Seattle Schools Community Forum: Race and Equity; Targeted Universalism (Part Two)

Seattle Schools Community Forum: Race and Equity; Targeted Universalism (Part Two):

Race and Equity; Targeted Universalism (Part Two)

In part two of this thread, I want to analyze the theory around which the MTSS-B initiative seems to be based – targeted universalism. 

I hadn’t heard of this theory before now and it’s always good to hear about what ideas are out there for better public education. I did some research and lots of reading and found several good articles including ones about the Oakland School District’s program.

In my reading, I found it fascinating that this idea of targeted universalism is NOT just a topic for public education. What I found is that it mostly covers the issue of poverty, around the world, on whether targeting efforts for certain groups truly work. 

Let’s start from the premise that if you see a problem that affects the population broadly, then you attempt to create a solution that will negate or end that problem. That premise, of course, supposes that all people are affected in the same way by both the problem and your solution.

Universalism – across all sectors, not just education – is discussed in a paper by Thandika Mkandawire called Targeting and Universalism in Poverty Reduction. 

Another criticism levelled against universalism is derived from the post-modernist emphasis on difference and diversity. The charge is that universalism has been used to create a false sense of unity, which conceals the fact that it discriminated against certain social groups on grounds of gender and race and that, through tutelage, it imposed on new groups standards set by the dominant group.

Some good examples that I found to explain the problems with this notion of universalism were these:

From National Equity Project: 

It is possible, even likely, that universal programs will exacerbate existing inequalities. Some universal programs were designed to benefit whites more than non-whites, but let us consider programs where this was Seattle Schools Community Forum: Race and Equity; Targeted Universalism (Part Two):