EQUITY

starting with access to early-learning experiences and continuing through post-secondary education, is strongly correlated to the ability to earn a living wage, live a healthy life and fully participate in civic life. The average college graduate earns $33,000 more annually than the average worker with only a high school diploma. Even accounting for disparities across races, data shows that within races, Black and Hispanic individuals with higher levels of education earn more in their lifetimes and their families achieve higher net wealth than those with less education. Yet access to quality early learning experiences and K-12 education varies significantly based on race, socioeconomic status, and locality... An equity lens in education shifts the focus from individual experiences to one placing stronger responsibility on the structures, institutions, policies and practices that have contributed to current unequal conditions. To understand present day education gaps and disparities,..