The word equity has become a fault line in Virginia schools.
On one side of the debate are people who say they are concerned the word has become code for equality of outcome.
On the other side of the issue are people like Frank Callahan of the Virginia NAACP, who said state education officials have spent the last few years creating some excellent resources.
"The Virginia Department of Education has put out an excellent 50-something page document talking about Virginia's road back to equity," Callahan said. "And in that they express a tremendous amount of determination to recognize its responsibility to advance racial, social and economic equality in education throughout the commonwealth of Virginia."
That's a resource that might soon be purged from the department's website now that the state superintendent recommends rescinding equity initiatives.
James Fedderman at the Virginia Education Association said those resources need to remain available.
"I am so proud to announce today that the Virginia Education Association will now serve as a clearinghouse for the inequity training materials and resources that could be eliminated from the Virginia Department of Education's website in the coming days," Fedderman said during an event at the state capitol Tuesday.
During the regular General Assembly session, lawmakers considered a number of bills aimed at removing what some lawmakers call "divisive concepts" from the classroom.
Those bills were unsuccessful, although the governor has wide authority to make changes at the Department of Education without seeking input from lawmakers.
The Virginia Education Association is a corporate underwriter of Virginia Public Radio, which provided this report.
