Unsatisfied with merely guaranteeing equal opportunity for Americans regardless of race, gender, or other factors, a growing number of leftist activists are pursuing so-called equity instead. This often involves giving certain groups a clear advantage over others in order to foster equal outcomes regardless of aptitude or preparation.
Parents of students in one Fairfax County, Virginia, high school say such a philosophy is behind the decision to essentially withhold information about academic awards that could boost their chances of being accepted in college.
According to reports, critics of the decision by Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology to wait until after the early-selection deadline at certain universities to announce the National Merit Scholarship awards say that it was due to the school district’s emphasis on “equal outcomes for every student, without exception.”
Without confirmation that they had received these awards, otherwise qualified students were unable to list the achievement on their college applications.
Asra Nomani is one of the outraged parents and appeared on Fox News this week to detail the situation surrounding her son, who received a different achievement award in 2020 but was not told about it until after he graduated the following year.
🔥🧵 Your head will explode! Reporting an @IWN investigation published @CityJournal, I just learned, TWO YEARS LATER, my son is a National Merit Commended Student in the top 3% of students. His principal hides the honor from families as @fcpsnews chases "equal outcomes" for kids. pic.twitter.com/Cay2Ep98ry
— Asra Nomani (@AsraNomani) December 21, 2022
Since then, she said, “the entire controversy just blew up because the kids got their certificate weeks after early college application deadlines, just dropped on their desks as if it was just another piece of paper.”
Nomani described the situation as a “race to the bottom” as schools effectively discourage recognition of the hard work and talent that some students demonstrate.
“The school wanted to recognize students as individuals, not their achievements — as if the two had to be separated,” she said.
While the county school district did acknowledge the delayed announcement of academic awards, a spokesperson claimed that the school would be reaching out to colleges in an effort to help students update their applications.
“We are continuing to look into this matter and will take any necessary steps to ensure consistency in appropriate and timely notification of National Merit recognitions going forward,” the district wrote.
Of course, this trend is not limited to the realm of academia. Vice President Kamala Harris received criticism earlier this year for seemingly suggesting that government relief in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian should be distributed along racial lines.
“It is our lowest-income communities and our communities of color that are most impacted by these extreme conditions and impacted by issues that are not of their own making,” she said at the time. “So we have to address this in a way that is about giving resources based on equity.”
