Diversity defined
The Intermediate Dictionary, 1993, defines diversity as: “1. Complete difference, unlikeness; 2. Variety.”
Why is diversity so important in communities and education? Crystal Mueller, executive director of human resources, believes it’s because our students are diverse.
“We’re going away from ‘cookie cutter kids,’” Mueller said. “People are uniquely different.”
Mueller believes that having an open mind to diversity is a problem in our schools, referring to last year’s Climate Survey.
According to the survey, 34 percent of students in first through third grades agreed that they are treated nicely by their fellow students. The fourth- through sixth-grade study found that only 12 percent “strongly agreed” that students in their school treated one another with respect, and only five percent of sixth- through eighth-graders “strongly agreed.”
We must continue to help our students and community respect and appreciate diversity.
| 