'Equality Of Outcome' A Goal Of Hinsdale D-86

BURR RIDGE, IL – Hinsdale High School District 86's equity statement "prioritizes the equality of opportunity and equality of outcome" for every student.

The public widely supports equal opportunity, but many question the concept of equal outcomes.

At last week's school board meeting, Hinsdale resident Linda Burke recommended the board revise the statement's language.

"We've never tried to achieve clone-like, identical outcomes. Let's figure out a way to slightly tweak the strategic plan, so it's hard to take that equal outcomes thing out of context," said Burke, who has attended board meetings for years. "We don't expect every high school graduate to go to the exact same program."

Around the country, some conservatives have compared "equal outcomes" to critical race theory.

A year ago, Burke spoke out against allegations that the district was teaching critical race theory.

Critical race theory is a decades-old legal and academic framework that looks at and critiques how race and racism shaped the U.S. laws and institutions that remain in place today.

The phrase has become a catchall for various claims about racism and race relations in the United States having nothing to do with critical race theory itself.