Cultural Proficiency: A Manual for School

LeadersLindsey, Robins, & Terrell

Dale Ellis, Ed. DSuperintendent

Montgomery County SchoolsApril 10, 2013

Read the Article provided.

What do you think in light of our recent studies in Cultural Proficiency?

Do you see Systems of Oppression and Entitlement?

Article Review

Cultural Proficiency provides a

way to respond to issues that emerge in diverse environments.

Provide examples of such “issues.”

Chapter 7: Tool 3 – The Continuum

Cultural Destructiveness – Seeks to eliminate

cultures within the school. Cultural Incapacity – Trivializing and

stereotyping other cultures….making others inferior to the dominant group.

Cultural blindness – Not noticing or acknowledging other cultures and being blind to the need for differentiation.

“Others” are problematic!

Left Side = Reactive

Cultural Precompetence – Increasing awareness of what

you and the school don’t know about working in diverse settings. Can move forward or regress from here.

Cultural Competence – Inclusive of different views in such a way that healthy and positive interactions can take place.

Cultural Proficiency – Holding the vision that you and the school are instruments for creating a socially-just democracy; interacting with your colleagues, your students, their families, and their communities as an advocate for lifelong learning to serve effectively the educational needs of all cultural groups.

Focused on transforming one’s practice.

Right Side = Proactive

Macroagressions are behaviors and policies that

are obviously wrong and offensive. Macroagressions occur to the left of the continuum,

particularly in the areas of Cultural Destuctiveness and Incapacity

Microagressions are treated as isolated and the violator may not even know that they did anything wrong. Over time they worsen if not effectively dealt with.

Microagressions occur toward the center, in the areas of Cultural Blindness and Precompetence.

Macroaggressions and Microagreesions

Cultural Destructiveness – See the Difference and stomp it

out. Cultural Incapacity – See the Difference and make it wrong. Cultural Blindness – See the Difference and dismiss it. Cultural Precompetence – See the Difference and recognize

what you don’t know. Cultural Competence – See the Difference and understand

the difference that difference makes. Cultural Proficiency – See the Differences and respond

positively and affirmingly.

See the examples in your book (pp.115-121)

The Continnum in Practical Terms

Culture is a problem-solving resource we need to draw

on, not a problem to be solved. - Terry Cross (1989, p. 34)

Are we still hearing “these kids” statements? That is a view that there is a problem to solve with certain populations.

I profess to you that the only problem to be solved in the education profession is why we do not set HIGH EXPECTATIONS for ALL STUDENTS and carry out our most important work with FIDELITY!

Chapter 8: Tool 4 – The Essential

Elements

Thank you for listening…

Amen!

A few moments for a Diatribe

Review Table 8.1 on page 126.

How can you use this table and the essential elements of cultural proficiency with your staff?

On page 135, answers question 2. You may not want to or need to use 3 PDs for each, but what could they be?

Review Activity

Take a few minutes to review the case in Ch. 9

with your table group.

Answer the questions on page 155.

Let’s discuss

Chapter 9 – The Case

Review the resources in the back of the book in light of our

chapter studies and your new knowledge regarding Cultural Proficiency.

Bring a plan for YOUR school to our next principal’s meeting for discussion.

The next session will not be a presentation from me, but working as a team on plans to help OUR SYSTEM become more Culturally Proficient at each and every one of our schools.

Thank you for your attention during these sessions!!!

Homework

Questions? Comments. Concerns!

Conclusion