Educational Equity

2. I understand the rules based resolution
principle.
I can apply the rules based resolution
principle
I understand the idea of considering
relevant criteria in making decisions.
I understand the pros and cons of each of
the three resolution principles…ends-
based, care-based and rules based.

3. Do we have certain fundamental rights?
Does a fair procedure justify any
result?
What is the moral work of consent?

4. Jackie: Basketball Coach/Social Studies
Teacher
Julie: Social Studies teacher
Or….FaCS, Art, Business,Math, English,
Special Education, etc., etc.

5. • Very good coach, brings stability to your program
(6 coaches in 8 years) never a winning season,
former coach of the year winner, has taken a team
to the state tournament, left teaching and
coaching to work in business world and now
wants to return, something the basketball program
has not had previously
• Coach that will be in the building as a part of the
program and to make connections to student-
athletes

6. Candidate #1 (Jackie)
Will be outstanding coach and will bring much needed
stability to the basketball program. Will be member of an
already strong special education department, will be one of
11teachers, reference check indicated “will not hurt
you and will meet deadlines and will have to be reminded a
lot”, would likely not be the worst colleague but also not the
best, predictably an average, middle of the road selection
Candidate #2 (Julie)
As good a teacher as Candidate #1 is a coach…will bring
much to the department and will likely improve it by the
wealth of experience and work ethic they will bring to the
department, akin to a “first round pick”

7. b.socrative.com
ROOM NAME: eds740

8. Our discussion…basketball coach/social studies
teacher vs. special education teacher
• Facts
 “What is relevant?”
 “Some coaches do not teach a rigorous curriculum”
 “Whoever tells the stories defines the culture”
 What is our mission?-Reach fullest potential
 For what are we being held accountable?
• Morality
 “We ought to have a ‘superstar’ teacher in every classroom”
 “Every student in co-curricular activities ought to have ‘superstar’
program leaders.”
 Co-curricular programs ought to be subordinate to academic programs
 We ought to have program leaders in our building.
• Values
 Classroom teachers are more important than our program leaders.
 Programs leaders are just as important to our school & students as our
classroom teachers.

9. Richmond (VA) v. Croson-30% of city’s
subcontracts were reserved for minority-
owned companies (J.A. Croson Company
wanted to install stainless steel toilets in
the city jail.
• Need to have evidence for systematically
excluding minorities
Toobin, J. (2007). The nine. New York: Doubleday.

10.  1997: Barbara Grutter: 3.8 G.P.A. and 161 on LSAT and wait listed
to law school
 1995: Jennifer Gratz: 3.8 G.P.A and 25 on ACT and wait listed for
undergraduate College of Literature, Sciences and the Arts and
attended another school
 1997: Patrick Hamacher 3.0 G.P.A. and 28 on ACT and wait listed
for undergraduate College of Literature, Sciences, and the Arts and
attended another school.

11.  Undergraduates: rank based on SAT and grades
• Students of color with 3.5 G.P.A. and 1200 SAT admitted
• White candidate would be rejected with same criteria
• Ranking system allowed automatic point increase to all students of
color rather than making individual determinations.
• New Michigan Criteria Statement
 Law School: individualized because of fewer
students but gave significant advantages to students
of color.
• Between 3.25 and 3.49 G.P.A. and LSAT of 156-158
 1 of 51 Whites accepted
 10 of 10 Students of color accepted

12.  Michigan: important to develop a diverse
workforce (General Motors, Microsoft, Boeing,
Coca-Cola, GE supported them)
 Military: “highly qualified racially diverse officer
corps educated and trained to command our
nation’s racially diverse enlisted ranks its
essential to the military’s ability to fulfill its
principal mission to provide national security”
 21.7% African American: enlisted
 8.8%: officer corps
 3 service academies and ROTC practice race-
conscious affirmative action in admissions

20.  A high school can be most efficient if every
student is REQUIRED to take two study halls (in
a 7 period day)
 We are staffed based upon teachers teaching 5
periods each day.
 Students often take 7 classes each day.
 Eliminate this option by requiring two study
halls, equals same class sizes and more
efficient operation.

21. Even/consistent class sizes
Elective departments will be affected
Students will not have opportunity to
engage in different experiences
Overall effectiveness of education is
diminished
Are we educating our students to their
fullest potential?

22. In any given circumstances, people who
are the same in those respects
relevant to how they are treated in
those circumstances should receive
the same treatment.
Conversely:
People who are relevantly different should be
treated differently.

23. Irrelevant to educational mission
• Race, sex, religion, and ethnicity
 It is an injustice to treat folks differently based upon these
characteristics in most cases
Relevant to educational mission
• Religion used to admit to a theological seminary
• Race used to remedy a racial discrimination program
• In this case ability (gifted and talented) AND need
(Hispanic community) are relevant

24. Morality Claims
Treat equals equally and unequals unequally
Relevancy Claims
Certain factors are relevant to how people
are to be treated and others are irrelevant
Efficacy Claims (effectiveness)
Particular kinds of treatments produce
desirable results

25.  Some Americans enjoy baseball.
• Those that don’t enjoy baseball should not stop those
that do from attending games.
 Some Americans may believed or may still
believe baseball should only be played by white
players.
 What about gender equity…Title IX?
• Are there other examples?
 Certain mascots…smoking in public place…donations from
convicts

26. From Ends-Based philosophy…
-Is this efficient?
-What is relevant?
From care-based….
-Is relevant still important? If irrelevant…we deny a
person their fundamental worth as a human being.
-Care based considers the benefit of a better life.

28.  What do we want to achieve? What end
result do we want?
 Making decisions based on relevance
allows for the most efficient use of
resources and opportunities (Is this what
we really want?) (equals equal/unequals
unequal)
 If not, we will not be effective and will not
maximize human welfare

29. Must still consider relevancy
• Hiring of one individual over the other and the
reason
 If because of race, gender, ethnicity, religion, etc
then this diminishes the person as a human being and
what they have accomplished
 If because of ability-then the individual is still worthy
and deserving person

30. Does not require us to select the most
efficient use of resources
Hispanic children should not be denied the
chance for a better life
At times it is important to meet the needs
of some and this is more important than
maximizing the average welfare of all.

31. Inefficient…may not hire the best person
because of “fill-in-the-blank.
Same for educational opportunities.

32.  What characteristics should we look for
when hiring.
 What characteristics should we look for
when evaluating educational opportunity?
 Begin with the end in mind.

35. Is participation
in advanced
placement
programs
representative
of all students?
Are all
students
perceiving the
learning in the
same way?
Is there a
difference in
student
achievement
results by
program
paticipation?
What are the
differences in
student
learning based
on who the
students are
and how they
are taught
algebra?

36. The unequal distribution of
some resource is permitted
only when those who are
disadvantaged benefit as a
consequence
-A Theory of Justice,1971
John Rawls
Harvard University
Professor
What would a rational
person decide was best in
situations where not all the
humans involved are equal
in physical conditions ,
social or economic
circumstance?

37. Circumstances
Decisions C1 C2 C3
D1 -$700 $800 $1200
D2 -$800 $700 $1400
D3 $500 $600 $800
What is the best choice?

38. All benefits do not need to be equal BUT
everyone needs to benefit (those who
receive the lesser share must benefit more
than if they received an equal share)
Inequalities are reasonably expected to be
to everyone’s advantage
Do not promote the average welfare if the
disadvantaged are made worse off
Inequality is permitted ONLY if everyone
(especially those who are less well-off)
will benefit to some degree

42. What is the problem?
 What are the circumstances out of which the problem arose?
What are the end results I want to receive?
 What is the right thing to do? What is the successful thing to do?
 What is your first inclination for course of action?
What is the continuum of possible solutions?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of each solution?
Community Acceptability Test
 Does this solution conform to my school, community, district,
professional code of conduct?
 Is it legal?
 Is it safe?
 Does it adhere to the values of the community?
 What would mother think if my decision shows up on the front page of
the newspaper?
Personal Value Test
 Does it adhere to my personal values?
 Can I sleep tonight?
What ethical or moral principals are involved? (benefit maximization,
equal respect, equal treatment, maximin principle)
What is your decision?

43. I understand the rules based resolution
principle.
I can apply the rules based resolution
principle
I understand the idea of considering
relevant criteria in making decisions.
I understand the pros and cons of each of
the three resolution principles…ends-
based, care-based and rules based.