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Measuring Staff Readiness for Diversity Work in Elementary Schools

Diversity in elementary schools ensures that every student gets a fair shot at a good education. Educators who work with diverse students are able to adjust their teaching styles to meet individual student needs, and some staff members may be better equipped to do this than others. Gauging staff readiness to work with diverse students can help you determine who to assign to diversity work and who needs some additional help and training.
  1. Checking Attitudes about Diversity

    • You need to gauge your staff's attitudes about working with students from a variety of ethnic and socioeconomic backgrounds. Talk to educators about their experience with diverse students and how comfortable they are working with students who have different values and cultures from their own. Ability level also plays a big role in diversity work, so consider whether educators have worked with students who have developmental delays or problems with physical development. Student surveys can provide additional insight, because students can let you know if particular educators make inappropriate comments about diverse students or work well with a diverse group.

    Educating about Language and Attitudes

    • Before you begin a program that focuses on inclusion or multiculturalism, you'll need to educate your staff about how to work with diverse populations. Even educators with the best intentions can inadvertently make hurtful comments. Conduct seminars on the role of language. For example, educators need to know that gender slurs or comparing boys to girls tends to promote sexism, and that language that insults a child's ability level can be discriminatory to the disabled. Telling a boy he throws like a girl or using the term "retarded" are both inappropriate in an educational context.

    Gauging Staff Experience

    • If you have staff members who already have experience working with multicultural populations, it's best to assign them to diversity work first. You may even want to have other educators shadow your more experienced staff. For example, a teacher who has worked in a foreign country, who holds an atypical religious belief or who is herself a minority may be better prepared to work with diverse student populations.

    Tracking Results and Performance

    • Assigning teachers to diversity work marks the beginning, not the end, of gauging staff readiness. Solicit student feedback on staff performance, and encourage parents to let you know how their students are doing. Sit in on class sessions and provide teachers with evaluations highlighting their strengths and weaknesses. If teachers consistently make the same errors, it could indicate that you haven't provided them with sufficient training.

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