Above Public Mural by William Walker in Chicago
Embrace the diversity of the GRPS student body as our greatest asset.
We are at an important crossroads in American society and how we address traditional dividing lines. Robert Putnam’s research on Social Capital in the Grand Rapids area several years ago applauded the breadth of community based institutions that “bonded” communities together. His research also found though, that Grand Rapids needed to work diligently to begin “bridging” the diversity of our city that has created many boundaries.
Our schools are the place that the promises of positive outcomes for diversity can be best realized. Here’s a few of the benefits of racially integrated classrooms:
- Racially Integrated Classrooms best prepare all students for the increasingly globally connected world
- A diverse society that feels comfortable living and working together will have consensus on the major American values that we all share
- Nearly forty percent of the American Workforce will be black or Hispanic. Corporate America is eager for these groups to be prepared academically, and for all of us to understand how to live and work together.
I say embrace the current diversity of the GRPS student body, because this diversity reflects those who are committed to our public schools. It is our job to improve the outcomes for the children who are attending our schools. Enrollment decline will have to be reversed by attracting families to come into a school system that is exciting and productive.
I would love to see the diversity of the entire city of Grand Rapids reflected in the student enrollment. Again these are our public schools. We can embrace these schools.
A final note:
We will have to work to provide education to an increasingly diverse student body. The classroom environment has changed dramatically in the past ten years. Technology has outdated many of our old practices, and even those most resistant to change have learned to use modern tools such as power point and communication technologies to do what the chalkboard and the phone used to do. Some of us kicked mightily as we were dragged into these new ways. We should not expect that the work of understanding the diverse cultural changes will come any easier.
Dr. Taylor was unfairly criticized for suggesting that we need to bridge our cultural differences. This should not suggest a charge of racism. If we are honest, we know that we need to continue to learn.
Links:
Civil Rights Project: Excellent Source for up to date research on segregation and Education
http://www.civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/
http://theintegrationreport.wordpress.com/
Teaching Tolerance: Excellent tools for teaching diverse classrooms
http://www.tolerance.org/index.jsp
Robert Putnam's research on Social Capital, Community and Diversity
http://www.bowlingalone.com/