Equity AND excellence

I’ve written recently about the inherent conflict between focusing on equity and excellence – to sum up, it’s impossible to do both, and even when we’re trying to just do one we can’t seem to get it right.

Fortunately, the people at the Department of Education aren’t held hostage to my limited thinking on the subject. This is from the June 1 Ed Review, their biweekly e-newsletter:

REVISED MISSION
As of May 24, the Department is using a revised mission statement that reflects educational priorities for the 21st century and beyond. The new mission statement retains the agency's historical role of "providing equal access to a high-quality education." However, it also emphasizes the complementary need to improve the academic performance of all American learners. The updated statement reads as follows:

The U.S. Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness by fostering educational excellence and ensuring equal access.

This mission statement is part of the Department's "Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2007-12," which also took effect on May 24. FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE GO TO http://www.ed.gov/about/reports/strat/.

So the new mission is to do both – equity and excellence. Glad we got that worked out.