Benchmark – Building Trust in a Diverse Community Case Analysis and Rational 1

Joy Coleman

Benchmark – Building Trust in a Diverse Community Case Analysis and Rational

Grand Canyon University: EAD 505

August 9, 2020
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Case 16 Case Analysis

In the Casebook for School Leaders: Linking the ISLLC Standards to Effective Practice, case 16

deals with a problem of race relations in the town called Rose Place, a middle class

neighborhood of white supremacists. The community of Rose Place created a low-income

housing project. The Smith Jackson Elementary School was about forty years old, and they hired

their first non-white principal who was experienced and known for their accomplishments. It is

important to note that the Smith Jackson Elementary staff is 100% Caucasian teachers; no

diversity. Smith Jackson Elementary student enrollment consisted of about six hundred and

twenty students. Twenty of those students are students with special needs and a self-contained

classroom to provide individual accommodations as well accommodate students who are

physical handicap. Many of the Rose Place community are also proud parents of Smith Jackson

Elementary special needs program and frequently volunteered at the school. In addition, in order

to encourage underrepresented students to enroll in their school, Smith Jackson Elementary

adopted a voluntary busing program. By adopting a voluntary busing program, Smith Jackson

Elementary hopes to make their school completely integrated by the end of decade. Even though

the Rose Place community accepted the busing program to help the school become integrated by

the end of the decade, there were several angry Caucasian parents who were a very outspoken

group that did not agree to the idea of busing ethnically different students to a high Caucasian

populated community. Some of those parents felt, “If they aren’t white, they aren’t right.”

(Hanson, 2009) The same group of angry parents were also furious with the integration of Smith

Jackson Elementary tried to point out to their local school board that the non-white students who

were interested in the voluntary busing did not do well in school and causes disciplinary issues at

their local elementary school. Many of the non-white parents in the voluntary busing program
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looked at the newly minority administrator of their local school district to advocate not only for

the success of their children but also for the success of them.

The issue of case sixteen arose during one of the school meetings were community

members and parents learned that Smith Jackson Elementary would lose its funding next school

year due to the decline in the number of students who were projected not to return to the school.

The data from a recent parent survey explains that 75% of volunteer busing students currently

enrolled are expected not to return to Smith Jackson Elementary School next year. One of the

local parents who is the son of a former white supremacy group’s president responded stated that

their school would be better off if they didn’t have a voluntary busing program because many of

the students outside their community were causing problems for them. He felt things were much

better in the past before the United States government stepped in and wanted to change the Rose

Place community by integrating schools like Smith Jackson Elementary. A further concern arose

in case sixteen when the same parent was serving as a parent volunteer outside the school and

said to the principal, “I don’t have to talk to you, you know. This is a free country, and I wish

you and your kind would just go back to where you came from. Why don’t you leave and take

the students who look like you with you.” (Hanson, 2009)

Case 16 Case Rational

After reviewing case sixteen, it’s clear the Rose Place community did not want to be

overrun by a diverse group of people and worried how this would affect their children attending

Smith Jackson Elementary school. Throughout reading the case, there are several pieces of

evidences showcasing the history of racism within the Rose Place community. The voluntary

busing program was good plan to help accomplish the state-mandated integration plan, but it was

also the cause of the problems currently facing the Rose Place community. My initial reaction to
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this issued is deeply surprised and disappointed. I would also be in denial that one of my parents

would say such a negative comment to my face. I would tell this parent , “I appreciate them and

understand how hard it is to trust different people sometimes, but we are all God’s children.” I

would encourage him to look at the positive and the sacrifices these students are making in our

community to become part of Smith Jackson Elementary and to demonstrate more empathy. If

this person couldn’t do this, they would risk losing their volunteer position and would only be

able to return to my school after they have completed a program, so they could deal with their

racist issues. If I decided that these parents problems continue without us seeking a solution, I or

someone in my staff will have to escort him whenever he visited my school. We cannot allow

any violations of 1964’s landmark Civil Rights Act that Title IV encouraged public schools to

desegregate and allowed the U.S. Attorney General to file suit to enforce said act. “Racism

cannot exist where it is not support.” (Dowd, 2014)

As far as insight into the voluntary busing program, I feel like Rose Place community

was definitely not ready to begin integrating children to the local school. Perhaps there was not

adequate awareness and support for the community before the program was introduced. The

meeting helped me get a lot of insight into parent’s perceptions and the fact they don’t like it and

would rather lose school funding instead of embracing the idea of bring diverse children to

attend Smith Jackson Elementary. As principal of Smith Jackson Elementary, it is my

responsibility to remain positive by avoiding disagreements, conflicts or outright disputes. I must

teach my students how to address this kind of prejudice in a constructive and positive way. As a

school leader, I am expected to treat all my students equally and motivate them to get the best

education possible. As for the students who are attending the school through the voluntary bus

program, I will need to help them understand they are still important members of our school and
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it does not matter if they are from a different part of town. By helping my students believe in

themselves, I hope to help the students realize a valuable lesson that through hard word and

resilience, you can accomplish anything. I would need to hold a school meeting and discuss with

my staff and students about the value of us working together as a team at Smith Jackson

Elementary, so we can thrive. I would change the school’s vision and mission to show people of

the community we educate everyone, and we do not discriminate. I believe through the

willingness to bring people together from different backgrounds for a shared cause enhances

tolerance and creates an inter group connection. (Collaboration to Demystify Racism,2015)

As the principal, I need know how the students who are being bused in are feeling and

what has their experience been while attending Smith Jackson Elementary. To gain a better

understanding, I would meet with these students individually first and if needed, I will set up a

meeting to also meet with their parents to discuss the issue at hand. From there, I would host an

open house and bring together the concerned stakeholders. I would ask them for their views and

thoughts on the issues we are currently facing. I believe it is important to include everyone, so

everyone feels they have the opportunity to be heard since this issue is affecting the education of

their children. I cannot leave my parents in the dark. They need to see how dedicated I am and

what I can do to support their student with the hopes they continue to send their child to Smith

Jackson Elementary.

As for the staff and parent volunteers at Smith Jackson Elementary, I believe they would

benefit from attending courses to open their eyes in how to handle the current changes the

community is facing. In order to increase the diversity among staff, I intend to make more efforts

to recruit and develop more inclusive employees. I would also begin monitoring race and ethnic

relations by training every member of our staff in multicultural education and offer them
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opportunities to create activities they can use in our classrooms to build relationships and have a

better understanding of our diverse student body. Through proper execution of the curriculum

requirements, educators must represent race and ethnicity (Pettapiece & Campbell, 2013). Once

we completed our training, I would ask teachers and staff to be on the lookout for any issues that

were occurring and immediately report them to me. As the principal, I would also ask my staff to

share with me how their classroom atmosphere is evolving as they start to ask their students for

more collaboration in the classroom to decrease the issue of ethnic differences. As educators, we

must remember that the lack of understanding could be a limitation of academic success for these

students, and we need to be a barrier to effective instruction (Pettapiece & Campbell, 2013).

If I were the principal of Smith Jackson Elementary, I would inform the superintendent of

the interactions with the parent because future confrontations may occur. I would also mention

this meeting to help my superintendent understand how deep some prejudicial feelings the

community of Rose Place has. Furthermore, I agree that the superintendent will engage in all

district wide discussions on topics of segregation, racism, and integration. This is an overarching

neighborhood concern with Rose Place and not only an issue for Smith Jackson Elementary. I

would say that yes, the parents have a legitimate concern. If students are affected by new

troublemakers and classes go slower because new students are behind, then there is a real

problem in my school. I believe there should be a district-wide involvement from the

superintendent which can help Smith Jackson Elementary move seamlessly by encouraging all

students to thrive wherever they are at our school. Perception is a reality, and even though the

parents’ issues are linked to race, the amount of academic and disciplinary problems faced by

busing students is alarming. In the parents mind, their race and everyday problems at Smith

Jackson Elementary are the same.

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I must carefully address the parent’s concern regarding the students who are bused in to

attend our school. By organizing a parent or community meeting, this will allow everyone the

opportunity to go through some inclusion exercises and discuss how this could help us

understand how little differences there are between us. For instance, I would start by getting the

Caucasian people to stand on the right side of the room and the non-Caucasian people to stand on

the left side of the room. I would put tape in the middle of the room, so they could communicate

with each other before I began the exercise. For the activity, I would begin by stating the things

both groups have in common, and they could see that we all have issues and need to work

together. By the end of the exercise, my goal would be for all participants to feel involved and

valued. I would also bring the school board into the conversation, so we can create a shared

vision for Smith Jackson Elementary and the Rose Place community. This meeting will also

allow people from the Department of Education to participate and explain the purpose of

integration and how this will benefit the community. Lastly, I would also arrange for all Smith

Jackson Elementary staff to attend a race development conference to build their knowledge on

race relations and integration because “people have the authority to directly influence the nature

of race relations by “simply” transforming themselves.” (Mulvey & Richards, 2007).

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References:

1. Hanson, K. L., & Hanson, K. L. (2009). A casebook for school leaders: linking the

ISLLC standards to effective practice. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Merrill/Prentice

Hall.

2. Collaboration To Demystify Racism. (2015). Proceedings of the Multidisciplinary Academic

Conference , (pp. 1-25). Prague.

3. Dowd, J. (2014). Public and Academic Questions On Race: The Problem with Racial
Controversies. Sociological Forum Volume 29, Issue 2, 496-502.

4. Mulvey, L. L., & Richards, S. M. (2007). Thoughts On A Conversational Approach To Race

Relations. Sociological Forum Volume 22, Issue 2, 220-226.

5. Pettapiece, B., & Campbell, S. S. (2013). What Schools Can Do to Increase Racial Acceptance?
Social Studies Research And Practice Volume 8, Number 1, 109-116.
 Benchmark – Building Trust in a Diverse Community Case Analysis and Rational 9

Smith Jackson Elementary School Parent

& Rose Place Community meeting on Race Relations
Friday; September 12, 2020
5:00 PM – 8:00 PM

Purpose This meeting will be held to establish a healthy and constructive racial partnership
with all parties involved in the Rose Place community.
Objectives  The Rose Place community will collaborate to develop a common understand
of anti-racism awareness to create a shared vision.
 The Rose Place community will work with Smith Jackson Elementary school
and members of the community to increase awareness of cultural diversity.
Goals  Smith Jackson Elementary and Rose Place community members will show
acceptance and recognition towards various ethnic groups.
 Rose Place Community promote the progress of all Smith Jackson
Elementary school students.
5:00 – 5:30 PM Continental Dinner
Welcome & Introduction
Rose Place Town Mayor
Smith Jackson Elementary Principal
5:30 – 6:00 PM Presentation by the Rose Place Town Mayor on
Collaboration for Positive Race Relations
6:00 – 6:30 PM Presentation by the School District Lawyer on
The Law on Racial Equality in American Schools
6:30 – 7:00 PM Presentation by Smith Jackson Elementary School Principal on How Can Schools
Promote Racial Equality and Build Relationships?
7:00 – 7:30 PM Open Forum with all stakeholders
Discussions & Decisions
7:30 – 8:00 PM Wrap-Up & Closing Remarks
Rose Place Town Mayor
Smith Jackson Elementary Principal
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Reflection About Race Relations and Community Meeting

Case 16 reminds me that racism and prejudice still exists in the United States between

families, neighborhoods and people. Change is complicated, and people, similar to those at

Smith Jackson Elementary, do not like major and drastic changes. It is critical for me as a future

administrator to strive to be level headed in all situations. I must recognize that there will always

be a different group opinion. I will need to try to give everyone a listening ear and still work hard

to find some positive solutions to any issues that arises on my campus. In the case of Rose Place,

I will make sure I answer all the concerns of the two ethnic groups in the community.

The purpose of the parent and Rose place community meeting on Race Relations is for us

to develop a sense of commitment towards creating positive race relationships with all

stakeholders. The only way this will happen in this environment is if our goals can be achieved.

Such priorities include creating a mutual vision of anti-racism and engaging with both the Smith

Jackson Elementary school and members of the Rose Place Community to increase their

awareness of cultural diversity. This way we can cultivate the positive atmosphere and empower

all stakeholders to actively encourage all the Smith Jackson elementary students to achieve

higher levels of achievements and expectations. In order to attempt to accomplish these goals,

other goals must be established and we must start to embrace people from other cultures and

ethnic backgrounds, and then we can understand and respect all of the diverse culture present to

our society. For Smith Jackson Elementary school, I want to have a vision and mission statement

that inclusive to all children and cultures so we can all be able to have academic excellence and

embrace the richness of our diverse community.

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The first presentation by the Rose Place Major on collaboration to promote successful

ethnic relations provides facts and examples of other cities and towns capable of embracing and

integrating their ethnic diversity. The next presentation will be by the school district lawyer who

will discuss the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and give the audience examples of how this act has

been integrated into other facets of our education system across America. The third presentation

will be given by the principal of Smith Jackson Elementary, where I will address the various

ways our school will foster racial equality. I will also explore updating and assessing our

multicultural awareness and diverse curriculum.

I will encourage the success of all stakeholders by offering them an enhanced

multicultural curriculum, which would respond to the diverse needs of Smith Jackson

Elementary school population, through the introduction of more teacher workshops and training

related to our topic. Perhaps a Race Relations Advisory school committee should be created to

discuss the best solutions in which Smith Jackson Elementary can do to raise multicultural

awareness throughout our school and present the results to all stakeholders at future meetings.

This RRASC committee will consist of administrators, parents, and employees to provide

us with input and reflect on the diversity issues. The last part of our meeting is dedicated to an

open dialogue platform that is vital if the community of Rose Place is to make progress on the

topic of race relations. Even though I devoted thirty minutes, I anticipate this might take longer

depending on how many stakeholders decide to share their thoughts on the topic. This will be the

time when our stakeholders can come together, combine information from all the presentations

and begin to apply the knowledge to best affect all Smith Jackson Elementary students and the

community of Rose Place.

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In conclusion, I believe during this first meeting, decisions will be made on how we are

all to improve our race relations in the town of Rose Place and in Smith Jackson Elementary

school. Those attending this meeting will be responsible for the performance of students who

wish to do better in both academics and social areas.