The 2007 Multicultural Education Conference

Empowering Socially Responsible Multicultural Educators: An Examination of Institutional Policies and Practices

Education is a basic need for everyone. Yet institutional policies and practices continue to marginalize culturally and linguistically diverse students by denying educational equity and equal opportunity. Teaching is a political act so it is crucial that we exercise our democratic rights by critically examining the obstacles that stand in the way of educational equity such as race, social class, and unequal distribution of resources.

The opinions of dissenting voices need to be embraced by decision makers in order to develop and implement fair policies and practices that address the educational needs of a burgeoning multicultural schooling community.

Creating and supporting sustainable change in education is not easy. All teachers are capable of impacting the lives of students who come from disenfranchised communities. But it requires them to be socially responsible agents of change who feel empowered to stand up and hold policy makers accountable for leaving the most vulnerable students behind.

This year’s Multicultural Education Conference theme initiates an honest dialogue among educators on how to keep stakeholders accountable for the education of all students.

Conference Session Strands

1. Parent/Community Involvement
2. Leadership and Advocacy
3. Peace and Conflict Resolution
4. Social Dominance and Power Relations in Society
5. Social Justice Civic Involvement/Service Learning Projects
6. Multicultural/Anti-Bias/Diversity Education
7. Technology/Technical Integration and Media Analysis
8. Empowerment through Critical Pedagogy
9. Curriculum and Strategies for English Learners
Impact of Educational Reform Policies on English Learners