Moving from diversity to community: Listening to parents of color at Calvert School.

Format:

Book

Thesis/Dissertation

Author/Creator:

Martire, Andrew Dominic.

Contributor:

University of Pennsylvania.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Families--Research.

Families.

Sociology--Research.

Sociology.

Educational leadership.

Educational sociology.

Education, Bilingual.

0282.

0340.

0449.

0628.

Local Subjects:

0282.

0340.

0449.

0628.

Physical Description:

151 pages

Contained In:

Dissertation Abstracts International 71-06A.

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

text file

Summary:

Independent schools have been wrestling with the issue of race for several decades. As in most independent schools, the majority of students who attend Calvert School hail from White, upper socioeconomic class families. Calvert was slow to diversify its student body and faculty in a meaningful manner, yet the school now has 19% students of color and 12% faculty of color, a large improvement from just the start of this decade. Calvert, while continuing to focus on further quantitative diversification, is devoting institutional resources to qualitative diversity initiatives via the curriculum; professional development and training for the faculty, staff, and administration; and programs for the student body. This study sought to examine the experiences of another integral constituency: parents of color at Calvert School. By listening to and analyzing their stories and suggestions, I sought to shed light on the notion of community at Calvert School and to shape, where necessary, in a more thoughtful manner support mechanisms for parents of color in the future. Parents of color, through their satisfaction with the academic program and feelings of warmth and welcome from the school, felt connected to Calvert employees. In contrast, parents of color felt largely disconnected to White parents at the school, primarily due to issues of class. Suggestions for the future included continued strong communication between the School and parents, increased events on campus, enhanced orientation and mentoring, and further diversification among employees and in the student body. Parents of color supported focusing on the whole community rather than developing targeted programs for minority groups. By ultimately better supporting parents of color, I aim to influence positively the experience of all families at the school, as well as families of color, and, of course, their children.

Notes:

Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 71-06, Section: A, page: 1881.

Adviser: Peter Kuriloff.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--University of Pennsylvania, 2010.

Local Notes:

School code: 0175.

ISBN:

9781124024899

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.