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<br />everything we're doing. Continuing with business as usual will mean failure or mediocrity for too
<br />many of our students, as the data related to racial, cultural, linguistic, and economic achievement
<br />gaps demonstrate (National Center for Education Statistics, 2005). Rapidly changing
<br />demographics demand that we engage in a vigorous, ongoing, and systemic process of
<br />professional development to prepare all educators in the school to function effectively in a highly
<br />diverse environment.
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<br />Many education leaders in diversity-enhanced schools are moving beyond blame and
<br />befuddlement and working to transform themselves and their schools to serve all their students
<br />well. From observing and collaborating with them, I have learned that this transformative work
<br />proceeds best in five phases: (1) building trust, (2) engaging personal culture, (3) confronting
<br />issues of social dominance and social justice, (4) transforming instructional practices, and (5)
<br />engaging the entire school community.
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<br />Phase 1: Building Trust
<br />
<br />Ninety percent of U.S. public school teachers are white; most grew up and attended school in
<br />middle-class, English-speaking, predominantly white communities and received their teacher
<br />preparation in predominantly white colleges and universities (Gay, Dingus, & Jackson, 2003).
<br />Thus, many white educators simply have not acquired the experiential and education background
<br />that would prepare them for the growing diversity of their students (Ladson-Billings, 2002;
<br />Vavrus, 2002).
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<br />The first priority in the trust phase is to acknowledge this challenge in a positive, inclusive, and
<br />honest way. School leaders should base initial discussions on the following assumptions:
<br />
<br />. Inequities in diverse schools are not, for the most part, a function of intentional
<br />discrimination.
<br />
<br />. Educators of all racial and cultural groups need to develop new competencies and
<br />pedagogies to successfully engage our changing populations.
<br />
<br />. White teachers have their own cultural connections and unique personal narratives that are
<br />legitimate aspects of the overall mix of school diversity.
<br />
<br />School leaders should also model for their colleagues inclusive and nonjudgmental discussion,
<br />reflection, and engagement strategies that teachers can use to establish positive learning
<br />communities in their classrooms.
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<br />.
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<br />For example, school leaders in the Apple Valley Unified School District in Southern California, where
<br />racial, cultural, and linguistic diversity is rapidly increasing, have invested considerable time and
<br />resources in creating a climate of openness and trust. They recently implemented four days of
<br />intensive work with teams from each school, including principals, teacher leaders, union
<br />representatives, parents, clergy, business leaders, and community activists from the NAACP and
<br />other organizations.
<br />
<br />One essential outcome in this initial phase of the conversation is to establish that racial, cultural,
<br />and economic differences are real-and that they make a difference in education outcomes. Said
<br />one Apple Valley participant, "I have become aware that the issue of race needs to be dealt with,
<br />not minimized." Said another, "I need to move beyond being color-blind." A second key outcome is
<br />to establish the need for a personal and professional journey toward greater awareness. As an
<br />Apple Valley educator noted, "There were a lot of different stories and viewpoints shared at this
<br />inservice, but the one thing we can agree on is that everyone needs to improve in certain areas." A
<br />third key outcome in the trust phase is to demonstrate that difficult topics can be discussed in an
<br />environment that is honest, safe, and productive. One Apple Valley teacher commented, "We were
<br />able to talk about all of the issues and not worry about being politically correct."
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