Cultural Diversity In Schools :: Education Culture Socioeconomic Status Essays

Since early American history, conditions, like society, have addressed pagan diversity in divergent ways. In the colonial days, some attempts to lay to cultural differences were made in the New York colony, but thedominant American culture was the norm in the general public, as well as virtually ofthe schools. As America approached the nineteenth century, the need for a familiar culture was the basis for the educational forum. Formal public school charge in cultural diversity was r ar, and appreciation or celebration of minority or cultural culture essentially was nonexistent in most schools. In the1930s, the educators were in the progressive education movement, called forprograms of cultural diversity that encourage ethnic and minority students tostudy their heritage. This movement became popular in many an(prenominal) schools untilaround 1950. Now, these days in education, the term multicultural educationnever escapes a teachers thoughts (Ryan, 26).What does the term multicul tural education mean to you? It meansdifferent things to different people. For instance, to some minoritycommunities, it means to foster pride and self-consciousness among minority students,like the progressive movement in the 1930s. Another voice would be in thewhite communitites, that multicultural programs are designed to function anappreciation of various cultural, racial, and ethnic traditions. Cortes definesmulticultural education by the butt against by which schools help prepare youngpeople to live with great understanding, cooperation, effectiveness, anddedication to equality in a multicultural nation and inerdependent human (Cortes,16).When I observed at Madison Elementary in December, I expected the schoolwould be multicultural in the sense of ethnic or racial backgrounds. Instead,I was very surprised to discover that the school was predominately whitestudents, with only a handful of African American students in each classroom. Idid find out that the Wheeling Island area was in very low billet pertaining toincome. Not only did over half(a) of the students receive free or reduced lunch,but the students academic skills were beneath the national norm. I never realizedwhat an effect of economic status can affect a students academic progress. Ofcourse there are out lying factors, the parent involvement was at a minimalbecause most families consisted of only one care taker. To make ends meet the single(a) parent had to spend most of his/her time working for money to bargain for clothes,food, and to keep their children healthy. Madison Elementary had made greatstrides to improve their efforts to kick downstairs the students academic progress. Theschool had instilled different programs like A-Team, Pre-K classes, ReadingRecovery, various health services, outreach to families, and many more to ensure