Edited by Julia Pak
The name of our school is “East Rock Community & Cultural Studies Magnet School.” But is there enough “culture” in our classes and libraries?
State demographic data show that East Rock School is 40 percent Hispanic, 36 percent Black, 12 percent white, 7 percent Asian, and 4 percent students of two or more races. About one in five is an English Language Learner. That doesn’t count other identities, like religion and what countries students are from.
It’s obvious that East Rock School is very diverse. But how does that show up?
Leslie DePriest, assistant principal at East Rock School, said learning is “more engaging if students can see themselves or their community or their family in their lessons.” She said school leaders “encourage teachers to promote the diversity of students in their class.” That means tying lessons “into something that connects with students’ backgrounds.”
East Rock School also holds a Hispanic heritage assembly with music and dancing. But Ms. DePriest said there is room to do more.
“We have so many different countries and languages represented in our school,” she said. “We need to do a better job promoting that.”
Many students at East Rock School agree. According to the East Rock Record Fall 2024 Survey 86 percent of students said that it was important to learn about other cultures in school. Nearly 40 percent said that there were not enough books about different cultures in the library. And just 60 percent said they felt like their culture was represented at East Rock School.
Gabriella “G.G.” King, who is in 6th grade, believes that “there should be more about culture in social science because it is a really important part of our history.” Fifth grader Julissa Duran said students “need to learn about other people’s culture because sometimes you only know about your own culture and nobody else’s, and then sometimes you look at something and you don’t understand what it is.”
New Haven is a city of welcome for immigrants from around the world. We spoke with Deb Riding, the former Director of Education & Employment at IRIS, who left her post between our interview and publication. IRIS helps people from places like Pakistan and Afghanistan who come to America to have safer homes, about cultural representation.
Four days a week IRIS invites newcomer students in grades 3 through 8 to come after school for homework help. They are provided with a Halal snack that meets Islamic dietary rules. Students also get help with schoolwork.
“It’s still hard to learn math with a teacher explaining in in English,” she said. “Usually, the younger students do really well, but it can be harder for high school students.”
Ms. Riding, who has worked in schools for many years, believes students should be taught “cultural humility” that recognizes “people can see the world in different ways because of legitimate lived experiences. Humility is saying, ‘I don’t know everything,’” she said.
Some students don’t celebrate holidays like Christmas, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. For example, Muslim students celebrate Eid and Jewish students celebrate Hanukkah. She said that school libraries should have books that offer both “windows and mirrors.” This means students need books that they can see themselves in and books that teach them about other cultures.
According to Ms. Riding, while many in New Haven are not familiar with Islam, there are Muslim students, which the schools have begun to recognize. “Eid is now on the school calendar and in high schools, Muslim students can stay in the library instead of going to the cafeteria during Ramadan,” she said.
The New Haven Public Schools website explains that East Rock School “allows students to become familiar with the cultural and geographical diversity that exists in the world today” and teaches skills “to promote a better understanding of and respect for all people and cultures.” Our question: Are we doing enough?