2. Leaders interact with all members of the school community with respect and make a special effort to engage those who may feel less comfortable or more vulnerable in the school.
3. School leaders acknowledge differences among racial and ethnic groups at the same time that they encourage recognition of common values.
4. Leaders reinforce, by word and deed, the importance of interracial collaboration and encourage others to do so as well.
5. Leaders ensure that efforts to improve inter-racial and inter-cultural understanding and competence are integral to the core efforts to improve teaching and learning.
People with power and authority send messages more by their deeds than by their words. Those who are urged to engage in learning activities meant to improve intergroup relations or take new directions in meeting the needs of diverse students will usually want to know what those who have asked them to take on new challenges have done and are doing about the lessons they are being asked to learn. When those in positions of authority are too busy to participate in race relations and professional development programs, the impact of efforts to treat diversity as an opportunity is undermined.
People in organizations where better intergroup relations and equity are being advocated will ask whether those in authority are modeling appropriate behaviors and "walking the talk." They will also want to know whether qualified persons of color are being aggressively recruited for professional positions, whether those who pursue equity with enthusiasm are being supported and rewarded, and whether those who engage in discriminatory behavior are being negatively sanctioned.
Resources
Nel Noddings makes the case that principals should be respectful of their teachers by modeling the behavior they expect of the entire school community.
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Rosemary Henze and her colleagues have identified findings from research on school leaders who foster racial and ethnic harmony in their schools. While positive intergroup relations are not the same as effective instruction, it seems reasonable to assume that positive intergroup relations are an essential condition of student learning in racially and ethnically diverse schools. These findings are:
1. What leaders say and do make a difference.
2. Each incoming school leader faces unique conditions that shape and affect his or her actions.
3. Proactive school leaders attend to underlying as well as overt conflicts.
4. Leaders need to engage others with influence in the efforts they are promoting so that initiatives belong to the school community.
5. Organizing themes such as personalization, non-violence, democracy and community-building provide concrete actions tied to the vision.
6. Schools need systems for monitoring and analyzing improvements in race/ethnic relations.
Examine a set of principles for designing organization-wide strategies for improving race relations.
Two books with helpful advice for leaders who want to foster better intergroup relations and responsiveness to racial and ethnic diversity are:
R. B.Lindsey, L.M. Roberts and F. Campbelljones (2005). The culturally proficient school; An implementation guide for school leaders. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.
R. Henze, A. Katz, E. Norte, S. E. Sather, & E. Walker (2002). Leading for diversity: How school leaders promote positive interethnic relations. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press
