BUILDING TRUST IN A DIVERSE COMMUNITY CASE ANALYSIS & RATIONALE

Bernard Williams

EAD-505-0501

November 6, 2019

Scot Beckerman

In this case in order for me to render a decision as the principal I would needs to research and consider all elements and factors of the decreasing bus numbers, the academic numbers and the issues of parents and community stakeholders. In doing so I must remain positive, avoid conflict and outright disputes. I would need to show the students helpful and positive ways in which to handle this type of discrimination. Make attempts to create a more multicultural staff. Obviously there is need for serious staff development in the area of race relations and integration in the schools. All involved needs to be better informed on the situation and issues, this includes staff, bus drivers and parent volunteers.

As far as insights into the voluntary busing program, the community obviously wasn't ready for the integration portion of the busing program. Perhaps there was not enough informed community outreach prior to the implementation. I need to find out how the students that are being bused are feeling and what they are experiencing. I will need to meet with the families and kids involved. Hopefully I can meet with the students separately and then with the parents.

My concerns will start with issues connected to ethnicity and also the concerns of the number of academic and disciplinary problems that the bused students have had. In my mind, their ethnicity and the school issues are somewhat the same. I understand that this is an underlying community issue, not just a school issue that would need a district wide discussion around discrimination, racism and integration. These concerns would need to be addressed carefully. All shareholders need to feel invested and valued. Bringing the mayor and school board into the discussions would be helpful so that they could each share their vision. I would also invite people from the state DOE to participate in meetings to explain the goals of the integration and what it means to the school and the community.

In these discussions there will be many questions and answers that will be address. One, are the declining numbers due to the racial statements of the community and parents? Two, are the academic numbers at a decline due to a lack of multicultural understanding by the teaching staff? The discussions will give more insight into the dealings with the specific parents who have difficulty discussing their viewpoints in their dealings with others from another race. It will also be a platform to inform the community as a whole that their actions are violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and will not be tolerated while I am principal.

During these discussions, strategies for improving school culture and climate will be determined. Enabling others from diverse cultures to come together for a common goal increases acceptance and the building the foundation of intergroup relationships (“Collaboration to Demystify Racism”, 2015). Unfortunately, it appears as though this community has not had the opportunity to have meaningful conversations to allow for the change of prejudices and stereotypes. According to Mulvey & Richards (2007), “People have the authority to directly influence the nature of race relations by “simply” transforming themselves”. In these ways, the principal would be an advocate for the promotion of success for all students in a moral and ethical manner, and with integrity.

In conclusion to these discussions there will be some possible solutions to consider with regards the decreasing number of students projected for next year. The first solution would be to assume that the parent who voiced their concern at the meeting of the dwindling student numbers for next year was making a false claim, and to take a “wait and see” approach. However, this would be a risky proposition in that the funding is tied to the children’s attendance, as well as a state mandate involving integration must be followed. In addition, the principal would not be performing his duty of properly allocating resources for students, along with not monitoring and evaluating the drop in enrollment. Another solution would be to meet with the parents of the bused students and inquire as to why they do not want to send their child to the school next year, and to develop solutions. This solution may sound feasible, however, it does not reflect on the possible root cause of the situation, which is a racial undertone that permeates the community, and will most certainly continue if not addressed. Only meeting with the parents of the minority students does not address the other key factor, which would be the other parents in the community and their biased actions towards the bused students. A final solution would be to enlist the assistance of parents, staff, and students with increasing positive racial relations and multicultural awareness in the school and community. This solution proves to be the most viable for the benefit of all stakeholders.

The rationale for the solution of enlisting the help of all stakeholders will encourage a shared vision of building a culture of understanding and acceptance of diversity for all by using trust, collaboration, and equity. According to Dowd (2014), “Racism cannot exist where it is not supported” (p. 499). The first step in this process would be to review the current curriculum immediately and evaluate for evidence of multicultural awareness. Educators need to represent race and ethnicity through proper implementation of the curriculum standards (Pettapiece & Campbell, 2013). A revision of the curriculum may need to occur in this case to increase awareness of diversity.

After the evaluation of the curriculum, the next step would entail ongoing teacher workshop trainings involving addressing the needs of minority students. This lack of understanding could be the limitation of academic success for these students and be a barrier to effective instruction (Pettapiece & Campbell, 2013). Another critical action step would be to plan for a meeting with the school and community members relating to the topic of race relations, and how to foster unity and an appreciation of diversity. The success of each and every student is predicated on the collaboration of staff and the community.

The decision and action steps were designed with much thought and consideration regarding the racial divisions that are occurring in the community, and how to best handle these divisions. To achieve the goal of positive racial relations and awareness and acceptance of cultural diversity, a collaborative effort amongst staff, parents, students, and community members must happen. In order for true growth and change to occur, the best place to begin would be in evaluating the curriculum to account for multicultural awareness standards, and opportunities for education on cultural diversity throughout the year. Using this as a starting point, the instruction that will be facilitated by the teachers will encourage a new generation of students to accept others and appreciate their differences and their similarities. These positive attitudes and beliefs will continue for a lifetime, and will hopefully inspire a movement of change with others who oppose that viewpoint in the community.

The decision to conduct teacher workshop trainings on diversity and multicultural awareness stems from the idea of developing the staff from an instructional standpoint, along with promoting the awareness and need for a diverse staff. Teachers will provide examples of ethical and moral behavior and reflect on the idea that positive relationships should continue with others to promote the success of all students.

The rationale for holding community discussion with school and community stakeholder would allow for the development of a discussion of race relations as it pertains to the school and the community at large. In this forum, people will have the opportunity to share their thoughts, feelings, and experiences in a non-threatening way to enlighten others and discover the complexities of the issue at hand. Everyone has a unique perspective on the topic of race relations. When people share their personal experiences, it broadens and deepens people’s understanding and encourages growth. We cannot allow students to feel unworthy or unwanted because of their differences. This issue directly relates to the morals, ethics and the rights of all students. Engaging stakeholders towards meeting a common goal will establish trust, encourage growth, and promote social justice. In this manner, the community will be modeling the values of democracy and sound judgment.

References

Collaboration to demystify racism. (2015). Proceedings of the Multidisciplinary Academic Conference, 1-25.

Dowd, J. (2014). Public and academic questions on race: The problem with racial controversies. Sociological Forum, 29 (2), 496-502. doi:10.1111/socf.12094

Mulvey, L. & Richards, S. (2007). Thoughts on a conversational approach to race relations. Sociological Forum, 22 (2), 220-226. doi:10.1111/j.1573-7861.2007.00015.x.

Pettapiece, B. & Campbell, S. (2013). What schools can do to increase racial acceptance? Social Studies Research & Practice. 8 (1), 109-116.