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Our country is becoming increasingly diverse. It has been predicted that by 2050 racial and ethnic diversity will be reflected in over 50% of the population. The Status of Black Iowa recently reported that the fastest growing population of children in our state is multiracial. A number of smaller communities in Iowa are facing new challenges of diversity.
As the nation remembers and celebrate Brown vs. the Board of Education, 1954, educational leaders of our nation continue to address the challenges of effectively educating children from diverse backgrounds. Though the promises of Brown have provided a landscape for our efforts to meet the needs of our diverse students for the past fifty years, current issues in education would indicate that we have not yet realized the intent of that legislation. The NCLB legislation has further heightened our concern by introducing a system of sanctions for those districts who fail to meet the identified needs of all students. Although serious problems exist within the legislation, it can be viewed as another reminder that our schools need to re-tool to overcome the challenges presented by the shift in racial and ethnic identity among our students.
Some of the diversity issues that Iowa school leaders are facing: |
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