DEI stands for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Diversity is normal life for most of us. Inclusion makes that nice. Equity, however, is a problem. In fact, the first time I was exposed to this baseball game analogy, I used it to teach faulty logic in a college literary analysis class, certainly not the textbook authors’ intention, I’m sure.
Before understanding an analogy, you have to assign meaning to each symbol.
Here’s my take:
- Height = ability to see, to gain knowledge
- Boxes = support (instruction), seeing (learning)
- Fence = ability/inability to see, challenge of sight/knowledge
If height symbolizes aptitude or knowledge, these three students are obviously not the same. No surprise here. People excel and struggle differently. I am not STEM, never was. But I’m glad that those STEM people are out there, accomplishing things. Don’t you want superstars engineering planes and bridges? Don’t you want a superstar performing brain surgery on your loved one?
The boxes represent support (instruction) since they can enable the kids to see. The Equality frame shows that everyone is exposed to the same instruction. The first boy is doing great. The second boy benefits from instruction and is doing well. The third needs more than just basic instruction. Takes me back to math class. Notice, too, that students in special education and those with 504 plans are not in this analogy.
All teachers I know understand that students have different aptitudes, stamina, interests, ambitions, home situations and more. And they work hard to take those factors into account. They provide class time for collaborative and independent work. Teachers, student helpers, and seat partners are there to discuss and assist. Teachers also offer tutoring outside of class, even for superstars, who might be ahead of everyone in the class. In-school and after-school workshops sometimes help. Teachers can support students without taking someone’s box away.
In the Equity frame, all three kids attain the minimum standard of knowledge: they can see over the fence. And if that’s all there is, all we can hope for, we should then expect that these individuals will engineer our planes and perform our surgeries. DEI is fine with that. I’m not. You shouldn’t be either.
Two boxes lift up the third child in the Equity frame. Without them, he will not achieve sight (knowledge). But what do you suppose might be in that extra box? Even with all the best instruction, I would never be as good at math and science as I am at English. To get me there—in a DEI world—supports would have to be different. With DEI, that third boy doesn’t really just get more instruction; he gets different assessments because the point of DEI is to equalize outcomes.
Here’s how theorists push data manipulation to make DEI seem fair and effective. Teachers are told to give tests with different levels of rigor but the same point values and grading scale. I recall a science class where the lowest achievers were given the formula. The middle students were given several to choose from. And the superstars had to know the formula. All students could get the same A even though they didn’t take the same test. If said formula has anything to do with a lifesaving medical procedure, I want a doctor who knows the right one.
How about do-overs? Some teachers allow students to rewrite a graded essay. Students have shared with me that they don’t bother to put in effort because teachers tell them what to do to improve the paper. Then, they submit a rewrite for a better grade. I want students to work diligently on their essays, to review their notes for the editing and analytical tips I’ve provided. Working through the process helps people internalize it.
Do-over opportunities also apply to tests and quizzes. But why study much (or at all) for a test if you can re-take it? What’s really crazy is that some teachers will only allow retakes for students who got a D or F and sometimes a C. The A and B students don’t get the chance to earn more points. This practice rips that box right out from under the A and B students!
Notice also that in the Equity frame, all the students can see over the fence at the same level. That means all those different abilities ultimately end up with the same level of knowledge, which is the goal of DEI. Some might say tall students don’t need a box; they can see the game. But without their box, all they can do is see the game.
Some people want to stand taller in knowledge and success. Reaching their full potential opens other opportunities. I’d like to suggest that the tall student, standing on a box, might catch a historic homerun ball. Could that ball symbolize a Nobel prize? A cure for cancer? World peace? Wouldn’t that be great? And yet, under DEI, he’ll never know what he missed. He will, however, know that it wasn’t fair. It isn’t fair to the rest of us, either. Teachers owe him his box. We owe all students the right to learn what they can, without shame, without the odd push or pull of DEI. We need to end the illusion that equity works.
