Diversity and teaching in educational settings

Diversity and Teaching

Perhaps no other institution so clearly reflects the diversity of individuals in America as that of public school systems. After the Brown v. Board of Education (1954) case that ruled segregation a constitutionally prohibited practice, schools have been struggling to incorporate and value the diversity in students. However, this has not been an easy endeavor given the influx of illegal immigrants into America and the declining funding available for school districts.

While immigration continues to change the once homogenous makeup of classroom's throughout America, teachers, administrators and students continue to struggle with the implementation of practices designed to address a discernable minority-based achievement gap in test scores, grades, and overall successes in education. With the increase in student's in America's classrooms that do not speak English as a native language and who continue to struggle with language acquisition, it is more important than ever to objectively evaluate the effects of funding and allocations of expenditures available to schools to achieve higher levels of academic achievements for all students.

While I don't work in a school, I am familiar with the struggles of school districts' funding of certain categories of identified learners as well as the struggle to appropriately balance the needs of all students in pre-tertiary educational institutions. While funding sources may dictate or earmark certain funding for educational programs, discretionary spending continues to dwindle yearly given the failing economy in conjunction with the 2002 No Child Left Behind law that, among other provisions, requires that every student, regardless of ethnicity, race, income or ability, demonstrate proficiency in reading and math. It really is similar to a rock and a hard place; teachers, as highly trained educational professionals, struggle with implementing standards-based curricula in face of increased pressures to address the specific needs of English language learners in America's classrooms. Teachers and school administrators are left with little alternative than to "teach to the test" as funding sources are conditioned on school performance indexes. Clearly, education has become an industry that is as predicated on performance-based criteria as any factory or business institution. The adage "only as strong as the weakest link" comes to mind when evaluating the effects of directly allocating funding for certain learners to the exclusion of others. The practice itself harkens to a type of reverse discrimination. While classrooms reflect the diversity in America, students daily suffer given the emphasis on inclusion to the detriment of a meaningful education that adequately prepares students for the global economy of the 21st century. Inclusion is certainly not without critics, though I believe, for the most part, the practice of inclusive education is a benefit to students as it provides real-world integration and foster's relationships that are beneficial to all. The United States Commission on Civil Rights (2006) suggests that "The many intangible cultural cues and deeper understanding that are gained from interacting with people of different race and ethnicity -- those are the real, invaluable benefits of classroom diversity that we need to understand better and increase. Grissmer et al. (2000) note that when increases in educational spending are used to reduce class size for minority and economically disadvantaged students, test scores for these cohorts improve markedly. However, this cannot be achieved to the detriment and exclusion of other, arguably more important, educational goals; attainment of basic and fundamental knowledge, proficiency in academic subjects, and the preparation for students to successfully compete in a globally economy based on requisite skills. While critics of inclusion suggest that different ethnicities, races and nationalities in the classroom are draining the limited resources available in educational institutions, it is important to remember that the benefits of inclusion far outweigh the detriments. Further, it is essential that we remember that America is based on the fundamental premise that all are created equally, that all are entitled to equality, and that quality education requires more than just lip service to those who can benefit most from academic successes.