Educational Leadership Commons^™

Altering Belief Systems Through Education, Ken Alberts

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The vast majority of people we interact with on a daily basis profess to believe that diversity of all kinds is desirable and should be actively promoted in all aspects of our society. For many of us, the idea of diversity has a positive connotation. Unfortunately, there is too often an inconsistency between what we profess and what we practice. Since both our personal and our community's future will be impacted in a dramatic way by the understanding of our individual ethnicity, priority should be given to exploring ways in which this understanding can foster success in all our relationships.

Challenging Our Prejudices, Developing An Inclusionary Vision, Elaine A. Pfalzgraf

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The people who live in our community are more diverse from each other than at any time in our history. They are diverse not only in the areas of race and ethnicity, but also in the areas of sexual preference, physical ability and disability, income levels, age, religion, and family constellation.

How can we as a community work collaboratively to bring about not only tolerance but acceptance, inclusion, and celebration of the diversity of our people? What can we do to make certain that harsh and destructive polarization, alienation, exclusion, and isolation does not occur and that inclusion, involvement, engagement, …

Diversity: From The Sidelines, Betty Jean Furgerson

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Until nearly a year ago I spent the greater portion of my adult life attempting to formulate strategies to encourage European Americans to join in the development of ways to help communities learn to value diversity. It has been my experience that most African Americans have spent tremendous amounts of psychic and physical energy, thoughts, time, and activities in very much this same way. This has been true because the acceptance of diversity is advantageous to African Americans who are perceived as the victims, the undeserving, or the less than human, and have little, if anything at all, to risk. …

Educational Excellence For Administrating Schools : A Reflective Essay, Cynthia J. Lapel

Graduate Research Papers

A visionary leader must look at what the organization should be like to achieve educational excellence, and then be willing to undertake the necessary steps to achieve the vision. Educational excellence will take a strong-hold only when it evolves from a community commitment for excellence. This community consisting of students and teachers, as well as parents and the public, led by a visionary administrator, will develop a commonly held vision to achieve educational excellence for their school district.

Executive Summary, Dave Else

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Forty-five K-12 educators, University representatives, and community leaders were invited to the conference held on the University of Northern Iowa campus. Individuals were selected based on their keen interest in cultural diversity, equity issues, their skills as communicators, and their enthusiasm for exploring issues in an in-depth and interactive environment. The purpose of the conference was to stimulate dialogue to better understand differences and the potential strengths of our diverse community and to use this newly developed knowledge base to construct an action agenda designed to implement recommendations which lead to equity for all. Participants were organized to address the …

Begin With Listening Dialogs, Jan Ott

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

I'm a P.K. (preacher's kid). As a youngster, I heard many a sermon on the "golden rule." But more importantly I grew up in a middle class home that modeled decency and goodwill ... most of the time. I also grew up in a Midwest community where differences were defined by "farm girl or city girl," by "popular or unpopular," by "smart or dumb," or by "good-looking or ugly." Most of my friends were a lot like me--White, middle-class kids who went to Sunday School. Admittedly, some _of my friends were Catholics and some were Lutherans. My mother, a Norwegian, …

Issue Area Three: How Can We Provide Opportunities And Design Support Systems For People Of Diversity Without Creating Dependency?, Janet Mcclain

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Our initial discussion focused on developing a clear understanding of key words included in this broad issue. This two-fold question was interpreted by our group in the following manner:

How can we (each one of us as individuals and groups of individuals) provide opportunities for people of diversity (all people, but specifically ethnic/racial groups)?

How can we (each one of us as individuals and groups of individuals) design support systems for people of diversity (all people, but specifically ethnic/racial groups) without creating a constant state of dependency?

With this clarification of terms, our group proceeded to identify five critical issues …

Working Together : A Conference On Doctoral Studies In The College Of Education At The University Of Northern Iowa, April 11-12, 1997, Joane W. Mckay

Faculty Book Gallery

This document is one outcome of the Invitational Working Conference, April 11-12, 1997, on Doctoral Studies in the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa. Sponsored by the College Committee on Doctoral Studies and the Institute for Educational Leadership at the University of Northern Iowa, the conference gave UNI faculty in the College of Education, practitioners in the local schools, and candidates in the doctoral program the opportunity to discuss five main issues:

■ Distinctive Qualities of the Ed.D. Program

■ The Student's Role in Shaping Doctoral Study

■ Doctoral Research/Scholarship

■ Doctoral Program Delivery: Organization and Staffing …

Preface

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) is a Division of the College of Education at the University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, Iowa. The Institute's mission is to promote the improvement of elementary, secondary, and post-secondary education throughout the State of Iowa. To fulfill this mission the Institute serves as a catalyst for: informed dialogue on educational issues impacting the schools of Iowa, region, and nation; developing collaborative relationships with individuals and/or organizations external to schools; and education policy development.

This compilation of position papers and issue area group consensus reports represents the individual and collective wisdom of community, school, …

Community Signals And Community Diversity: Creating "Welcome Signs" For All Persons, R. Allen Hays

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The issue of the separateness of Waterloo and Cedar Falls must be understood within a larger framework of the difficulties of social interaction and the sharing of community space among those of different ethnicity, race, gender, or other potentially diverse characteristics. Earlier this year, I prepared a Fair Housing Analysis for the City of Cedar Falls, as required by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (CSBR, 1996). The federal government is, of course, primarily interested in the enforcement of federal statutes regarding fair housing, but it is also interested in the affirmative efforts being made by a community to …

Youth Ethnic Dialogues Provide Base For Community Understanding, Susan M. Johnson

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that does" (cited in Lt. Governor's Newsletter, Diversity Conference, Spring, 1996). Mead's quote made quite an impact as I read it in a newsletter shortly after we had had a dynamic experience at Cedar Falls High School last winter. Twelve hundred students participated in small group "dialogues" led by peer facilitators. One hundred students volunteered their time to be trained to facilitate these discussions. This small group of students set a precedent at our high school that "it was definitely not …

Helping People Develop A Global Perspective, Leander Brown

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

In the 1996 Fall issue of the linker, a publication from the Grant Wood Area Education Agency in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Robert Anthony suggested that if we circle all of the articles in our daily newspaper dealing with the world at large we might be surprised by the number of circles covering our paper. He also suggested that if we noted the number of minutes devoted to international news on our favorite nightly network news program, we might again be surprised. Anthony asserted that it is clear that we will be affected by global events throughout our lives and that …

Ways To Mobilize The Community, Alice F. Culpepper

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

We, as a group, need to first understand how the Waterloo/Cedar Falls community, as a whole, feels about diversity. A community cannot be successful if its people have not realized the enormity of the diversity issue. We must acknowledge there are differences in all of us; whether that difference is in culture, ethnic heritage, race, national origin, religion, gender, age or disability.

“On major challenges to diversity ... A major challenge is fear - fear that with change, there are those who are going to lose - lose jobs, lose contracts, lose status, lose seats in higher education and graduate …

Strategic Plans Can Build Bridges, Linda Martin

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Addressing the potential strengths of a diverse population in a democracy where citizens accept and practice equality of rights, opportunity, and treatment involves citizens in the Cedar Falls/Waterloo metropolitan area who value this definition of what a democracy should be.

The strengths of individuals, groups of individuals, and communities of individuals need to be identified. A long-range strategic plan to focus these strengths needs to be developed to best utilize these strengths to enhance the community environment. A long-range strategic plan of communication can be a vehicle for individuals, groups of individuals, and communities of individuals to develop in-depth relationships …

Understand Diversity Through Acceptance, Tolerance, Gloria Stigler

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

No two people are alike, not even identical twins. When we experience differences in others on a mezzo or macro level, we tend to feel an uneasiness if they are of another race, religion, culture, have different sexual preferences, or are physically or mentally challenged. It is extremely important that we deal with diversity because our society is changing, growing, and becoming more and more diverse. We, as citizens of the United States of America, have to realize that we are not a homogenous society and that no one race, ethnicity, religion, etc., is superior to another. We have to …

Cultural Diversity - Catalyst For Unity, Billie Bailey

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

In order to discuss this question, the issue that must first be addressed is this: Is the separateness of Cedar Falls and Waterloo created by diversity? The answer to this question depends on one's definition of diversity. If one looks at diversity in terms of cultural or ethnic diversity, I would argue that diversity is not the cause of separateness.

While there are a number of identifiable and vibrant cultural and ethnic groups within the metro area, I do not believe that these diverse communities "cause" this separation to occur. If cultural diversity causes separateness, the Waterloo and Cedar Falls …

Student-Led Diversity Programs Essential Element For District Education, Clair E. Brooks

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Perhaps the ideal geographic perspective for viewing this topic is from a laplander's point of view. Lapland is the area of Waterloo which lies within the Cedar Falls Community School District boundaries. Where there was once a clear physical separation between Waterloo and Cedar Falls, there is now essentially no such discernible division. In those earlier times, this lapland area was a largely open region separating the communities, with a portion of the zone officially designated as the Cedar Heights School District.

We of the 700 or so household addresses of this sector send our municipal taxes to Waterloo, where …

Cross-Cultural Contacts, Programs Encouraged To Appreciate Diversity, Vergestene Cooper

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

We are a multicultural nation of persons of different ethnic backgrounds, religions, socioeconomic levels, and native languages. In addition, we have natural differences based on sex, age, physical and mental abilities. Everyday we are exposed to positive and negative statements about the differences in people. These statements are often distorted and cause us to stereotype people. Normally the stereotypes about groups of people are broad generalizations that totally neglect the majority of individuals within each group.

To resolve the separateness of Cedar Falls and Waterloo created by diversity, we must make a realistic and sincere effort to understand and appreciate …

Building Upon Our Past, James R. Kenyon

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

This sesquicentennial year provides a milestone in our state history. A study of our local diversity is appropriate as preparation for our cultural advancement into the next millennium. In our local area, the potential diversity strengths are the religious community, educational systems, and emerging new economic endeavor.

Embrace Richness Of Diversity, Sharon Juon

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

If one values diversity, then one must embrace the differences that diversity creates between the cities of Waterloo and Cedar Falls. No two cities are alike--so why should these two metropolitan communities be expected to think with one mind or voice? Especially when these two cities have very unique and separate histories and demographic compositions, their respective approaches to community needs are bound to be different.

I contend that the problem is not diversity itself, but the perception that diversity is often at the root of the friction between the two communities. For example, as a society, we place great …

Issue Area Two: How Do We Resolve The Separateness Of Cedar Falls And Waterloo Created By Diversity?, Ed Stachovic

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

A situation analysis of this issue requires a brief historical review and a historical perspective before we can suggest resolutions and before we can hope to develop pathways to understanding and action.

Cedar Falls and Waterloo were established at about the same time in the mid-1800s very near the same place along the Cedar River in Northeast Iowa. People were drawn here by the rich agricultural soils. Early competition between the towns was resolved by a vote that established Waterloo as the county seat. At the time, Waterloo was the slightly newer and slightly smaller community.

The coming of the …

Economics Cited As Main Separation Issue, Phillip A. Gansen

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

How do we resolve the separateness of Cedar Falls and Waterloo created by diversity? To do this, I believe it is first helpful to consider two questions pertinent to the issue. The first question is, why are the two communities separate? The second question, which is more complicated, is how are the two communities culturally diverse?

Without going into a great deal of historical detail, the obvious fact is that Waterloo and Cedar Falls were both founded as separate entities. From the very beginning then they have been separate. This separateness led to assorted conflicts and disagreements. The first that …

All Encouraged To Start One-On-One Communication, Donald D. Lindaman

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

The beginning of both communities took place during approximately the same period of time. Both cities are located on the Cedar River. In early days, the railroad was instrumental in the development of the communities and history tells of some controversy regarding the location of the railroad yard and repair shops that were constructed in Waterloo versus Cedar Falls.

Eight miles of farm land separated the cities and both communities prospered--what it is now the University of Northern Iowa (UNI) became located in Cedar Falls and certain industries were located in Waterloo. These industries included John Deere Waterloo Tractor Works, …

Support Systems Need To Involve Recipients, Paul Chao

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

It goes without saying that a growing ethnic diversity in this nation's population composition is a fact of life today and will become even more so as we move into the next century. This trend is becoming even more evident in recent years even though in the state of Iowa, we have not encountered the full brunt of the impacts of this development to the same extent as many larger U.S. cities have experienced, particularly those in the West, East, and South. This growing phenomenon has many implications politically, economically and socially for the citizenry and public decision makers.

Throughout …

Racism Doesn't Occur By Accident - Institutions Condition People, Carolyn Braley

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

In order to change negative expectations of others to orient all people to success, we need to educate all people about the cycle of racial conditioning and how it impacts our perceptions of others.

No one is born with racial prejudice. Racial prejudice is learned. Starr (1996) defined racial prejudices an entire ethnic group, usually based on limited information. Our society conditions people to exhibit racial prejudice through the information we receive (subtly or overtly) in our homes, from authority figures, and through the media. When this information is withheld, distorted, or full of gross misinformation, it scares people. It …

Creating Community For Responsible Change, Michael D. Blackwell

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Building community is very hard work, and it must be done with sincere, persistent, and concerted effort. My bias is toward a critical cultural pluralism wherein people seek to accept others as human beings without relinquishing the necessity of simultaneously evaluating one's own perspectives as well as others'. In this paper, I move from a clarification of fundamental definitions, to a delineation of the requisite elements, to forging the best possible society -- a community of total participation and humane partnership.

Understanding Speech, Language Differences To Gain Sensitivity To Other Ethnicity, Jim Day

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

As I reflected on the direction I would take in writing this paper, I remembered the incident I shared. Since my field of study is communication, I thought it would be a good place to begin discussing my perspectives on ethnicity and its impact on my view of society. In his writings, Benjamin Whorf (1956), following extensive studies of the Hopi, proposed a theory based on the relationship between language and culture. He concluded that a person's vocabulary and ability to communicate is dependent on the culture of that person. If we consider language and culture as components of ethnicity, …

Issue Area Five: How Do We Develop A Global Perspective In Helping People Understand Our Interconnectedness?, Daniel Smith, Pochy Morales-Gomez

Institute for Educational Leadership Monograph Series

Five underlying premises to help people develop a global perspective and understand our interconnectedness. These premises are important in the process of resolving the issue:

1. Human beings are much more alike than they are different.

2. We are globally interconnected.

3. It is important to understand our interconnectedness.

4. Interconnectedness should be based on egalitarian partnerships.

5. Isolation is no longer possible or desirable.

These premises led to a discussion of the true meaning of a global perspective. Types of issues that connect us are ecology, economics, genetics, religion, media, technology, art, and education.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary/Secondary Schools : A Reflective Essay, James C. Cline

Graduate Research Papers

I have decided to become a principal based primarily.on what I have observed during my high school years and while teaching. I have witnessed administrators who did not do a very good job, and I have also observed and worked for administrators who do a superb job. Qualities that I have noticed in good administrators include: being fair; consistent; punctual; honest; a listener; and seen by the students, faculty and community. These administrators are also very good in public relations. These seven traits of good administrators are some goals I am trying to develop as I become an administrator.

A Preferred Vision For Administering Elementary Schools : A Reflective Essay, Floyd Athay

Graduate Research Papers

I believe in being a proactive administrator. I do not want to be recognized simply as the authority figure in the school that is rarely seen. My door will always be open, and I will be seen in the classrooms as well as throughout the school. I want to be active in the teaching process.

My first year as a principal will be a time for me to become familiar with the school environment. I will not make any major changes the first year unless I am forced to do so. I believe that this time should be spent becoming …