How do we reconcile individual student needs with the demands of school, district, and national education programs? What are school-based professionals to do in situations where it is impossible to prioritize all students equally? A pair of new parents in Hong Kong deliberate which schooling model best fulfils the hopes and dreams they have for their children. An administrator in Germany deliberates whether to accept funding for a hybrid learning program as her staff and students share their conflicting experiences of online learning. From national policy to personal choices, each of these ethical dilemmas engages questions of educational equity.
Educational Equity in a Global Context presents eight case studies designed to guide readers through complex and nuanced conversations about dilemmas of educational equity and ethics around the world. The case studies include conversations on student grading in the Covid-19 pandemic, the risks and rewards of online learning, equitable homework policies and refugee education. Each case is followed by a model conversation among diverse participants based in Australia, Germany, Hong Kong, Kenya, Mexico, the UK, and the USA. The participants include scholars, activists, teachers, students, parents, and community leaders from across the political spectrum. Each chapter includes discussion questions and suggestions for further reading. Readers will come away from this collection with the resources and capacities to deliberate about dilemmas of educational ethics in their own contexts and work towards a more equitable future for students around the globe. More case studies and resources can be found at justiceinschools.org.
Introduction, Tatiana Geron and Meira Levinson (Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA) 1. The Ethics of Abandonment: Private Schools in Mexico City, Juan Espíndola Mata (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico), Leonel Pérez Expósito (Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Mexico) and Sara O’Brien (Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA) in conversation with María de Ibarrola (CINVESTAV-IPN, Mexico), Sebastián Plá (Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico), Rodolfo Ramirez (Mexico Ministry of Education, Mexico) and Lucrecia Santibañez (UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies & Claremont Graduate University - School of Educational Studies, USA) 2. A Qualified Disaster: Allocating Student Grades During Covid-19, Hester Burns (Institute for Social and Economic Research, University of Essex, UK) in conversation with Diana Beech (London Higher, UK), Josiah Isles, (Ladybridge High School, Bolton, UK), Tom Richmond (EDSK Education, UK), Dylan William (Emeritus Professor, UCL Institute of Education, UK) 3. Basic Education for All: The Politics of Implementing 100% Transition from Primary School to Secondary School in Kenya, Wambura Kimunyu (Independent Scholar, Kenya) 4. School Choice in Hong Kong: Peking Ducks or Rich Expats?, Liz Jackson (Department of International Education, Education University of Hong Kong) in conversation with Emma Buchtel (Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong), Jan Gube (Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong), Chi Ming Lam (Department of International Education, Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong) and Eric Layman (Yew Chung Education Foundation, Hong Kong) 5. Caught in the Web: Educational Risks and Rewards of Online Learning, Douglas Yacek (Technische Universität Dortmund, Germany) in conversation with Nicholas Burbules (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA), Drew Chambers (Teachers College, Columbia University, USA), Johannes Giesinge (Kantonsschule Sargans, Switzerland & Center for Ethics, University of Zurich, Switzerland) and Eva Simon (Johannes-Scharrer-Gymnasium, Nuremberg, Germany) 6. Who’s Online and Who’s in Charge?, Winston C. Thompson (The Ohio State University, USA) and Alysha Banerji (Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA) 7. Remaking the Grade: A District’s Quest for Equitable Homework Policy, Janine Bempechat (Boston University, USA) and Sara O’Brien (Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA) in conversation with Jessica Calarco (Indiana University, USA), Amanda Jimerson (Del Oro High School, USA), Jin Li (Brown University, USA) and Colin Rose (BlackPrint Education Consulting, USA) 8. A Fair Go: Aussie Rules and Refugees at a Regional Public School, Daniella Forster, Sam Douglas, and Scott Imig (School of Education, College of Human and Social Futures, The University of Newcastle, Australia) Conclusion: Enabling Equity, Sara O’Brien, Tatiana Geron, and Meira Levinson (Harvard Graduate School of Education, USA) Index
Meira Levinson is Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society in the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, USA. Tatiana Geron is Graduate Fellow in the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University, USA. Sara O’Brien is Instructional Designer in the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, USA. Ellis Reid is PhD Candidate in the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, USA.
