Central to educator preparation for deeper learning is a focus on equity and ensuring teachers and leaders are committed to providing all students access to deeper learning opportunities. Educators must understand the social, historical, economic, and political context of schooling in the United States and be able to identify and disrupt inequities that show up in schools and classrooms. Teachers and leaders need to understand how students’ identities are shaped by social identifiers such as race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and religion and be proactive in creating learning environments that are identity-safe and in which all students can learn and thrive, paying particular attention to students that have historically been marginalized and underserved.
