EDEquity Inc

EDEquity conducted critical race theory-inspired workshops on leadership and classroom instructional support, equity in Common Core Education, a so-called equity walk, ³ and state equity certification training. ⁴ Its white paper on educational equity claims that the structure of American schools was designed to “accelerate those students and families who are able to confirm and validate a middle-class and Euro-centric construct” ⁵ and says “privileged middle-class white parents” believe in transformation for others but not their children. ⁵

EDEquity leadership also said California students weren’t learning because black and Hispanic students were being forced to conform to teaching strategies for white and Asian students ⁶ and compared school culture to “fresh water” and black culture to “saltwater.” ⁷

History and Leadership

EDEquity was founded as Scholastic Unlimited Inc. in 2003. In 2004 that became EDEquity, Inc. ² EDEquity’s registration was suspended in August 2021 ² following the death of its founder and CEO Edwin Javius. ⁸

Edwin Javius was the founder and CEO of EDEquity ⁹ until his death in March 2020. ¹⁰ Javius believed the critical race theory-inspired concept of equity was “the most important issue facing 21st century schools” ¹¹ and the structure of American schools was “designed to accelerate those students and families who are able to confirm and validate a middle-class and Euro-centric construct.” ⁵

Javius won California’s 2001 School Administrator Valuing Diversity Award and the 2010 NAACP Silicon Valley Educator of the Year Award. ⁹ He held a M.A. in urban leadership from Fresno Pacific University and an undergraduate degree from the University of California, where he played basketball. ¹²

Activities and Funding

EDEquity Inc., was a California-based critical race theory-inspired education activist organization that aimed to help teachers “teach better” ¹³ and identify and eradicate institutional and instructional barriers within the system that “prohibit excellence in adult and student outcomes. ¹⁴ EDEquity’s teacher programming was based on the organization’s principles of equity: awareness, attitude, analysis, action, and accountability. ¹

This programming included critical race theory-inspired workshops on leadership and classroom instructional support, equity in Common Core Education, a so-called “equity walk,” ¹⁵ and state-level equity certification training. ⁴

EDEquity’s white paper on educational equity says the structure of American schools was designed to “accelerate those students and families who are able to confirm and validate a middle-class and Euro-centric construct” ⁵ and says “privileged middle-class white parents” believe in transformation for others, but not their own children. ⁵

In lectures in his role as EDEquity CEO, Edwin Javius said white educators will lose their “teacher privilege card” first, ¹⁶ said students in California weren’t learning because black and Hispanic students were being forced to conform to teaching strategies for white and Asian students, ⁶ and called school culture “fresh water” and black culture “salt water” while lamenting that culture, race, and socioeconomic topics have been taboo in schools. ⁷ “Making Cultural Connections in Lessons.” YouTube. Uploaded July 3, 2009. Accessed November 11, 2021. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W36g11iueIg.[/note]

EDEquity, Inc.’s partners included the New Teacher Center, California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA), California Alliance of African American Educators, the NAACP, School Improvement Network, and Educational Empowerment. ¹⁷

Funding and Controversy

EDEquity received its funding from program and service fees, including $342,000 of contracts from the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District from 2018 to 2020 ¹⁸ and a $30,000 contract from Cedar Rapid Community School District. ¹⁹

In 2016, the Iowa City Community School District in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, terminated its contract with EDEquity due to Javius allegedly misrepresenting his educational background and his alleged involvement in a pending plagiarism lawsuit. ^{20 21}

EDEquity’s other contracts included schools in Virginia Beach, Virginia; Salt Lake City, Utah; Las Vegas, Nevada; Pomona, California; San Jose, California; and Nova Scotia, Canada. ^{17 22}