Equity in education is a system put in place to ensure that every student has an equitable chance for success. Although the words “equality” and “equity” can be used interchangeably, they have different meanings. Equality in education means treating every student the same way and giving them identical resources while equity in education means giving students what they NEED to be successful.

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For example, a cactus needs lots of sunlight and very little water to thrive while a tulip requires a moderate amount of both sunlight and water. If both plants were given equal resources, lots of sunlight and very little water, the cactus would flourish while the tulip would die. In this situation, equal treatment does not result in equal results. However, if the plants were treated with equity and the cactus and tulip were given what they individually needed, both plants would thrive.