Pursuing Equity

Educational equity means that each child gets what he or she needs to develop his or her full academic and social potential. -The Equity Project

Pursuing educational equity has been a cornerstone of my career. I truly believe that there is no one that is not a "math person." If we ground ourselves in the belief that "all students can", we prepare for instruction by working to ensure that all students have access to the grade-level content of the lesson; we make decisions at the classroom and system levels that are grounded in that belief; we consistently evaluate our choices through a lens of equity for all students. Most of us need support to do that effectively: because we didn't necessarily learn in our teacher education programs how to effectively address the learning variability that's natural in our classrooms, because perhaps we weren't students in classrooms where we saw differentiation to meet students' needs, because research and support for educators has come a long way.

At the KIPP Foundation, I established and invested teachers and leaders across the country in a clear vision for equitable instruction, grounded in the belief that all students deserve high-quality, standards-based, grade-level, identity-affirming instruction in a classroom where they know they are competent learners. Understanding that nearly every choice teachers and leaders make can advance or hinder opportunity, confidence, or success, I consistently engaged teachers and leaders in reflection and learning experiences to strengthen the alignment of our choices with our vision.

I've included artifacts that represent work I did at both KIPP nationwide leader convenings and in my regional visits to hone teachers' and leaders' lens around equitable instruction, build their knowledge of equitable instructional practices, provide opportunity to authentically practice promoting and advancing effective, equitable instruction in their schools.

I've also included artifacts that show professional learning by my team at Great Minds: a professional learning experience (called "Inspire") grounded in the practical ways that teachers can build students' identities and conception of themselves as mathematical thinkers, including facilitating effective, accessible discourse, and learning session excerpts on equitable instructional practices, like Universal Design for Learning and Instructional Routines.

"Emilee has led with great conviction and deep knowledge, investing math leaders and teachers, (as well as her teammates) to shift their mindsets about what it means to teach high quality math instruction. Because of Emilee, we know what true equity in a math classroom means ... we are reminded that conversations about equity in education begin with the quality of teaching and learning in the classroom." -Katie Kirkpatrick, Senior Director, K - 8 Academics at KIPP Foundation

"From the moment I met Emilee, there was a spark in her that you don't often see in people in a director role. It was clear that the distance her role put between her and direct impact to teachers and students was not a factor. Every conversation and every meeting always pushed toward each teacher and student getting equitable learning experiences. Her passion to impact students across this country is ever-present." -Chris Moses, Learning Experience Designer

"Emilee impressed me deeply by how seriously, carefully, and imaginatively she thinks about her practice—as a teacher, and as a leader of other teachers—and by the easy-going courage she brings to the challenge of trying out a new idea, even the scary ones. Over and over again, I saw Emilee translate these ideas into magnificent realities in her classroom and her department—many of which were transformations of the way people worked with each other to solve problems." - Dan Coleman, Ph.D., founder of Big Sky Blue

Learning Experiences for KIPP Leaders and Teachers