B : Equity Pedagogy : Principals

While shadowing at Ridge Elementary School, I noticed that some of the students seemed to be on different social-emotional scale levels. Some were natural born leaders and some were not which is okay. The natural born leaders would take charge of group assignments and the other children had no problem being a follower. Either way, the assignments that they had got done every time. I perceived almost immediately that an excess amount of the school’s students fell under three complexions. The three were mostly Hispanic, moderate Black/African descent, and few Caucasian. Since the school was mostly Hispanic this lead to the school has a lot of concentration on reading improvement clubs, in other words, bilingual education program which could be a great benefit for students who need the extra assistance. Taking a glance at the religious diversity in the classroom there were hard if any no visible religious diversities. Due to the majority of the school is the same ethnicity I am making an assumption the culture practiced the same religion which is why there is a lack of diversity in that area. More diversity should be added to this school district I believe the most impactful, and teachable moments are derived from a fellow diverse

Teaching in racially diverse classrooms often leaves educators feeling uncertain about how to proceed and how to respond to historically marginalized students. There is pressure to acknowledge and accept students of color with different perspectives, to diversify the syllabi, be more aware of classroom dynamics, and pay attention to how students of color experience the learning process.

One of the larger changes in our workforce is that the employee population is becoming more and more diverse. The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the workforce in 2014 was made up primarily by Caucasians coming in at 79%. African Americans, Asians, American Indians, Alaska Natives, and race list as “other” made up the additional working population (BLS Reports, 2014). Although when looking these different races individually you wouldn’t think that they are a large part of the population. But when you are talking about 21% of our workforce, that is a large number. Looking at the number of people by race actually work is also very interesting. Native Hawaiian 70%, Pacific Islanders 66%, Hispanics/Latinos, Asians 64.6%, Caucasians 63.5% , 63.3% of people descending from two or more races, African Americans 61.2%, and American Indian and Alaska Natives 59.6% (BLS Reports, 2014). Over the last three years our school as went from being a primarily caucasian school to a school with a diverse population. I believe this has made our school strong and offered more of an opportunity for the students and staff to emerge and understand the diverse culture we have all around us. Understand and teaching our students will make a student population that will themselves be more knowledgeable and understanding of the

Diversity on college campuses has increased, which has let people assume that racism decreased and acceptance expanded gradually, however minorities still face prejudice and discrimination. Harvard University presented a research where they gathered college students from 4 particular public universities and questioned them about the social behavior they have experienced or witnessed. In the contrary, they discovered that college students have encountered racist comments or negative facial expressions towards them from Caucasians (Caplan, page 31). This has led to propositions for instance, improving social conduct between children in school, more gratification in regard to one’s culture and positive outlook toward the culture of others because America’s obsession with race and racial attitudes continues to affect individuals emotionally. It is urgent to spread diversity at a younger stage of life, for upcoming children that are starting school. The need of role models around the nation is necessary and relevant to help multicultural education in the schools. Diversity has become significant since people all over the country are passionate about others knowing where they come from and making it possible of a more diverse society in the future.

The Dreamkeepers: Successful Teachers of African American Children by Gloria Ladson-Billings was a great resource in thinking about how I would work toward influencing my staff, and the school community as a whole, to engage in discussions about equity. Most notably, she advises us to “acknowledge the race and culture of your students and try to weave it into your teachings” and to “foster a sense of community”. I am lucky to work in a school that was founded and lead by a woman of color for the last 6 years, so equity conversations are not as awkward as they may be in some other schools. In light of recent travesties of justice that have occurred in the US over the past year, these conversations have the potential to become more high-stakes

Due to the large Caucasian community that resides in Cabot, it is essential for the school district to provide opportunities for students to be exposed to diversity. Although a school district cannot change its population make-up, it can provide opportunities to its students that teach diversity, tolerance, dignity and respect. Students must realize that, although their every day encounters with students during their school years are limited in regards to diversity, the world that awaits them when they graduate is composed of people of different races, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds, etc. It is essential that the Cabot School District provide not only a sound academic foundation for students but a highly, diversified cultural foundation, as well.

This paper will be discussing a recent fifteen hour field experience I participated in which I observed a classroom which included many students of diverse ethnic and cultural groups. I will discuss any prejudices/discriminations I observed in the classroom based on ethnic and cultural diversity. I will also describe how this experience has made me determined to try to create a positive learning environment for students of diversity in the classroom.

America’s schools are challenged to meet the academic and interpersonal needs of all students regardless of culture, race, or ethnic background. Hawley and Nieto (2010) claim that race and ethnicity significantly impacts students’ learning in their article, “Another Inconvenient Truth: Race and Ethnicity” (p. 66). They contended that educators should be “race and ethnicity -responsive” to effectively understand the challenges students from diverse races and cultures face (Hawley & Nieto, 2010, p. 66). Moreover, the article noted that schools should have practices in place that promote an inclusive, supportive, and enriching learning environment for all students including students from different races and ethnicities.

In an ever-changing society, it is necessary for Dexter R-XI Schools to prepare its students to live and learn in a diverse world. This plan will serve as a model to provide a positive learning and working environment for all students and employees. Schools will be expected to develop, implement, and monitor procedures which provide meaningful multicultural and diversified educational opportunities for all students.

xv). Diversity for Lamar County School District includes respect, acceptance, and understanding that each individual or group is unique, and recognizes individual differences such as race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, age, physical abilities, religious beliefs, political beliefs, or other ideologies. Exploring these differences in a safe, positive, and nurturing environment demonstrates understanding of each other and moving beyond simple tolerance to embrace and celebrate the rich aspects of diversity within each culture or group (University of Oregon

The analysis of policy in regards to impacts on students, families and community, leads to a discussion of problems within our society and their influence on the very policies created to respond to these circumstances. Within the educational sphere, all polices contribute to the lives and educational experiences of every student and as a result, their families and the community. This case study looks at the Department of Education and Training [DET] Diversity and Equity policy and outlines a school-based scenario that analyses diversity and equity within the classroom. The case study analyses the policy and scenario to formulate discussion about how students, families and communities can be impacted by diversity and equity and

The white student population over the years has dropped, and that is a major concern of mine. I want a diverse school where students of all races can come and receive a quality education. Many of the parents in my district are sending their children to private schools, and it is their right to do so, but I feel there are benefits to attending a campus that is multicultural. Students that attend a school that is diverse prepares them for society. Students learn better to navigate adulthood in an increasingly diverse society if they attend diverse schools (Wells, Fox, & Cordova-Coba, 2016). Furthermore, students that attend multicultural schools can help reduce racial bias. As principal, I want to set up meetings with parents of the community and discuss the benefits of a diverse student body. A report that came out in 2011, from the National Assessment of Educational Progress, shows that students in culturally diverse schools have higher average test scores plus diverse schools help reduce racial achievement gaps (“The Benefits of Socioeconomically,” 2016).

Education today faces major equity issues and the number of inequities grows as society progresses. Equity in education has two dimensions, fairness and inclusion. According to research, the educational systems structure affects the school systems equity. “Traditionally, education systems have sorted students according to attainment and evidence from studies of secondary and primary schools, which suggests that such sorting can increase inequalities and inequities, particularly if it takes place early in the education process” (OECD, 2008). One major issue of inequity amongst the schools is financial differences. Students who come from a low-income based background have less money which means a less chance at a better education and less opportunities. This is a prime example of how students from different social classes do not have the same fair chance at an equal opportunity in education. Those coming from an upper class can afford to put their children in a private school which means smaller class sizes as which is an advantage in learning. There is so many things that add to the inequities of education and these social domains have direct effects on what and how much children learn. “Children growing up in low-income neighborhoods, for example, are much more likely to experience repeated stress from violence and crime that may inhibit cognitive development” (Russel Sage Foundation, 2017). Racial discrimination is something else that still exists amongst our

According to the U.S. Department of Justice's Hate Crime Victimization report, the percentage of hate crimes were nearly three times higher in 2012 (28%) than in 2004 (10%) (blogs.edweek.org). This number will continue to increase, and in order for it to decrease the people need to start understanding these scary statistics and make a stand for a more peaceful society. Also, the student body is so diverse that this type of teaching would just be simply important for everybody to learn. Not only are they diverse in gender but in the average school 5.98% are Hispanic or Latino, 0.99% are American Indian or Alaska Native, 30.63% are Asian, 7.73% are black or African American, 0.13% are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 55.60% of our students are white and not multiracial, and 7.57% are unreported (registrar.wustl.edu). To ensure that students of less familiar cultures and religious traditions feel included and safe in their learning communities, teachers need to provide opportunities for all students to share unique aspects of their

Once students and teachers are aware of cultural differences, they become aware of racism and can fight to eradiate it. Through their unbiased understanding of the differences between cultures and races, they are able to come to a point of acceptance of themselves and others. If you noticed in my previous paragraph, I mentioned the different types of diversity. Diversity emphasizes how different students and teachers are, but when explored in a classroom, can be used to reveal our similarities. Once students and teachers grasp the concept of diversity, displayed through everyday interactions with diverse groups of students and teachers, racism begins to disappear. In addition, positive sense of self can be developed once students and teachers have an understanding of their own uniqueness through experiences and understanding of diversity. Once teachers and students