Guiding Principles
What if we valued public schools as the cornerstone of a thriving, participatory democracy? What if we treated education as a shared investment in our collective future - a future where we all contribute and belong? What if every child had access to learning environments that celebrate and nurture their unique interests and gifts?
At the National Equity Project, we believe:
Public education is the cornerstone of a thriving democracy.
Today’s public education system faces unprecedented threats, but it also holds a profound opportunity for transformation. In a thriving democracy, education is a universal right and a collective good.
A caring and equitable education ecosystem is possible.
A caring and equitable education ecosystem is possible – one where every young person has access to the relationships, opportunities, and resources they need to develop their unique talents, gain essential skills, and thrive.
Belonging is essential for healthy learning and development.
Feeling accepted, valued, and connected creates the psychological safety and support necessary for young people to explore, take risks, and fully engage in learning.
Equity leadership is required to create conditions for durable change.
The momentous task of transforming public education is possible, but it will require leadership at every level: leaders who can see system dynamics, meaningfully engage diverse perspectives in ways that inspire and energize, promote healing, and reconnect people to their collective agency, and act with the courage and humility necessary to navigate complex change.
How we lead change is the change.
Liberatory practices (listening, transforming power, co-design, bridging) are necessary to create conditions for durable change.
We need each other, our futures are inextricably linked.
What happens to one community impacts all of us: there is no us and them. Ensuring the well-being and success of every young person is not just a moral imperative, but an investment in our shared future.