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Culturally Responsive Leadership Action Plan: Religious Diversity of Students

Jacqueline Segel
William Paterson University
EDLP 6010: Leadership in Learning Communities
Professor Bundy
July 3rd, 2022
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Topic: Professional development on the various religions in our community

Outline:

I currently work in a very religiously diverse school district. Many students identify as

Asian-American or Jewish. Many students celebrate Yom Kippur, Ramadan, Lunar New Year,

and Diwali. I believe as a culturally relevant leader, it is important to provide staff with the

appropriate tools necessary to navigate a diverse student body. It is also important to note many

of these holidays occur during school hours and how we as leaders and teachers can address this.

I have planned a professional development for the early fall or summer time. This

professional development will include questionnaires for teachers and staff members. These

questionnaires will gauge how much staff members already know about these diverse religions

and holidays and what the staff needs to know more about. The questionnaire will also serve as a

means of self-reflection. Critical self-reflection is one of the most important steps towards

becoming a culturally relevant leader or teacher. (Khalifa, 2019)

After completing the questionnaire, the google form will compile the data and reveal

which holidays staff are most familiar with and which holidays staff should learn more about. I

will then create focus groups where each group will be learning about a specific holiday that

many of our students observe. For example, one group would be learning about Yom Kippur,

which is a Jewish holiday where students over the age of 13 may fast. Another group would

discuss the Lunar New Year, another group would discuss Ramadan, and another group would

discuss Diwali.

In our focus groups we will learn about the various holidays our community celebrates.

We will learn from a parent that identifies as each of their religion. In our focus groups, the

parents of the community will discuss best practices for observing this holiday in school, how to
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best support students of this religion, and they will discuss what the district has already done to

support them and how they can improve in the future. By speaking directly with parents of the

community, this ensures we are listening to their views and validating their experiences and

culture. This is an example of using the community as a resource (Khalifa, 2019). Using the

community as a resource and a positive influence not only fosters positive parental involvement

in the school community but also creates a sense of belonging for the students. When leaders

shift their view towards using the parents and community as a positive resource, the relationships

and academic success of students bloomed. (Gil, 2019)

After discussing in each focus group with a parent from the community, we will come

back together. We will share facts that we learned and facts that surprised us. After our

discussion, we will put our heads together to start to think of ways we can incorporate all of

these holidays into the classroom.

I will also share with the staff members the plan to have a Many Cultures, One School

night in the springtime. This will be an opportunity for students of various backgrounds and

cultures to share with their peers and community members. Students can bring food from their

culture, students may perform cultural dances or activities, or may create a poster board where

other students and parents can observe. When students are given the space to share about their

cultures and backgrounds, they feel safe and included. This is a basic tenet of inclusive

leadership. When students feel safe and respected, their academics will also improve (DeLourdes

2019)

After the community sessions, both parents and staff members will fill out an additional

google form. This will serve as another means of self-reflection (Khalifa, 2019) and will provide

the principal with any additional ideas, challenges, or suggestions from the parents and staff.
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This will demonstrate a shared leadership model where the principal is not only using the

community as a resource but taking feedback from their staff members as well. This validates

staff and parents and helps shift some of the weight off of a principal. (Deci & Ryan 2000)

All in all, this professional development will aim to educate staff members on the various

religious backgrounds seen in our community, include parents in discussions, collaborate

towards a shared goal, and create a project to showcase the various cultures and backgrounds in

our community.
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Works Cited

Viloria, M. de L. (2017). Culturally responsive leadership practices: a principal’s

reflection. Journal of Latinos and Education, 18(2), 171–177.

https://doi.org/10.1080/15348431.2017.1371604

Gil, E. (2018). Hispanic leadership fostering parental engagement in a community-based

space. International Journal of Leadership in Education, 22(3), 370–378.

https://doi.org/10.1080/13603124.2018.1463463

Marshall, S. L., & Khalifa, M. A. (2018). Humanizing school communities. Journal of

Educational Administration, 56(5), 533–545. https://doi.org/10.1108/jea-01-2018-0018