Creating Inclusive Schools

Questions for reflection:

1. Am I an active part of creating an inclusive school community, a community in which each person is valued?

2. Have I assessed my own heritage? Have I assessed the assumptions and values that emerge from my personal history?

3. Have I assessed the cultural backgrounds of the staff and students?

Have I acknowledged my need to continue learning about our human diversity and the need to dignify the cultures, languages, and homes of my students?

4. Do I encourage participation by all parents/families--including non- English-speaking parents and parents with limited economic means--in the educational experiences of their children?

5. Do I avoid defining culture only as the 4 fs: food, folklore, fashion, and festival?

6. Do I create a classroom climate in which no culture dominates, in which all languages are valued, in which varying learning styles are encouraged?

7. Do I provide varied reading and writing experiences that reflect local, regional, national and international diversity?

8. Do I select diverse curriculum materials for authenticity, materials that reflect cultural complexities rather than re-enforcing stereotypes?

9. Do our classrooms, our library and school equally reflect the contributions of this country's many heritages?

10. Does our school prepare students to participate actively in a pluralistic democracy?

--Pat Mora