REACH Training

This week I have been out of the classroom a lot. Tuesday I had a whole day of tech work. My principal got a sub for my class so I could try to fix as many computer problems as possible. It was much needed, and it reminded me that I really do enjoy that part of my job IF I am given time to do it. What I don't like is everyone complaining that none of the computers are working knowing that the reason they don't get fixed is because I don't have any time. So, it was a good, productive day. I felt very good about it and had fun problem solving all the issues with the Accelerated Reader program, printers, Internet connections, and so on. Yes, this does confirm that I am a tech geek.

Wednesday and Thursday I attended the REACH training provided by my school district. My next few posts will be my notes from the training.

REACH stands for:
Respecting
Ethnic
And
Cultural
Heritage

REACH Diversity Values:
Diversity awareness and multicultural education are growth-oriented rather than deficiency-oriented.
Diversity awareness and multicultural education are systematic change processes, not content areas.
Everyone is a learner / Everyone is a teacher.
We work at living our basic principles.
Time is fluid / We're in a marathon, not a sprint.
Saying "ouch" can open the conversation from the heart.
Humor heals and keeps us human.
Confidentiality and privacy are honored.

The Business Case
•By the year 2020, white males will constitute only 37% of the workforce, yet continue to occupy over 90% of senior management positions.
•By 2020, people of color and immigrants will comprise over half of the net new entrants to the workforce.
•Next to European Americans, Hispanics are now the second largest ethnic market in the US.
•Significant regional differences in ethnic representation will continue into the 21st century, with diversification being most significant in the Western states, especially California.
•There are only 5 states that are designated refugee relocation states. One of those 5 is Utah.
•Women will continue to increase their share of the workforce (48% by 2006) and, as the nature of work changes, gender will become increasingly irrelevant as a factor in job choice and opportunity.
•By 2006 Hispanics will be the second largest ethnic group in the U.S.
(Statistics from 1998, updated 2005 and 2006)

No matter how the elections turned out last night, we have had an historic election: We would have either had a woman or an African American in office.

Due to all of this, diversity is being seen more and more in business. Advertising, marketing, etc. has a more multicultural focus and look.

The Education Case
•By 2030 children of color will constitute over half of the students in U.S. schools.
•At the close of the 20th century, whites comprise over 90% of the teaching force in the U.S. Without new concerted efforts to recruit teachers of color there is little chance we will see increased diversity in the near future.
•20% of U.S. children are born into poverty. Poverty has been shown to be highly correlated (.99) with low academic achievement.
•There is continued disproportionality in achievement, discipline, and drop-out rates along gender, ethnic, and socio-economic lines.
•In the U.S. we spend an average of $8,600 (less in Utah) per student for one year of schooling and over $25,000 per inmate for one year in prison.
(Statistics from 1999, updated 2005 and 2006)

My school district has 5 homeless shelters within the district boundaries. We have the highest homeless population of all districts in the state.

The Nation-Building Case
•The nation's Hispanic and Asian populations will triple over the next half century.
•By 2050 non-Hispanic Whites will represent about one half of the total population of the U.S.
•The African American population will rise to 14.6 % of the U.S. population by 2050.
•In 2004 there were 762 active hate groups in the U.S.
•79% of racial hate crimes in the U.S. in 2003 were perpetrated again non-Whites.
•After-tax income for the top 1% of households in the U.S. doubled over the last 25 years, while incomes in the bottom 80% remained flat.
Stat
(Statistics from 1999, updated 2005 and 2006)

The Global Understanding Case
If the World Were a Village of 100 People
(try a Google search and you'll get a lot of sites with this data.)

Points of Focus:
Multiple Perspectives
"Culture is something everybody has."
Build Cultural Bridges
Healing: Head - Heart - Hands
Be a Role Model for Co-Responsibility

Multiple Perspectives
Keep in mind that the winners write the history books.

For example, what about the "Civil" War? What perspectives are there about that war?

For example, how do the following groups view the building of the transcontinental railroad?
European Americans
Latino/Hispanic Americans
African Americans
Asian Americans
Native Americans

Even within those groups, every individual is different and therefore each has their own perspective.

Recognize all the perspectives around the table before making a decision.
Engage in conversation to understand multiple perspectives.

"Culture is something everybody has."
What are the elements of culture?
Language
Religion
Ethnicity
Food
Music
Dance
Traditions
Celebrations & Ceremonies (Funerals, Weddings, etc.)
Geography
Clothing
Age
Education
Profession
Genetics
Economic Status
Gender
Family
Values
Morals/Ethics
Likes/Dislikes

Surface vs. Deep Culture
Surface - easily observable - accent, behavior, customs, physical appearance
Deep - the things you don't see - "why", beliefs, values, perceptions, assumptions, emotionally charged, communication style

Build Cultural Bridges
Multiethnic --> Multicultural --> Global
Multiethnic -- you were born with this, you cannot change it
Multicultural -- these things are learned (see list above)
Global -- world culture -- every individual on the planet is unique and has their own ethnic, cultural, and global perspective

Healing: Head - Heart - Hands
Head - things we know in our head - factual information
Heart - attitudes & feelings
Hands - activities & actions

It takes these 3 steps for the healing process to begin.
We want healing to occur - healing a person, a community, a situation

Be a Role Model for Co-Responsibility
We need to be willing to stand up against social injustices we see.
This can be a hard thing to do, but we need to be brave enough to stand up for what is right.
Don't bring bias and prejudice into your classroom.
If we realize we have pieces of us with prejudices or bad feelings based on past experiences about certain cultures or ethinicities, we need to look at them, recognize them and change.
Don't let things go if you have an opportunity to stand up and teach respect.