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Abstract
Traditionally schools in the past were mostly homogenous, but with demographic shifts, schools are becoming more ethnically diverse, disadvantaged, and multilingual. In contrast, the teaching population still reflects that outdated homogenous template: “predominantly white and female,” middle-class, and unilingual. This exploratory study examined administrators’ perceptions of their ability to implement a diversity plan. Principals were unable to articulate what “diversity” meant in terms of its strategic implementation; they saw no value in addressing their changing student demographics. Principals were ill prepared to lead on issues of diversity and were unable to address conflicts that often occur among diverse demographic groups. Principals had a sense of diversity awareness but lacked the efficacy to address diversity-related issues with teachers and parents.
Keywords diversity plan, equity, leadership
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