Customer Reviews

Cultural Proficiency: A Manual for School Leaders (1-Off)

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Very early, we are given the author's new rules: references to homosexuality must subsequently capitalize Gay and Lesbian; Native Americans are known as First Nation's Peoples; (there's no comment regarding appropriate contemporary nomenclature for Australian aboriginals or Canadian eskimoes up there beyond the Northwest Territories) and while it may be assumed that African-American references remain appropriate, no dictates are offered regarding African visitors to North America. Spanish speakers and Latin students may wish to continue the use of "neg" prefixed words for black on their own, but don't expect these authors to grant such permission.

The book seems to be aimed at white (U.S.) southern males emerging from Jim Crow Alabama in the 1950s---and gives no credit to today's hard-working educational professionals, throughout the world, of all faiths, colors, and origins who diligently seek to simultaneously socialize and educate youths of all kinds, types, abilities and persuasions.

The book seems strangely unique to North America---vacuous, narrow and not at all what one seeks or expects in an educationally-aimed text. The absence of observation, research and discussion of how to educationally address diversity concerns outside of North America.....that is, the reporting of the exemplary approaches and the worst ones from the rest of the world, is an egregious oversight.

A book on cultural concerns, at this time, might best be aimed at helping us to weigh the responsibilities of schools to teach various social values against those responsibilities for teaching educational basics. This is a complex and daunting task, worthy of true academic research. Instead, we're merely given pontifications that "handouts" are banned, forevermore to be known as resource sheets.

This book is educational junk science at the zenith.

Readers are far better served by studying the works of E.D. Hirsch, Jr. His Cultural Literacy is exactly what EVERY American student needs to know, and I'd make no additions regarding my specific culture's religion, race or social habits to his work.

OMG! Not ANOTHER cultural proficiency book for educators! This is the junk science of the week! Tell me Randall, I have been gone from the country on business for over a month and need to know the new politically correct labels for other cultures. Is it still African-American this week or did it change? How about Native American? I recommend not reading this book as the pages are glued shut from all the intellectual masturbation.

This book is an interesting and easy read. Contains review section at the end of each chapter and activities that can be used during professional development activities with staff.

The book is in great shape, but I received the wrong edition. I kept it anyway because the difference is acceptable.

This is an excellent book to really define and review how you deal with the different cultures in your classroom or your school. This book allows the reader to look how you deal with events that you may not be aware that may be prejudice.

I would highly recommend it.