1. What is cultural competency? Cultural competency is a person’s ability to effectively understand, communicate with and interact with people of all cultures especially those that are different than our own. It’s a skill most of us have to intentionally develop. That means expanding our cross- cultural awareness and knowledge, developing our cross-cultural skills, and examining the personal biases we all harbor. Cultural competency is about honing the professional skills we all need to help each of our diverse learners reach their full academic potential and enable our employees to perform their best everyday. Why is it important to CMS? CMS is committed to providing a personalized environment that supports Every Child, Every Day, For a Better Tomorrow. CMS staff and community partners can be seen every day working hard to help our students succeed. Those efforts are making a difference. CMS has been nationally recognized for its progress in advancing academic achievement, improving graduation rates, and narrowing achievement gaps. However, achievement gaps remain – gaps based on gender, economic circumstances, special needs and race. To help close these gaps, we need to nurture a culture of understanding, respect and inclusiveness - in and beyond the classroom - that improves academic outcomes for all students and strengthens employee engagement. Cultural competency is a part of that. Does it benefit all students ? Yes. Cultural competency is about supporting every teacher in every classroom, every principal in every school, and every employee in every department to be successful in an increasingly diverse environment. Modeling cultural competency across our district is a learning opportunity for all students – one that helps to prepare them to compete in our global, multi-cultural economy. Why is CMS’ cultural competency important to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg community? Cultural competency increases our ability to effectively educate all children and interact with an increasingly diverse Charlotte-Mecklenburg community. A well-educated workforce is a catalyst for personal prosperity, professional opportunity and sustainable economic growth. This helps the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area to attract, support and retain thriving businesses and communities. What do we know today? - Collaborative Effort - We need to create the best plan for CMS, and it’s important that we do so together. - Systemic, Phased Approach - This effort will touch all employees. To drive sustainable organizational change, we must thoughtfully sequence our efforts. district leadership principals/assistant principals teachers and support staff - Multiple Partners – This effort is a journey that will occur over many years. Multiple partners will help us on this journey. We are in the process of identifying our strategic partners for the early phases of this work. No decisions have been made yet. What can principals do now? - Submit “what cultural competency means to me” - this will help us prepare for our Feb 27 th session - Share this fact sheet with your staff and help establish a common understanding of cultural competency - Email kathrynd.block@cms.k12.nc.us if you are interested in participating in an upcoming videokathrynd.block@cms.k12.nc.us Cultural Competency Phase 1Phase 2Phase 3