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Essay / Cultural Diversity in Public Schools: Closing the Gap
IntroductionAs a native of Miami, Florida, I have witnessed the many cultural changes that have taken place over the years. As a teaching educator within the nation's fifth largest public school district for the past 25 years, I have had extensive exposure to the cultural diversity that makes up public schooling and have become very familiar with the challenges, family problems and cultural differences that can influence the academic performance of my students. I understood that to provide the most effective learning environment for culturally diverse students, teachers must be able to provide classroom instruction that is free from personal bias and meets the culturally diverse learning needs of each student. pupil. Too many schools are not designed to provide students with an education that teaches them to love learning and takes into account their individual needs (Castleman & Littky, 2007). Growing diversity in public schooling is prompting policymakers, curriculum specialists, administrators, and teachers to seek ways to narrow the achievement gap that burdens learners from different cultural backgrounds while continually working to provide multicultural programs and activities that promote social acceptance, reduce racism and cultural differences. Schools should recognize that they can be an important force in combating discrimination and the various "-isms" that affect people from diverse cultural backgrounds, women, and people with disabilities (Manning & Baruth, 2009). The purpose of this article is to discuss ways teachers can collaborate with administrators to revise the instructional approach to meet the culturally diverse learning needs of the classroom. Additionally, students in the middle of the document must be willing to work together to review instructional strategies and/or provide suggestions and concerns to the school board. However, it is the responsibility of the school to overcome any obstacles it may face in order to meet the culturally diverse needs of each student. Works Cited Castleman, B. and Littky, D. (2007). Learn to love learning. Educational Leadership, 64(8), 58-61. Klingner, J.K. and Edwards, P.A. (2006). Cultural considerations with response to intervention models. Reading Research Quarterly, 41(1), 108-117.Kraft, M. (2007). Toward a school-wide model of teaching for social justice: An examination of best practices from two small public schools. Equity and Excellence in Education, 40, 77-86.Manning, L. and Baruth. L. (2009). Multicultural education of children and adolescents (5th ed.). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn and Bacon.