Strong Equity: Repositioning Teacher Education for Social Change

Background: Equity is invoked as a watchword in teacher education—a catch-all connected to an array of issues related to diversity, justice, or gaps in outcomes and opportunities for minoritized groups. This conceptual article argues that equity is often undefined and undertheorized in teacher education, and the complexities involved in addressing the structural inequalities of schooling are seldom acknowledged. Purpose: This article unpacks recurring themes in the discourse of equity and teacher education. We suggest that in the teacher education discourse, equity appears frequently, but there is little attention to the structural and systemic policies that reproduce inequity in the first place. Second, we elaborate on the distinction between thin equity and strong equity, suggesting that this can be a powerful tool for clarifying, comparing, and critiquing the differences in meanings of equity. Third, we suggest that although thin conceptions of equity are prominent, some teacher education scholars and practitioners utilize stronger notions of equity in the work of teacher preparation. Conclusion: We conclude that notions of strong equity can help reposition teacher education as part of a broader effort to bring about genuine change.