Staff Editorial
The Manhattan Beach Unified School District’s new Inclusion Goal prioritizes creating a culture of inclusion within the district, regardless of students’ nationalities or cultural backgrounds. Although MBUSD has shown commitment toward the promotion of all cultures through efforts such as the formation of the District English Learners Advisory Committee, further steps are necessary to allow the community as a whole to meaningfully participate in the district’s initiative.
MBUSD formed the DELAC two years ago in response to a new state-funding formula that allocates more money to schools with higher ratios of non-native students, MBUSD Superintendent Dr. Michael Matthews said. Some measures that the DELAC has promoted are the Clinton Family Social Inclusion Grant, which is administered by the Manhattan Beach Education Foundation, International Day and plans for a Welcome Wagon system.
In an effort to support the new board goal, the DELAC hosted International Day on Dec. 3, an event to which the district invited non-native families to share books, activities and cuisine from their countries of origin. The event had an impressive turnout of 75 families, and the district plans to host another International Day in the Spring, Teacher on Special Assignment Jim Hands said. The district’s effort was successful, considering that this is its first social inclusion event, because a large number of families attended the event.
The DELAC is also planning informal coffee meetings for non-native parents and a Welcome Wagon system where foreign students are put in contact with other students who are from the same country, Hands said. The DELAC’s proactive attitude toward creating new inclusive programs proves the district’s initiative in progressing socially-inclusive efforts are advancing in the right direction.
Although International Day could have focused on all MBUSD families rather than solely non-native families in order to promote a more inclusive environment, the fact that the district has hosted this event bodes well for social inclusion in the future, Hands said.
Although the district made a great effort in advertising International Day in school newsletters, according to a survey of 220 Costa students, 89% of respondents was unaware of the event. The district needs to make a greater effort in bringing non-native families together with the whole community for future events by expanding its outstreaming.
The district’s sponsorship of the Clinton Social Inclusion Grant, which offered sums of money to students and staff for starting projects to promote social equality, similarly showed admirable effort. The district publicized it in the MBUSD newsletters, but according to a La Vista survey of 220 students, 59% was unaware of the grant. The lack of effective outreach to students prevents the grant from reaching its full potential.
MBUSD has made efforts in its promotion of social inclusion. However, the lack of participation by more district-wide deters MBUSDS goal of complete social inclusion.
Leave a Reply