The former principal of Achievement First Amistad High School, Morgan Barth has been working in educational leadership roles for more than a decade. Morgan Barth began his involvement in academics as a teacher in 2002, and has since demonstrated a strong ability to promote student success and equity at various types of academic institutions.

When it comes to education, many people use “equality” and “equity” interchangeably, when in fact the two terms actually refer to two different things. Simply put, equality ensures all students get the same resources, while equity means that each student receives resources based on their individual needs.

While equality is beneficial and important when applied to social situations, such as the treatment of each student or the amount of time teachers spend with students, it does not address the unique needs of specific students. For instance, a student who does not have Internet at home will struggle with completing online tasks more than their peers. This could result in the student falling behind in school, despite receiving the same treatment or resources as all other students.

Equity, meanwhile, does address these unique circumstances. It doesn’t mean that students all receive the same resources, but rather that students each receive the resources they need to have the same opportunities. For one student, this may mean receiving audio teaching, if they are an audio learner. For another, it could mean receiving resources that are more suited to visual learning. This type of focus reduces the achievement gap between students of various incomes and backgrounds.

Morgan Barth often explained the difference between equity and equality by telling students, “Fair isn’t giving everyone the same; it’s giving everyone what he/she needs.”