Today marks the 65th anniversary of one of the most consequential decisions in the history of the Supreme Court. Brown v. Board of Education said that no student may be separated by his or her race or discriminated against as part of their education.
Here’s a quote from the ruling:
We conclude that, in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”
Clearly, this is true. And, we’re in the fight to make sure that schools aren’t unequal places for kids. NWEA assessments, research, and professional learning help teachers move the needle for all kids. It’s still the case that far too many kids are in schools where they don’t have access to a strong education, essentially perpetuating this issue.
This is why I’m in this work. There’s a kid in Vegas, a kid in New York. who needs our data to help show their teacher what to do next. There’s a kid in Omaha who can use the information we provide to have an opportunity that wouldn’t be presented to them.
Anniversaries are a time to recommit, and this one strikes me as an important one. The ruling said separate is not equal. Now, 65 years later, what are we doing every day to ensure every kid has access to fully realize his or her potential?
I’ll keep going. I hope you will, too.
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