The learning institution in question is a public school located in a city in the United States, accommodating students from various ethnic and socio-economic backgrounds. However, its present diversity and inclusion programs can benefit from improvements in ensuring that all students have equal opportunities. According to the researchers who define multicultural education operationally, it should educate students to do two main things. First, students should be taught to “recognize, accept, and appreciate differences in culture, ethnicity, social class, sexual orientation, religion, special needs, and gender”; second, to possess “a sense of responsibility and a commitment to work toward the democratic ideals of justice, equality, and democracy” (Manning et al., 2017, p. 21). Thus, successful implementation of multicultural education hinges upon the presence of cultural diversity in school and the work educators do foster understanding of it.
The high school student population is 900, with 57% of students being White, 16% Hispanic, 21% Black, 3% Asian, and 3% mixed ethnicity with two or more races. Such parameters for the size and diversity deviate somewhat from a typical American school, which, according to the National Center for Education Statistics (2022), has 46% White, 28% Hispanic, 15% Black, 5% Asian, and 5% mixed ethnicity students. School staff, however, breaks down differently, with the vast majority of the teachers being White (83%), 7% Black, 6% Asian, 2% Hispanic, and 2% of a mixed race.
There is a much more significant racial disparity in the body of school staff. This issue is consistent with statistics that have already been identified for many American educational institutions (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). The total number of teachers in the school is 57, meaning that there may only be one or two people representing a specific race for certain ethnicities. These statistics are crucial to consider in the overall picture since the ethnic diversity of school staff often correlates with that of the students (National Center for Education Statistics, 2019). Thus, it is essential to evaluate what measures are taken within the institution to embrace diversity, inclusion, and a multicultural approach.
In terms of the internal structure and operations of the school, the educational structure is not any different from standard American education, with the core classes and electives available to students. The school, however, does not currently work with or provide any external resources or organizations that would support multiculturalism. Instead, incorporating a culturally diverse approach is fostered at the internal level through policy and individual acts. The steps include altering the curriculum structure, acknowledging and celebrating various events, such as celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day and encouraging students to be involved with social action.
One of the executive decisions discussed with all staff members several years ago was the exclusion or modification of any class materials or educational policies that were outright discriminatory or largely non-inclusive of particular cultural perspectives. Such change is especially notable in the realm of social sciences and history. Among other changes, teachers mentioned readings themed around social justice and the civil rights movement throughout January and examined the Native American perspective on the celebration of Thanksgiving. Moreover, one teacher has mentioned giving students homework to discuss these concepts with their parents and then sharing the results in groups. However, many teachers still felt like their subjects did not accommodate diverse cultures to the extent needed, citing lack of flexibility and time as reasons.
In terms of pedagogy, one of the educators’ most profound tasks in their work is addressing some of the critical incidents that may occur in daily life. For instance, one of the interviewed teachers has mentioned that they had to talk to the parents of an Asian-American student, who was often sitting alone during the lunchtime because other students called their homecooked lunches ‘smelly.’ The student has experienced a lot of pressure and stress due to their peers’ actions. The teacher’s decision to intervene and ensure the safety and comfort of the student was appropriate, but the school system should work to prevent such incidents in the first place by exposing students to a variety of cultures outside of standard classroom materials. Appropriate punitive measures were taken against the students who had spoken in a discriminatory manner. Moreover, the decision that some of the educators proposed following the incident was to introduce a celebration of the Chinese New Year as an informal school event, with various students bringing food and learning about the traditions of different cultures.
Overall, the diversity of the learning institution in question, although consistent with some of the average parameters in the U.S., must come a long way. To embrace the multicultural orientation in this school, the educators must engage in critical self-reflection and examine their extant biases. Doing so will improve their teaching and interpersonal communication with students (Civitillo et al., 2019). The issues such as white privilege, lack of social justice in many aspects of modern politics and life, and power dynamics should be addressed in theory and endorsed in practice. Nonetheless, the school seems to be on the right track, judging by the fact that a large proportion of the student body has been actively participating in social justice protests regarding #BlackLivesMatter or female reproductive rights and organizing events in honor of the LGBTQIA+ community. However, the presence of racist incidents, the lack of diversity in staff, and the teachers’ concerns regarding the curriculum demonstrate that there is still much to improve. Therefore, the school as an institution still has to provide more comprehensive and systematic support for minority groups.
References
Civitillo, S., Juang, L. P., Badra, M., & Schachner, M. K. (2019). The interplay between culturally responsive teaching, cultural diversity beliefs, and self-reflection: A multiple case study. Teaching and Teacher Education, 77, 341–351. Web.
Manning, M. L., Baruth, L. G., & Lee, G. L. (2017). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (6th ed.). Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2022). Racial/ethnic enrollment in public schools. Condition of Education. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Web.
National Center for Education Statistics. (2019). Spotlight A: Characteristics of public school teachers by race/ethnicity. Status and Trends in the Education of Racial and Ethnic Groups. U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences. Web.