Diversity in the Student Population versus diversity in the.docVIP

Diversity in the Student Population versus Diversity in the Faculty Population Latha Shankar Falls Church High School Fairfax County (VA) Public Schools Submitted June 2002 Abstract Fairfax County Public Schools have some of the most diverse and multicultural schools in the nation. This research focuses on the relationship between the diversity in the student population versus the diversity in the faculty population. The study was based on a survey of a representative subset of students who submitted responses to a questionnaire. The impact a diverse faculty body has on student learning and achievement was studied by means of this questionnaire. The study includes an exploration of how some minority students adapt to their school environment due to the fact that their school has minority representation in the faculty body. Background I am a minority teacher who is part of a highly diverse science department at Falls Church High School, Virginia. The school is very close to Washington D.C., the nation’s capital. The resident population in the area has become increasingly diverse in the last 10 years (Frey, 2001). As a result, the student population in the school has become very diverse which provides a great environment for young adults learning to survive in the outside world, the world awaiting them when they graduate from High School. As a result of completing this study, I now have some data that supports the notion that a multicultural body of students needs a multicultural body of educators. My own perception of myself as a minority is a very crucial backdrop to this study that I undertook. My interest in this topic of reflective research was sparked soon after one of my myths regarding this issue was dispelled. An explanation of this so-called myth is well warranted. It all started at the time I attended the Fairfax County job fair hoping to be recruited as a chemistry teacher. Even with two graduate degrees in chemistry and awards from a graduate teaching