Over the course of the last six years, the Columbus Public Schools have seen an increase in diversity. They have gone from about a 10% to a 21% in minority make-up. This increase mirrors the increase our community has experienced in this same period. Some people may look at the new challenges that come with diversity, such as English language acquisition by non-English speakers, as a negative. Others may see such changes as opportunities not problems. I am in the second group.

Experiencing increased diversity allows young people to expand their understanding of the world. It also helps them appreciate other cultures. A diverse population helps us learn from others who have different perspectives. It also helps young people find many areas they have in common with people who come from very different backgrounds.

An experience that has impacted me greatly was when I traveled through Europe and the Middle East as a young man. During this time, I worked for a time in three different countries, Holland, Germany, and Israel. Living with people from very different backgrounds and experiences expanded my understanding of the world. It opened my mind to the qualities of people very different from myself.
Our students find this same experience when they share classrooms, lunchrooms, and playgrounds with others from different countries. They learn to develop friendships with people who come from different backgrounds. They also come to appreciate the interesting features that are a part of different cultures.
As I traveled and worked overseas, I found that people had an outlook on the world different than mine. They also had diverse ideas that were based on their different experiences. These new ideas and outlooks were valuable in rethinking some of my beliefs. They also helped me develop a deeper understanding of many issues.

Again, our students experience this richness of ideas and outlooks in our public school classrooms. This richness helps them develop their ideas and increase their understanding to make them open to a wide variety of ways to solve problems. It also encourages flexibility in thinking as new perspectives expand their understanding of their world.

One of the key discoveries I made as I traveled and worked overseas was that no matter how different people looked and acted they still were more like me than unlike me. After living in each culture for a while, I began to notice the countless ways people are alike. Our students learn this lesson well as they play and learn together. Developing friendships increases the appreciation students have for people who are different from them on the outside, but who are in more ways similar on the inside.

So, diversity in our schools is a real asset for our young people. It expends their understanding of the world, helps them learn new ideas, corrects misconceptions, and helps them appreciate others. Some of the greatest learning that takes place in our schools comes from this exposure to a variety of races, nationalities, and ideas. Perhaps the greatest benefit gained from meeting and working with a variety of people is that it makes life fun and interesting. This is why I see a diverse student body as an asset that benefits all our students. It helps enrich their lives and prepares them for a future in which interacting with people from very different backgrounds will be the norm.

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