Building Trust in a Diverse Community Case Analysis and Rationale

Name: Jessica Quap

August 11, 2020

Grand Canyon University: EAD 505

 Building Trust in a Diverse Community Case Analysis and Rationale

Part 1: Case Analysis

1. Brief summary of the case:

A middle-class community, Rose Place, that has historically been associated with many

influential white supremacists for the last 50 years has recently begun a few programs to

help underrepresented minority groups in their community such as new low-income

housing projects. The elementary school, Smith-Jackson has a program for physically

handicapped children they are very proud of and has recently begun bussing in

underrepresented students as well, mainly black students from the surrounding

communities. They must do this in order to comply with the state’s mandate to intergarde

by the end of the decade. The same group that is very supportive of the special education

program is becoming very vocal about their disagreement with the new bussing program

for students who are different ethnically. The group flat out says, “If they aren’t white,

they aren’t right.” Their argument is that these students will cause discipline programs

and not be successful academically in the classroom. In addition they have a new

principal who is the first minority administrator in the school district. She was very

successful in her past posts and had a great relationship with their stakeholders. The

school thought it would be politically advantageous to hire her and that she would be a

good fit. THe school is currently 100% Caucasian teaching staff. A few students have

said they wished they had more teachers that looked like them.

2. Identify the issues to be resolved:

 As the group contesting the bussing program pointed out, a few of the students bussed in

have had academic difficulties and disciplinary problems at school. However, the

teachers feel she is a great addition as well as the students. During a community meeting

one parent asked about the possibility of the school losing funding because many (75%)

of the students being bussed in did not plan to return to the school. Another parent who

was the son of a former white supremacy group’s president responded saying they should

get rid of the program. He thought the students only caused trouble and did not succeed

academically and that things were better before the government made them integrate. A

few days later, the new principal interacts with this parent who tells her that he does not

have to talk to her and that she should go back to where she came from and take the

students who look like her back with her.

3. Stakeholders involved in the issues: Stakeholders include all students, parents,

community members. This is a community-wide issue affecting many.

4. One or two existing laws or court rulings that relate to the issues:
Brown v. The Board of Education-1954
Fair Housing Act of 1968
Cooper v. Aaron- 1958
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education-1971 (Bussing)

5. District policies that relate to the issues:

FFH(LOCAL) - STUDENT WELFARE: FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION,
HARASSMENT, AND RETALIATION- Follows Brown v. Board of Education mandate
FDA(LOCAL) - ADMISSIONS: INTERDISTRICT TRANSFERS
GA(LEGAL) - ACCESS TO PROGRAMS, SERVICES, AND ACTIVITIES
FB(LEGAL) - EQUAL EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
 6. Possible solutions to the issues:
1) Comply with parent request and eliminate bussing of underrepresented students
2) Continue program with community input and involvement
3) Do nothing
4) Create a community group to educate the community on the advantages of
desegregation and provide support for students

7. The solution you chose to resolve the issues:

Create a community group to educate the community on the advantages of desegregation
and provide support for students

8. Action steps (2-5) for implementing your solution, including a timeline for each step:
1) Hold a staff meeting in order to gather their input and information about how the
current program is being implemented in order to identify things that are going
well and things that are challenging. (1 Day)
2) Reach out to community leaders, mayor, church leaders, community program
leaders and any other community member to become a part of a group that will
focus on the bussing program. The group will not be tasked with solving the
program with the group that disagrees with it but rather ways to educate the
community. (5-7 Days for meetings)
3) Meet with the community group to identify ways to educate the community about
the importance of the desegregation program. Discuss with them on what
community events we will move forward with. Hopefully one will be another
town hall after several events to educate the community. (1 Day)
4) Be present at all events. (2 Weeks)
5) Hold town hall to discuss improvements to the program and community outlook.
This might be risky but I would ask all that support the program to come to the
meeting to show their support and offer testimony. (1Day)
6) Monitor the program closely for the remainder of the year and be present when
any issues arise.

9. Potential moral and legal consequences of the solution:

The group of community members who first raised such a huge issue with the
bussing program would probably allege that we are not respecting their beliefs
and morals. They could bring a lawsuit against the school; however, I have the
law that backs up the program because of Brown v. Board of Education.

Part 2: Rationale

In this case, I would be forced by law, depending on the year but assuming 60s, to

comply with Brown v. Board of Education and continue to look for ways to better our bussing

program and add additional support for staff, students and the community. I would create a
community group with representatives from the community and school to sit together and plan

opportunities to educate the community. I would also provide more training to my teachers on a

“Ruby Payne” type of low-socioeconomic students.

I am charged with protecting our mission which is to inspire and empower all students to

lead extraordinary lives and embrace the possibilities of the 21st century. I cannot do that if I

choose to allow a group to force me to exclude another group based on their ethnicity. The civil

rights movement during the 60s was a hard concept for the south to embrace, and we know from

history that many people sacrificed their lives for the cause. In order to protect this social justice

victory, I must think of all of my students and not sacrifice my integrity and commitment to

justice for all of my students because of an angry group of parents. I must also realize that I may

not last long in that position, so I must do all I can while I am there to affect positive change.

I must also help my students who are clearly suffering because of this problem. I need to

give the teachers who teach them the tools to do so from a population they probably have no lens

for because they are not of the same ethnicity. I would also seek out programs for intervention

for the students not achieving academically and for those experiencing discipline problems. I will

probably find that most of those students fall in each category. My first small steps would

eventually lead to big changes that cannot happen all at once. I would commit myself to this

cause for the betterment of all of my students.

I would also be very involved in the community group and make sure to attend all events

and encourage those who support the program to also attend. I would hold the group accountable

for their decisions and invite them to participate in school events to see the fruits of their work. I

need them to see the impact of their work in order to return to the community and share the

experience.
Part 3: Agenda and Agenda Rationale

Slaton High School Community Relations Meeting

Purpose: Facilitate opportunities to build and sustain positive school relationships with families
and caregivers through collaboration, partnership and support.

Goal: Create a community engagement task force charged with reaching out to local businesses
and organizations in order to strengthen communication and support.

Goal: Plan a community engagement event that involves students, parents and community
members to kick start the School/Community Program.

Speakers: Mayor of Slaton, Lynn Nowlin and Chris Willis, Slaton Small Business Association
President

Timeframe:
Welcome with Introductions (5 Minutes) - Jessica Quap, Principal Slaton High School

Lynn Nowlin (10 Minutes) - Communicate vision of city in relations to connection to schools;
Encourage school staff/faculty and community small businesses and citizens to participate in
upcoming events

Chris Willis (10 Minutes) - Communicate vision of Small Business Association in relation to
connection to schools; communicate opportunities for businesses to support school events

Jessica Quap (5 Minutes) - Identify break out rooms (Sports Events, Community Outreach,
Academic Support, Volunteer Opportunities) Charge all in attendance to join a breakout session
to help plan School/Community events and supports.

Sports Events- Concession stand sponsorship, community pep rally, giveaways

Community Outreach- School staff volunteer at local organizations, clean the park day, high
risk neighborhoods, families in need

Academic Support- School career day, Donuts with Dad/Muffins with Moms, D.A.D.S. in
schools program, Mentor a Student Program

Rational

The goal of this first community meeting will be to set up groups within the larger group

in order to identify areas where the public and school can support each other. The goals are set to

build the groundwork for a program that can be sustained. We would bring the school calendar
and go through each area we can identify as a chance for the two groups to get involved. The one

important thing that will have to happen is accountability. Life gets busy, and we have to keep

each other involved. There would be some way to share who volunteered for what for us to

check each other.

Each speaker was chosen because they represent the two groups involved. With their

involvement, each group will see the importance and worth of the program. These speakers will

also chair one of the breakout groups in order to facilitate the meetings and subsequent meetings.

We will want them to set dates with their committees to commit meetings throughout the school

year and into summer. Each activity will fully plan the events listed (dates, times, workers,

materials needed, etc.).

My hope is that this meeting will build and sustain a positive school relationship with

families and caregivers because the community will rally around the schools throughout different

times of the year. The school news paper and town newspaper will run reminders of events and

volunteer opportunities. The community outreach group will identify neighborhoods and high

needs families that they can support in some way.

 References

Walsh, M., & Garner, M. (2018, October 02). Timeline: Landmark Desegregation Cases.

Retrieved August 06, 2020, from

https://www.edweek.org/ew/section/multimedia/landmark-desegregation-cases.html

Slaton ISD Board Policy Manual. (2020). Retrieved August 06, 2020, from

https://pol.tasb.org/Policy/Search/832?filter=race

The Supreme Court . Expanding Civil Rights . Landmark Cases . Brown v. Board of

Education (1954): PBS. (2006). Retrieved August 06, 2020, from

https://www.thirteen.org/wnet/supremecourt/rights/landmark_brown.html