Diversity in Education

Diversity is such a broad term in education. There are multiple forms of diversity that present challenges to leaders in education. Diversity can come in the form of cultural, racial, socioeconomic, and technological, just to name a few. The connectedness of the world due to globalization is forcing the United States to address these various forms of diversity to ensure that we are helping the leaders of tomorrow to be prepared for the future. The Department of Education recognizes this need. This quote is from the Department of Education website: "Relatively few minority students choose to engage in academic programs that provide the requisite training for careers in international service. Yet in order for the U.S. to more effectively serve as a leader in today's world, it is important that this diversity is represented in government and the foreign service, as well as in the education, business and non-profit sectors. The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is seeking to increase minority representation in internationally-focused careers and classrooms." As leaders in education, it is crucial that we recognize the forces impacting our world, which should guide how we improve our education system. How can we help our students to be prepared for a globalized future? We have to recognize that our world is changing and realize that we should be leaders in the globalization process. Our students should become aware of our global society at an early age. They should be learning about other countries, explore the possibilities of technology, and engage in service projects that bring awareness to global issues. We should be teaching our young children a foreign language from the time they walk through the doors of our schools. We have the ability to determine the leading languages which will benefit our youth in the future. Other countries recognize this need and teach their young students English. Our secondary students need intense career training. They need to know what types of jobs will be in demand in the future and what is takes to do these jobs. Taking a personality test on the computer and choosing from a list of careers that match their personality is not going to cut it. The health of our country is dependent on recognizing the many diverse issues facing our education system and helping our youth survive in a world very different from the past.