1. Reflections on Diversity and Cultural Competence in our Schools and Extended Learning Programs Mary McAllister Shea, Ed. D. Shea Consulting Sisters, OR mmcshea1309@msn.com

2. Learning Objectives  Encourage reflection of our schools and afterschool communities  Examine role of leadership in transforming school communities  Expand our definitions of diversity to include ability differences

3. Goal of Cultural Competency Ensuring everyone we come into contact with is treated in a manner compatible with their cultural beliefs and practices, preferred language, physical ability and gender Oregon Commission on Children and Families

4. Cultural Competency is… Cultural Competency is… Based on respect for individuals and cultural differences Having the knowledge and skills to adjust perceptions, behaviors, and practice styles to meet the needs of different ethnic and racial groups Oregon Commission on Children and Families

5. Equity & Diversity Rather than suppressing differences we should honor them and build a commonality between us

6. Including All of Us We must ensure that individuals with disabilities are also included when we describe diversity It’s time for a paradigm change…

7. It’s a Fact… Individuals with disabilities remain pervasively disadvantaged and their goal of full participation is a dream deferred

8. Medical Model Medical Model  Deficiency Based  Goal to remediate or rehabilitate person  Experts were in charge  Very prescriptive  Outcomes were dismal

9. Social Model of Disability  Empowerment model  Based on principle of self-determination  Supports interdependence  Outcomes are authentic inclusion and opportunities for connections in the community

10. “Circle of Friends” We long for wisdom to make the world more decent and tolerant and caring, a world where all of us figure in one another’s survival. We believe much of the wisdom needed for the task comes from reaching toward those we may have programmed to avoid Perske & Perske, 1988

11. Prevalence & Incidence 13.9% of children 0-17 years qualify as children with special heath care needs (CSHCN) those who have or are at increased risk for a chronic physical, developmental, behavioral, or emotional condition and who may also require health and related service of a type or amount beyond that required by children generally” National Survey of CSHCN and National Survey of Children’s Health

12. Who are These Children? They are NOT…  The special education students  The autistic children  The behavior challenges  The wheelchair users  The Down syndrome kids They are just children !

13. Oregon’s Children  4.2% of children 6-17 years have repeated a grade  46.2 % of children age 2- 17 years with problems requiring counseling received mental health care  16.4% of kids live in neighborhoods with poorly kept or dilapidated housing

14. Oregon’s Children 7% of teens are high school dropouts 9% of teens are not in school & not working 17% of children living in poverty ($21,027 for family of 2 adults & 2 children) 29% of children in single-parent families 35% of children living in families where no parent has full time, year round employment

15. What’s Happening with These Kids? How are they doing in school? Are they fully included? Do they graduate, participate in service learning, or school activities? Do they have friends? Are they in extended learning programs or quality out-of-school time environments?

16. Professional Opportunities  Promote access, provide supports, and design respectful accommodations  Ensure opportunities for meaningful inclusion in natural environments  Model respect for human differences Create Caring Communities !

17. The challenge is... We are often told to build community in our institutions, but we are left with a feeling that we have neither the fiscal nor moral tools to do so Tierney, W.G. (1992) Cultural leadership and the search for community. Liberal Education 78 (5), 16-21

18. Challenge for Leadership Commit to strategically and intentionally transform your school communities to become truly diverse and multicultural institutions that reflect your communities Become a boundary crosser !

19. Conduct a Cultural Audit “At the core of any viable institution there is a moral code which must periodically be reinvigorated so that the institution may survive and flourish” Bellah, Madsen, Sullivan, Swindler, & Tipton (1985). Habits of the heart.

20. Leadership in Action  Begin with reflection (personal and organizational)  Use a developmental continuum to measure organizational change  Ensure stakeholder voices  Adapt and adjust as needed

21. Final Reflection… Our goal should be clear. We are seeking nothing less than a life surrounded by the richness and diversity of community. A collective life. A common life. An every day life. A powerful life that gains its joy from the creativity and connectedness that come when we join in association to create an inclusive world John McKnight