According to an article by Asra Q. Nomani and Heather Zwicker, Fairfax County Public Schools has signed a sole-source contract with Performance Fact, Inc., which explicitly advocates the following: “To have an equity-centered organization, we have to have the courage and the willingness to be purposefully unequal when it comes to opportunities and access.”
It is worth noting that the President/CEO of Performance Fact, Inc. is listed as a Facilitator of the Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) Strategic Planning Process.
The article by Ms. Nomani and Ms. Zwicker contains a hypertext link to an “Equity-centered Strategic Planning” presentation made at a School Board retreat on September 20, 2022 at Falls Church, Virginia. The presentation is attributed to the President/CEO of Performance Fact, Inc. In that presentation, on page 24, there is a list of 16 “equity indicators” that are supposed to help determine whether or not there is “consequential ‘equity disparity’” among student groups, including the following:
“2 Self-Regulation and Attention Skills
“3 Engagement in Schooling
“4 Performance in Coursework
“5 Performance on Tests”
Also, the following language appears on page 25 of that presentation:
“The Equity Imperative: Equitable Access, Equal Outcomes
Equitable access to resources and opportunities that guarantee
fair, just, and affirming experiences and produce
equal outcomes for every student, without exception” (emphasis added)
Given the “equity indicators” listed above, “produce equal outcomes for all students” logically entails: (1) All students get the same grade regardless of the quality of their efforts and performance on homework assignments, classroom exercises, classroom performance, and quizzes or tests; (2) All students pass and advance to the next grade regardless of the quality of their efforts and academic performance; and (3) All students graduate from high school regardless of the quality of their efforts and academic performance.
If FCPS believes it is “equitable” to apply such an “equal outcomes” standard to the performance of FCPS students, then FCPS should also conclude that it is “equitable” to apply an “equal outcomes” standard to the performance of FCPS officials and employees. Under an “equal outcomes” job standard that is functionally equivalent to the “equal outcomes” academic standard, every FCPS administrator would get the same pay and promotion outcomes, every FCPS teacher would get the same pay and promotion outcomes, and all other FCPS personnel would get the same pay and promotion outcomes as their coworkers — regardless of the quality of their job performance.
It would be interesting to know how FCPS will explain to parents and students why it is “equitable” under the One Fairfax policy for FCPS to apply a different standard for outcomes for its administrators, teachers, and other staff than it does for outcomes for FCPS students, despite the functional equivalence of academic performance and job performance.
If FCPS indicates that the “equal outcomes” standard is also being applied to FCPS personnel, then Fairfax County taxpayers might wish to let the FCPS and the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors know how they feel about whether it is “equitable” to taxpayers for FCPS personnel to be paid and promoted without regard to the quality of their job performance.
4 comments
There will NEVER be equal outcomes.
In all school sports there are never equal outcomes. Players come together in practice and games as a team, then the players go home. Now the discipline in training, types of training and goals are set. This is what first made the difference in the players to first make those teams and even fewer to the starting positions and continues to carry some, yes only some to a college or professional team or a quality career in coaching/teaching.
I expect that no school will ever close the gap on the individual that sets him or herself apart.
Now let’s apply that same work ethic & aspirations to students, factor in the families;
how they live, network and prepare for this endeavor in excellence.
The school is only a part in education with some students a small part at that and today a growing percentage of Virginians are aware of this and are in desire of school vouchers.
[…] article has been reprinted with permission from the The Bull […]
“The Equity Imperative: Equitable Access, Equal Outcomes
Equitable access to resources and opportunities that guarantee
fair, just, and affirming experiences and produce
equal outcomes for every student, without exception”
How many times have I read progressives insist that “equity” does not mean equality of outcomes. As conservatives have suspected all along, that is exactly what is meant by “equity”. Now it seems that, at least in the case of the engaged consultant, that is exactly what what is meant by “equity” – “equal outcomes for every student, without exception.”
Why do we have such a hard time calling diversity, inclusiveness and equity what they are? They are anti-American Marxist principles.