Does Race Matter in Teaching?

Dallasblog.com | Caroline Walker:

“Multiculturalism may deepen ethnic attachments, but it thrives on reinforcing differences, adjusting standards, limiting identity to a narrow concept of racial affiliation. Multiculturalism says that only black teachers can reach black kids. It says that for literature to have value, it need only reflect our own experiences. It says we can’t learn.”

Ed Cognoski responds:

I don't know where Ms Walker got her definition of multiculturalism, but it's about 180 degrees from the truth. She supplies several anecdotes of incidents where the Dallas Independent School District lacks diversity and somehow pins the blame on ... multiculturalism? She's dead wrong about multiculturalism.

In fact, multiculturalism doesn't "deepen ethnic attachments" as much as it breaks down ethnic attachments by sharing and celebrating the wide diversity that exists in American society. Just like, on St Patrick's Day, everyone is Irish, on Cinco de Mayo, everyone is Mexican. From holidays to cuisine to history and literature, the more all of us learn about the wonderful diversity that is America, the more we come to adopt common standards, shared affiliations, forge unity.

If Ms Walker is dissatisfied with the lack of diversity among DISD teachers and administrators, she would be better off promoting diversity and multiculturalism, not denigrating it.

P.S. Dallas Blog continues to block me from commenting directly on that site. Perhaps, they aren't interested in diversity of opinion.