Diversity
Principles and Curriculum Guidelines

At the ideal school, we strive to celebrate and foster appreciation for diversity among our students, staff, and community. Diversity may be thought of as the wide variation that exists among both societies and individuals, including but not limited to differences along such lines as ethnicity, culture, gender, sexual orientation, social class, religious and political belief, family structure, personality, and physical and mental ableness. We recognize that diversity can and often does lead to conflict, but we believe that diversity is also a source of strength, vitality, and growth. We strive to incorporate both diversity and the voices of all people into our curriculum and our classrooms.

• The experiences, achievements, and contributions of people of all backgrounds will be included throughout the curriculum and school year. Discussions of diversity, its benefits, and potential conflicts will always be up for discussion.
  
  
• We will concentrate on respect and appreciation for diversity, not the mere tolerance of it.
  
  
• We should acknowledge conflict associated with diversity, but should focus on the potential benefits diversity brings to individuals and societies.
  
  
• We will recognize the contributions and achievements made by people of diverse backgrounds in all disciplines. We will make it clear to our students that the vast body of human knowledge that exists today was formed by all of humanity, and not just a small subset of it.
  
  
• We will teach everyone about everyone. We will discuss the histories and experiences of minorities within the United States and non-Western peoples throughout the social science curriculum.
  
  
• We will both teach and have available literature written by and describing the lives of traditionally underrepresented groups. We will include literature about such topics as non-traditional families, children with disabilities, and cultures from around the world.
  
  
• We will teach and discuss works of visual and performing art created by people of diverse backgrounds. We will also teach and discuss styles of visual and performing art that arose from different cultures.
  
  
• We will use examples in class that include diverse experiences and worldviews throughout the curriculum.
  
  
• We will take advantage of the resources available in the community and among your students.
  
  

We will strive to make curriculum culturally and personally relevant to our students.