Diverse America | Opinions

Promoting Diversity in Our Schools

      If you received this year’s college brochure for the University of Florida the title ‘Strength in Diversity’ would lead you to believe that they are trying to promote well, diversity. Our superintendent, Mr. Joseph Wise, in order to jump on the bandwagon, has come up with his own proposal to promote a diversified public school system.
      Stanton could be considered the melting pot of Duval County Public Schools; we have students from a variety of different ethnic backgrounds many of which fluently speak a language other than English. We as Stanton students are exposed to different customs and cultures by interacting with our peers. Unfortunately not every school is as fortunate as we are in having a diverse student population. Some Duval County schools swing one way or another ethnically. In order to expose schools like these, Superintendent Wise has devised a plan he hopes will “create a climate of appreciation for differences among people.”
      The school board believes the greatest strength as a school district lies in the diversity of its students. Mr. Wise and his staff sent out invitations to all schools and departments this past August in order to see how many schools are willing to participate or are interested in participating in this project. The school board plans on setting up a council consisting of these interested schools in order to retrieve ideas and suggestions on how to further educate Duval County Public School students on the importance of being informed about other cultures. They also hope to enlighten students with knowledge of different cultures, customs and histories.
      We feel that this is a smart idea on Mr. Wise’s part as long as the plan pulls through and enough people participate in the meetings. If reasonable and attainable ideas are presented at the meeting and action is taken in order to enforce them it may lead to a more unified school system. This may also lead to fewer fights between schools and within schools. When students understand and are aware of their peer’s backgrounds they may be less apt to show hate and prejudice.
      Although Superintendent Wise’s proposal is still in the planning stages we feel the best way to educate different schools is by promoting a multi-cultural club, like ours, in which people of all ethnic backgrounds are welcome to attend. The club members would share their opinions, customs, and what makes them especially unique. Another way to share cultural beliefs and behaviors would be to offer classes that are directed toward sharing the ideas of different ethnic backgrounds.