Diversity and Justice in Our Schools

DiversityRx manages an email list with excellent resources for those interested in interpreting and health care. This morning’s entry, about diversity, fear, and justice in our schools really caught my attention. Have any of you had the kind of reactions in your schools that they've had in Philadelphia? How do you deal with discrimination in your schools?

Thanks to Julia Puebla Fortier, Director Resources for Cross Cultural Health Care, for the information.

CONTROVERSIES FORCE SCHOOLS TO DROP RECOGNITION MONTHS
Dogged by public controversy and "phone calls that bordered on terroristic threats," the Philadelphia School District has removed recognition of Gay and Lesbian History Month from its 2007-08 school calendar, and -- in an effort to be fair -- similar months, including African American, Hispanic Heritage, and Asian Pacific American. Other designations, such as the International Day of Disabled Persons, also are gone from the calendar mailed to about 200,000 parents and other affiliates, district officials said. The only days that get recognized now are the ones that mean a day off from school, said Cecilia Cummings, the district's senior vice president for communications and community relations. For the first time last school year, the district included the gay and lesbian month designation -- which is in October -- along with several others in an attempt to follow a long-standing district policy requiring equity for all races and minority groups. "Diversity" was the theme of the calendars. The move brought an immediate backlash, with people berating district officials at public meetings. "We were just not prepared for the controversy," Cummings said. "We were besieged by calls, threats, letters, and we didn't have the manpower to staff it. Nor did we have the preparation or training to really figure out how to deal with this issue in a way that could keep kids safe. We had meetings where adults were calling kids names." Removal from the calendar has no effect on curriculum, Cummings said. Furthermore, Black History Month, as well as gay history events, will continue to be held in schools. The district's decision to retreat on the calendars was first announced in the Philadelphia Gay News. Cummings said the district thought it was fair to tell that newspaper first. But the effort to avoid controversy may backfire, reports Susan Snyder in The Philadelphia Inquirer. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20070810_Schools_drop_recognition_months .html

TEACHING FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE
The new issue of Urban Education Journal, "Teaching for Social Justice," from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, asks: how can we, as educators, confront the social injustices entangled in a wide range of social tragedies including racism, classism, homophobia, sexism, ableism, and environmental injustice? The articles included tackle a wide range of issues and share a theme of searching, and struggling for re-engagement in the meanings, ways of teaching, learning, and speaking about social justice in education. The "searches" in this issue fall into two categories: investigations into how teachers become social justice practitioners, and analyses and arguments regarding the discourses surrounding teaching for social justice. The concept of "becoming" is addressed from many perspectives. In one engaging feature article, Bree Picower and Anne Burns Thomas share stories of new teachers struggling to build a sense of identity that includes a core belief in social justice.
http://www.urbanedjournal.org/

FREE LESSON PLANS BUILD RACIAL UNDERSTANDING
A set of four lesson plans on race and diversity can now be downloaded by educators at no cost. Designed for high school teachers, and suitable for youth leaders in non-school settings, the lessons are designed to promote greater understanding of differences among high school students. The activities in the four lessons have been tested with high school students in Chicago and have been found to open up constructive dialogue among students. Teachers have reported that the activities encourage students to recognize and respect differences in the classroom and also promote a sense of community in their classes. Each of the lessons is completely self-contained and can usually be completed during a 45-minute class period. One whole-class activity causes students to examine issues of identity and then commit to making personal changes in behavior. Another lesson utilizes personal stories to reflect on the Thanksgiving holiday and on Americans’ acceptance of difference. In a third, students explore the meanings of "race" and "racism" and consider how they might personally work to overcome their own biases. The final unit enhances a sense of community in a classroom and promotes a broader sense of community outside of school.
http://www.racebridges.net/schools?mw1

Topics: Building Community, Civic Life, Education, Ending Homophobia, Ending Racism