Teaching the Children of a New America: The Challenge of Diversity

Abstract

The changing demographics of the U.S. mean that schools of education may have to redefine and restructure their curricula to ensure that their graduates are well prepared to teach students from a wide variety of backgrounds. MEETING THE NEEDS of a diverse student body is one of the most persistent and daunting challenges facing educators at all levels. Will we ever successfully reach the goal of educational equity, particularly for a student body that is so linguistically, culturally, and ethnically diverse? In this article we explore the challenge presented to schools of education by our nation's diversity. This challenge will be critical to America's goal of remaining a leading nation in the increasingly interdependent, intercultural, and technologically oriented global society of the 21st century. And high-quality education for all Americans is vital to achieving that goal. The Issue Census data indicate that the U.S. is one of the most diverse nations in the world, and nowhere is that diversity more evident than in our schools, colleges, and universities. The old cliche of America as a melting pot is no longer appropriate. We are now more accurately described as a wonderful mix of cultures and races, old and new immigrants, exceptionalities and talents. America's cultural diversity is one of its national treasures, providing opportunities for democratic communities of learning not available in many other nations.1 Enrollment in our elementary and secondary schools today has reached 53 million children -- 35% from racial or ethnic minority groups. If current demographic trends continue, this figure is projected to reach 51% by 2050. By 2010 in America, 60% of 6- to 16-year-olds will be white; 20%, Hispanic; 17%, African American; 5%, Asian; and 2%, Native American. Today, approximately 25% of school-age children live in poverty, and more than 33% of children between the ages of 5 and 17 are of limited English proficiency.2 One-third of all African American and Hispanic students attend schools that have minority enrollments of 90% or more. Many of these schools offer substandard education and are poorly equipped to prepare students for a modern technological world. Poor children and minority children are also more likely to have teachers who completed an alternative certification program, and they are more likely to have substitute teachers.3 Demographic changes are also expected to further diversify the enrollments of our colleges and universities. According to the Educational Testing Service, over the next 15 years, college enrollments are projected to swell by two million -- to 19 million students -- with African American, Hispanic, and Asian students accounting for 80% of the growth.4 Clearly, as Ana Maria Villegas and Tamara Lucas recently stated, preparing educators to teach students of diverse racial, ethnic, social class, and language backgrounds -- whether at the elementary or the university level -- is a pressing matter for schools of education.5 This challenge is made even greater by the reality that today's students must be prepared for an increasingly global society. Diversity as an educational issue challenges schools of education to prepare teachers, counselors, administrators, and university faculty members who can ensure that all students receive an education that enables them to reach their maximum academic potential. Every school, school district, and university has a responsibility to see that students are educated to be lifelong learners, to become gainfully employed, and to contribute to and benefit from our democratic society. We educators know that good teaching matters. What we have not done is guarantee that every child in America has access to good teaching and to environments that will encourage, not discourage, learning. While the teaching profession might not truly reflect the diversity that defines our student population, that does not mean that K-12 and university educators cannot learn to work more effectively with culturally diverse students. …