Newark Teachers, Kids Learn Diversity For Inclusive Schools Week

NEWARK, NJ — There are two things that Newark’s public schools are known for, the district’s new superintendent says: inclusivity and diversity.

According to a district news release, Newark teachers and students are participating in the national Inclusive Schools Week, which takes place this year from Dec. 3 to Dec. 7. The event highlights and celebrates the progress that schools have made in implementing inclusive practices to ensure a quality education for an increasingly diverse student population.

“Inclusivity and diversity are two of the most important tenets of our school district, and the city, state, country and world,” Superintendent of Newark Schools Roger León said. “At Newark Public Schools, it is our practice to be inclusive and celebrate diversity every day. The benefit to our students, families and school community, are monumental.”

District administrators released the following statement about this year’s effort:

“As part of Inclusive Schools Week, students across the district are delivering their schools’ daily ‘Good Morning’ message in different languages including Tagalog, Arabic, Portuguese, Hindu, Hebrew, Spanish, and either Cantonese, Mandarin or Thai. In addition, NPS has incorporated strategies for Inclusive Practices into class lessons and a number of the week’s activities; such as poster contests for students, team building exercises for teachers and students, diversity in attire and more. The school district will also show ‘Intelligent Minds,’ a documentary that celebrates inclusion and diversity.”

Principal Linda J. Richardson said at Ann Street School, inclusion is not tolerance… it’s “unquestioned acceptance.”

“Each of our teachers is engaged and involved in the instruction of students, both general and special education, within the same classroom in the co-teaching model,” Richardson said. “In our inclusive program, general and special education teachers engage in multiple modes of instruction from parallel teaching to team teaching – these are techniques designed to benefit both general and special education students.”

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