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121593 Board of Education Policy Statement Diversity and Multicultural Education
REVISED DRAFT December 15, 1993
The Board of Education defines its primary mission as the provision of a quality educational program to which all students have equal access, regardless of their national origin, ethnicity, color, economic status. gender, age. religion, sexual orientation, disability, or any and all other differences. Consistent with this mission, the district recognizes its responsibility to:
· provide the opportunity for increased academic achievement for all students;
· equip children with the skills and knowledge to compete in a global society;
· respect and embrace the diversity of III cultures;
· provide an educational environment that promotes acceptance, understanding, appreciation, equity, and equality of all peoples, and that recognizes different learning styles and accommodates these with varied teaching approaches;
· foster the development of positive attitudes towards people of different cultural, racial, ethnic, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds;
· emphasize "respect", rather than mere tolerance;
· stress an understanding of the commonality of all people while recognizing that they may view issues from different perspectives.
In fulfilling this mission, the Board of Education believes that the pursuit of excellence, equity, and respect ought to permeate our entire educational enterprise, rather than simply be addressed through a series of discrete "diversity' activities. That is, administrators and staff, in their development, analysis, and refinement of the educational program, ought to integrate these values into the daily operation of our schools. As a specific guiding set of principles to undergird our operation, the Board believes that:
· as a district, issues affecting one or more schools are significant issues for the district as a whole;
· the educational results of our students must be actively monitored so that consistent improvement is our ongoing goal and impediments to the achievement of improved performance may be addressed. whatever their causes;
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N.B. Underlined sections reflect changes made to first draft. |
.the
composition of the student body
must
be regularly examined to insure that
no youngsters are disserved by our organizational pattern:
.the district needs to move aggressively to improve its record of hiring minority faculty members, so that the teaching faculty more closely approximates the diversity of our student body and community, and so that there are appropriate role models for all students to emulate;
•our curriculum must be balanced, accurate, and rigorous, and should recognize and foster respect for contributions by the diverse members of our pluralistic society based on the quality of their work;
•as part of a regular curriculum review cycle and as one of the considerations in the development of any new course or program, curricular materials, including textbooks, library books, and media, ought to be assessed in terms of their accuracy, age appropriateness, reading ability level, and balanced reflection of the diversity of our society;
•a key objective of a multicultural perspective in curriculum development is to ena•i hii.r -n . u - their own c It r • a I-ns hro h which he ma -ocess their teaming, In addition, students: develop a broader base of knowledge through the inclusion of culturally diverse information; are encouraged to respect and understand one's own and others' cultures; are motivated to be active participants in the generation of their own learning and knowledge through the incorporation of one's own and others cultures into the instructional program; and learn to foster new ideas, creative approaches to problem-solving and the sharing of cultural traditions through curriculum and instructional materials which value our diversity.
List of Board Members' Suggestions for Concrete Steps We Ought to Take immediately To Address Diversity/Multicultural Education Issues
Mutlicultural Education
1. set up multicultural committees in each of our schools to address issues/concerns on an ongoing basis
2. evaluate multicultural sensitivity in assessing texts, curriculum, and programs
3. develop more programs within the elementary schools to explore and explain differences and build respect
4. review, through the establishment of a curriculum committee, the textbooks for sensitivity to the issue of multiculturalism
5. contact African American, Hispanic, and other groups to work with our school community
6. institute a senior citizen student buddy program to enrich students' and seniors' lives and involve the community more in the schools
Elementary
1. Increased interaction among students in the five elementary schools--field days, fairs, exchange programs. pen pals from one school to another
2. cross pollination at the elementary school level
3. institute district-wide programs to bring K-5 children together on a regular basis (5-6 times per year) so they get to know each other and develop familiarity before they get to the middle school
4. expand inter-school activities and events, especially team sports ESL
1. implement ESL recommendations set forth in the report
2. examine our ESL programs to see if they need improvement and to make specific recommendations, along with costs
3. provide ESL instruction for parents
Staff Development
1. in service programs for staff in bias and/or prejudice reduction
2. superintendent's conference day addressing "Diversity as a Resource"
3. develop plan for staff development
4. research whether there is a need for in-service teacher programs
5. establish a process to sensitize teachers in the area of teaching in a multicultural society/community-workshops, discussion sessions
Student Activities
1. heritage days to foster better understanding of individual differences--a celebration of our diversity, our literature, etc. reflecting the contributions of various groups to society--i.e., black literature, women's achievements, etc.
2. talk sessions (after school?) at the early middle school level
3. explore possibility of assemblies, seminars, and workshops at the middle and high schools, building on previous initiatives
Other
1. examine special education
increase minority staffing--particularly at the middle/high schools
3. ethnic study at middle/high schools to assess attitudes and identify actual issues
4. look at program reorganization