The best evidence is that diversity in all its forms is now lumped in with other issues and challenges facing most private schools. In other words it is no longer a detached issue requiring resolution by itself. Schools seem to be making well-thought out efforts to attract and retain faculty and students from a wide variety of societal backgrounds and economic sectors.
Set an Example and They Will Follow
The thoughtful head and board know that they must encourage diversity. Perhaps that has already been done at your school. If so, then a review of where your have been and where you are going should be part of your annual review activities. If you have not addressed the diversity issue, then you'd best get started. Why? Your school cannot afford to turn out students who have not learned the lessons of tolerance. Understanding diversity begins the process.
Communication enables diversity. Example fosters diversity. Every sector of the school community from head and trustees on down through the ranks must be proactive in listening, accepting and welcoming people and ideas which are different from their own. This breeds tolerance and transforms a school into a warm, welcoming, sharing academic community.
Three Ways to Communicate Diversity
Hold Workshops for Faculty and Staff
"A prophet is without honor in his own country." What I am trying to say is that you cannot expect your community to listen to you - really listen to you. Bring in a skilled professional to run workshops for your faculty and staff. The experienced clinician will open up sensitive issues for discussion. She will be a confidential resource which your community will feel comfortable turning to for advice and help. Make attendance mandatory.
Teach Diversity
Embracing the principles of diversity taught in a workshop requires everybody to put diversity into practice. That means reworking lesson plans, encouraging new, more diverse student activities, hiring 'different' teachers and much more.
Communication imparts knowledge which can breed understanding. As administrators and faculty, we send dozens of subtle messages to students not only by what we discuss and teach, but, more importantly, by what we do NOT discuss or teach. We cannot embrace diversity by remaining set in our ways, beliefs and thoughts. Teaching tolerance is something all of us have to do. In many cases it means shedding old practices and altering 'traditions' and modifying points of view. Simply increasing a school's intake of non-Caucasian students will not make a school diverse. Statistically it will. Spiritually it will not. Creating a climate of diversity means radically altering the way your school does things.
Encourage diversity
One of the ways you as an administrator can encourage diversity is to require compliance with school policies and procedures. The same kind of strict adherence to policy and procedure which makes cheating, hazing and sexual misconduct taboo should apply to diversity. Your staff must become proactive when it comes to encouraging diversity. Your staff must know that you will hold them just as accountable for your diversity goals as you will for teaching outcomes.
Respond to Problems
Are you going to have problems with diversity and tolerance issues? Of course. How you handle and resolve problems as they arise is the acid test of your commitment to diversity and tolerance. Everybody from your assistant to the grounds keeper will be watching too.
That's why you and your board must do three things to promote diversity in your school:
- decide on policy
- implement policy
- enforce compliance with policy
Is It Worth It?
That nagging question does cross your mind, doesn't it? The answer is a simple and resounding "Yes!" Why? Simply because you and I are stewards of all that we have been given. The responsibility for shaping young minds and inculcating eternal values has to be a major part of that stewardship. Our abrogation of selfish motives and embracing of ideals and goals which will make a difference is really what teaching is all about.
