have the same
opportunities to succeed

Principle 2:
Poverty and class are
intersectional in nature.

Poverty is tied to class;
class is tied to identity
through race, gender, etc.

We need to see how class
also affects students in poverty

Principle 3:
Poor people are diverse.

Low-income individuals
may have some similarities,
but are diverse and multifaceted

We understand that this complicates creating
equity in schools and that there is no easy fix

Principle 4:
What we believe, including our
biases and prejudices,
about people in poverty
informs how we teach
and relate to people in poverty.

Exposure to ideologies about people living in poverty form biases and steer how we teach
and view students and people living in poverty

We need to reflect upon our biases
and learn what it means to live in poverty;
"walk a mile in their shoes"

Principle 5:
We cannot understand the relationship between poverty and education without
understanding the biases and inequities experienced by people in poverty.

Poverty is a structural condition
tied to larger societal problems

We need to understand how the
structures feed class inequity;
teachers need to make their
classrooms equitable

Principle 6:
Test scores are inadequate
measures of equity.

Students living in poverty may not have access to the same materials to be test-ready (libraries, curriculum, healthcare, food, etc.)

We need to value more than just test scores to determine student knowledge

Principle 7:
Class disparities in education
are the result of inequities,
not the result of cultures.

Opportunities and resources are often
denied to students living in poverty

Reference


Gorski, P. C. (2014, February 3). Poverty, education, and the equity literacy of educators. [Web log post]. Retrieved from Equity Alliance website: http://www.niusileadscape.org/bl/poverty-education-and-the-equity-literacy-of-educators-by-paul-c-gorski/

We need to ensure students
and families have access
to quality preschool programs
and prenatal care

Principle 8:
Equitable educators adopt a resiliency rather than a deficit view of low-income
students and families.

Deficit view blames low-income
families for their plights

We need the Resiliency view which sees student and community strengths rather than weaknesses

Principle 9:
Strategies for bolstering school
engagement and learning must be
based on evidence for what works.

Choose teaching strategies by what actually works and not what is assumed to work

We need to use formal studies and data to decide
the courses of action, but also observation and knowledge of the communities populating the
school and surrounding area.

Principle 10:
The right to equitable educational opportunity includes the right to high expectations, higher order pedagogies, and engaging curricula.

Classes and assignments are designed
with high-expectations and to be challenging

We need to teach students
that we believe in their abilities