In the discussion forum, you are expected to participate often and engage in deep levels of discourse. Please post your initial response as early in the unit as possible and continue to participate throughout the unit. You are required to post an initial response to the question/issue presented in the Forum and then respond to at least 3 of your classmates’ initial posts. You should also respond to anyone who has responded to you.
- After reading the following article, post a response to the questions below in the Discussion forum:Matthiessen, C. (2018, August 27). Why diversity in classroom matters. Greatschools. https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/why-diversity-in-classrooms-matters/
- what surprised you the most?
- what suggestions would you offer the school to improve the climate in its diverse classrooms?
- You may also view this video to enhance your response. Click on the following link:
https://youtu.be/YEw0Rv5cmzc
Connie Matthiessen (2024) emphasises that despite ‘devoted teachers, challenging curricula, and vibrant cultures of achievement’ there is a lack of ‘racial diversity’ in the US education system. On the one hand, this seems rather strange, as the article states that 44 per cent of students are ‘nonwhite’. Based on this data, it turns out that school administrators have a policy of selecting students not only on the basis of academic knowledge, but also on the basis of race. This is not just surprising, it evokes a keen sense of empathy for those who have been denied admission.
Bouchrika (2021) states that there are over 97,568 public high schools and 32,461 private high schools in the United States. Americans themselves, provided they have sufficient financial resources, certainly favor private high schools. There is a wide range of private schools in the USA: schools for boys, schools for girls, religious schools, military schools. The main task of private schools is to prepare students for entering prestigious universities. In reality, there are Cultural differences and Gender differences, examples of which were given by Pierre du Plessis and Tom Bisschoff in their paper Diversity and complexity in the classroom: valuing racial and cultural diversity (2007). They described situations in which a student describes how he or she is mistreated by classmates because the newcomer compares the school he or she is currently attending with schools in his or her home country. Or a new student describes his experience with computers as nervous and uncomfortable. Nevertheless, students are willing to share their knowledge of other types of schools and education to help improve the atmosphere for all students.
On the other hand, it is difficult to demand or suggest different behaviour to the school administration. Such suggestions should be made by parents of students who are able to organise their own parents' council and, together with teachers, create conditions for students in their school.
How can a school parent council help to change the situation of racial discrimination? Firstly, they can pay attention to all willing applicants to their school, their capabilities and their academic performance. Second, parents can influence the administration's decision by appealing to the laws of each state. In turn, teachers can become mediators between school administrators, parents of applicants, and students so that the problem of racism can be solved.
References
Bouchrika, I. (2021, December 2). Number of Public Schools in the US: Key 2022 Data on States & Demographics. Research.com. https://research.com/universities-colleges/number-of-public-schools-in-the-us
du Plessis, P., & Bisschoff, T. (2007). Diversity and complexity in the classroom: Valuing racial and cultural diversity. Educational Research and Review, 2(9), 245-254. Download the pdf.
Matthiessen, C. (2018, August 27). Why diversity in classroom matters. Greatschools. https://www.greatschools.org/gk/articles/why-diversity-in-classrooms-matters/