Strategic Diversity Plan

The mission at Zebulon B. Vance High School “is to graduate young adults who are self-directed, intellectually engaged citizens ready for college, career, and life.” Furthermore, it is a communal belief that “all students can learn and achieve at a high level; that an open channel of communication among faculty; students and parents is vital to cultivating student respect, responsibility, and independence; a commitment from all stakeholders creates a safe and nurturing environment through academic performance, extracurricular activities, involvement, positive behavior, and respect for diversity; a secure and supportive climate fosters school pride and citizenship; high academic standards motivate students to realize their highest potentials; cross-curricular instruction and utilization of technology will prepare students for future challenges in work and in life; providing teachers and staff with resources and professional development opportunities promote individual and instructional growth; support from local businesses, universities, and community organizations help students develop life skills and decorum necessary for success in a diverse” world.

“Our main goal is to create a space that brings together all kinds of students to help them raise awareness and celebrate differences in our inclusive school climate.”

The purpose of this strategic diversity plan is to ensure Lamar County School District is abiding by its mission to provide a quality education with opportunities for all students to experience success. Recognizing a deficiency in our district, such as a lack of addressing learning obstacles for Hispanic/Latino students, is important to address so all students are successful attaining an quality education. Reaffirming the district’s core values of equality, mutual respect, lifelong learning, honesty, and responsibility will enable the district to relay these values to all of our students, including this group, to provide knowledge in this continuously diverse

Educational environments that reflect the rich diversity of the community, nation and the world assist in opening students' minds and actively engaging them in their learning. Research has shown that prejudice is countered when educational environments foster critical thinking, empathy development and positive self-esteem in students. See the downloadable checklist to the right for some criteria for creating positive, anti-bias environments where respect for diversity is

The Mission is to create a nurturing environment that recognizes diversity in schools and the community. The ultimate goal is to utilize parental support, community-based programs, skilled and talented staff that would empower students to excel. The collaborative efforts of teachers, administrators, and parents are imperative to the success of the program. Accountability,

I would launch my diversity strategic plan with an all-employee diversity meeting where I will go over the plan with my team and answer their questions. During the meeting I will inform the employees that the company will change their mission statement to include and encourage the employment of all people regardless of age groups, classes, ethnicities, genders, abilities, races, sexual orientations, and religions. To help with implementation, I would hire experienced professionals who specialize in workplace diversity. Experienced professionals understand the challenges and know how to handle them. Moreover, I will make sure to implement the transition one step at a time rather than throwing the entire package into the works all at once. Employees

As of late, there has been much discussion about what a diverse environment truly entails. Various resources, such as safe spaces for those who have endured trauma, have been implemented to aid in forming supportive environments for all. However, American institutions need to take further action to create spaces that are inclusive of all students, regardless of race, economic status, gender identity, or sexual orientation. A genuinely all-encompassing environment is one based on kindness and acceptance--it should not tolerate or support hate in any form. Everyone should feel obligated to contribute positivity and show respect to those around them. In an accepting community, many ideals should be upheld, such as the appreciation and incorporation

As I was exploring the North Shore Elementary School (NSE) it dawned to me how truly divers the campus is. At NSE there are different ethnicities including African American, Hispanic, white, American Indian, and Asian. With students having such a rich and diverse cultures it is necessary that there are teachers present to help foster collaboration and community. There are also students with varying socio-economic status. Students also differ in the languages they use at home and school.

Diversity in the school community is an asset to the school and student population. Through positively recognizing diversity, staff, students, and the community can showcase a broader range of talents and achievements. This past year, AAHS had several huge behavior incidents where students lacked understanding and respect for others of different backgrounds, needs, or skills. The majority of the discrimination was focused around race or religious affiliation. To create an inclusive and positive school culture, administration had to address the issues with the entire school population. I brainstormed with other leaders in the building and created a video presentation for our Konnections class that encouraged Konnections teachers to talk with their students about racism and an appreciation to diversity in the school community. During the turmoil, we also had to teach teacher how to openly talk about race and the issues that revolve around it. Race and religion are two examples of diversity in the school population; however, there are many different facets of diversity that principals should both acknowledge and appreciate.

CCSD is a place that is committed to excellence for all students. Their vision is providing positive learning environments which fosters collaboration, multicultural diversity, creativity, and academic achievement. We must prepare our twenty first century learners through cooperative learning experiences that prepares them to communicate and work effectively with a growing and diverse population. We will strive to understand and to value the diversity of all students, that we may be devoted to serve students and stakeholders with excellence. Forming school atmospheres that value and respect the diversity of its stakeholders is critical.

Because diversity is the new norm, and each child is unique, all efforts of meeting the individual needs of the children should be integrated into all curricular materials, activities, projects, field trips, and classroom environments. For an example, for an activity on community helpers should cover not only a variety of diversity such as gender, ability/disability, language and race/ethnicity,

These were the first words ever spoken by our school’s Student Diversity Council. But when we first met as a brand new Principal-selected council, we weren’t sure what to expect.

Coming from an Afro-Caribbean background, I was fortunate to learn the importance of diversity. I grew up in a mixed culture where language, values and lifestyle, and norms define the people. Having an ethnic background that is a blend of different culture has motivated me to understand and embrace the cultural diversity of others by traveling to and volunteering in different countries such as India. I have also sought opportunities in which I could work with diverse groups of students. Without a doubt, my own unique experiences with diversity will push me towards creating a multicultural space where people from various backgrounds can share their beliefs, language, and different cultural aspects. This would help enhance the diverse community

I completed my diversity experience at Cheshire High School, which is located in the wealthy suburban town of Cheshire. There are about 1,500 students in the school and administrative duties are split amongst one principal and three assistant principals. My day began with the weekly CORE meeting, which included the administration, social workers, special education teachers, the SRO officer, school nurse, the athletic director, and the school psychologist. During this meeting, the academic and social-emotional well-being of individual students was discussed openly with all members present. The staff highlighted the progress of SRBI students, students on academic probation, students attending the Humiston alternative school, and other students having difficulty adjusting to the high school. Intervention strategies were discussed and documented in order to address the needs of the school’s most challenging students.

The objective of this course was to examine current research on academic success and the diversity in schools. I realized how encouraging academic and social growth stems from building relationships and creating a supportive environment that fosters resiliency and strength in my students.