Post by title1parent on Feb 20, 2009 5:49:42 GMT -5
www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=273042&src=76
Superintendent says District 203 working to embrace diversity
By Alan Leis | Columnist 2/20/2009
One of the first things I noticed when I came to Naperville for my first superintendent interview six years ago was how little diversity I saw around me.
At the time that bothered me. But then I realized that the inevitable demographic changes occurring in the U.S. also would arrive in Naperville soon. Perhaps I could play a small part in making that happen in a productive way.
Indeed, while Caucasians still represent the largest part of our school system, the Naperville Unit District 203 of today is much more diverse in several interesting ways.
In the last 10 years, for example, our school district has seen a 10 percent drop in white students. The largest increase in nonwhite children has been in the number of Asian students. Six years ago, those students made up 10 percent of our population. This year it is 15 percent.
Wonderfully, our school buildings provide a weekend home for several Chinese schools, with a total enrollment of more than 1,000 students.
It's also interesting to note there is a substantial Asian Indian population in our town. Several years ago I met an author and newspaper reporter who had just written a book titled "Suburban Sahibs" about how Indian families had settled in a New Jersey suburb. Although not the focus of her book, Naperville was one of the towns she considered as the setting for her story.
The next largest demographic shift in the last 10 years has been in our Hispanic population. It rose from 1.7 percent in 1998 to 4.6 percent today. Similarly, our African-American population has risen from 2 percent in 1998 to 4.4 percent today.
But it is also important to note that Naperville's increasing diversity is not simply about race. In the last 10 years, for example, we have seen a dramatic increase in the percentage of students who do not speak English as their primary language, from .6 percent in 1998 to 3.1 percent last year.
By far the fastest and most significant demographic shift has been in the percentage of our students determined to be low-income, i.e., students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. In 1998, those students comprised only 1.3 percent of our population. This year, probably due in part to the difficult economic times, the percentage of those of students is more than 7 percent.
Indeed, since I arrived six years ago, Naperville has grown in diversity. With that growth, I've seen our schools embrace the richness that these changes bring, but this shift isn't always easy.
No matter how much our staff members care about "each" child, many of them have had little training or experience in how best to connect with a wider variety of children and their families. The challenge remains: to view diversity as a gift rather than something to be "overcome."
When I first arrived, I met with a group of high school students to talk with them directly about their District 203 experience. I still remember what they told me - that they realized they had had so many advantages, but the one thing they hoped to "add" in college was an opportunity to spend more time with students who didn't "look like them." At that point, I realized our students did "get it."
District 203 is working to increase awareness among staff, students and families that our differences provide unique opportunities for learning. Embracing diversity enriches us all and it better prepares students for an increasing global world.
In future years, I feel certain the adults in our schools and in our community as a whole will excel in utilizing this "gift" as a means to ensure that our students not only succeed, but thrive.
• Alan Leis is superintendent of Naperville Unit District 203. His column appears monthly during the school year in Neighbor.
Superintendent says District 203 working to embrace diversity
By Alan Leis | Columnist 2/20/2009
One of the first things I noticed when I came to Naperville for my first superintendent interview six years ago was how little diversity I saw around me.
At the time that bothered me. But then I realized that the inevitable demographic changes occurring in the U.S. also would arrive in Naperville soon. Perhaps I could play a small part in making that happen in a productive way.
Indeed, while Caucasians still represent the largest part of our school system, the Naperville Unit District 203 of today is much more diverse in several interesting ways.
In the last 10 years, for example, our school district has seen a 10 percent drop in white students. The largest increase in nonwhite children has been in the number of Asian students. Six years ago, those students made up 10 percent of our population. This year it is 15 percent.
Wonderfully, our school buildings provide a weekend home for several Chinese schools, with a total enrollment of more than 1,000 students.
It's also interesting to note there is a substantial Asian Indian population in our town. Several years ago I met an author and newspaper reporter who had just written a book titled "Suburban Sahibs" about how Indian families had settled in a New Jersey suburb. Although not the focus of her book, Naperville was one of the towns she considered as the setting for her story.
The next largest demographic shift in the last 10 years has been in our Hispanic population. It rose from 1.7 percent in 1998 to 4.6 percent today. Similarly, our African-American population has risen from 2 percent in 1998 to 4.4 percent today.
But it is also important to note that Naperville's increasing diversity is not simply about race. In the last 10 years, for example, we have seen a dramatic increase in the percentage of students who do not speak English as their primary language, from .6 percent in 1998 to 3.1 percent last year.
By far the fastest and most significant demographic shift has been in the percentage of our students determined to be low-income, i.e., students who qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. In 1998, those students comprised only 1.3 percent of our population. This year, probably due in part to the difficult economic times, the percentage of those of students is more than 7 percent.
Indeed, since I arrived six years ago, Naperville has grown in diversity. With that growth, I've seen our schools embrace the richness that these changes bring, but this shift isn't always easy.
No matter how much our staff members care about "each" child, many of them have had little training or experience in how best to connect with a wider variety of children and their families. The challenge remains: to view diversity as a gift rather than something to be "overcome."
When I first arrived, I met with a group of high school students to talk with them directly about their District 203 experience. I still remember what they told me - that they realized they had had so many advantages, but the one thing they hoped to "add" in college was an opportunity to spend more time with students who didn't "look like them." At that point, I realized our students did "get it."
District 203 is working to increase awareness among staff, students and families that our differences provide unique opportunities for learning. Embracing diversity enriches us all and it better prepares students for an increasing global world.
In future years, I feel certain the adults in our schools and in our community as a whole will excel in utilizing this "gift" as a means to ensure that our students not only succeed, but thrive.
• Alan Leis is superintendent of Naperville Unit District 203. His column appears monthly during the school year in Neighbor.
