Cultural Diversity in Public Schools: Closing the Gap

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Introduction As a native of Miami, Florida, I have witnessed the many cultural changes that have taken place over the years. As an educator teaching within the nation’s fifth largest public school district for the past 25 years, I have had a great amount of exposure to the cultural diversity that makes up the public school, and I have become very familiar with challenges, family issues, and cultural differences that can influence the educational performance of my students. I have developed an understanding that in order to provide the most successful learning environment for culturally diverse student’s, teachers must be able to provide classroom instruction that is free of personal bias and which addresses the diversified cultural learning needs of every student. Too many schools are not set up to give students an education that teaches them to love learning and takes their individual needs into account (Castleman & Littky, 2007). Growing diversity within the public school has policymakers, curriculum specialists, administrators, and teachers seeking ways to reduce the achievement gap that plaques learners from culturally different backgrounds while continually working to provide multicultural curriculum and activities that promotes social acceptance, reduces racism, and cultural differences. Schools should recognize that they can serve as a significant force in countering discrimination and the various “-isms” that affect people from culturally diverse backgrounds, women, and the disabled (Manning & Baruth, 2009). The purpose of this paper is to discuss ways in which teachers can collaborate with administrators to revise the instructional approach to address the diversified cultural learning needs of the class. Further... ... middle of paper ... ...s must be willing to work together to make revisions to instructional strategies, and/or bring suggestions and concerns to the school board. However, it is the school’s responsibility to overcome any obstacles they may face in order to meet the culturally diverse needs of every student. Works Cited Castleman, B., & Littky, D. (2007). Learning to love learning. Educational Leadership, 64(8), 58-61. Klingner, J. K., & Edwards, P. A. (2006). Cultural considerations with response to intervention models. Reading Research Quarterly, 41(1), 108-117. Kraft, M. (2007). Toward a school-wide model of teaching for social justice: An examination of the best practices of two small public schools. Equity & Excellence in Education, 40, 77–86. Manning, L. & Baruth. L. (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (5th Ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

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