Diverse Curriculum

DIVER English department launches initiative, incorporates more diverse voices

The Stevenson English department plans to implement a change in which 51% of its books will be written by authors of color. As education boards across the nation are integrating more diversity into their studies, Stevenson’s English department is beginning to use new books starting this year. By having students read more novels set within a variety of cultural backgrounds, the school aims to refect the student body more closely by ensuring that at least half of the books that students analyze are dedicated to learning more about new perspectives. The Freshman Accelerated English classes provide one example of the new guideline: “A Tale of Two Cities” will be replaced by “The House on Mango Street” at the end of this year. Traditionally, English curriculums have included many works written by white male authors. However, as Stevenson’s population continues to grow, the diversity in its student body has also increased. Instead of the once mostly white demographic, Asians make up 32.1% of the student body, and there has been a larger representation

of the black and Hispanic communities. -nglish teacher syan Aronof voiced his support for the administration’s effort to provide diverse selections of stories. In his perspective, the new structure of the curriculum encourages students to step out of their comfort zones and challenges them to learn fom new environments. “It’s about expanding worldviews — both students’ and teachers,” Aronof said. “I think all of us tend to be drawn to what we are most comfortable with. It’s daunting. I see the necessity in it, the value in it, but I also understand why a lot of teachers, including myself, feel like it’s a lot to take on. But that doesn’t mean you don’t do it.” Stevenson has already begun to implement this new policy by integrating a handful of new novels into various classes across the English curriculum. Doug Lillydahl, Director of Communication Arts, stresses that the formation of curriculum is an ever-changing process. Teachers continuously collaborate to select books that are both engaging and challenging for students of all class levels and also work

I think that’s one the things I really like about Stevenson is that you’re really able to connect with people from all diferent types of backgrounds.

DIVER51TY English department launches initiative, incorporates more diverse voices

to create new study materials for these novels. Helena Ebeling ’21, an AP Language and Composition student, believes these new books have signifcantly changed the types of discussions she experiences in class. “I feel like this class is very writing focused, and these books have a very political basis,” Ebeling said. “I don’t think these books are trying to enforce a political agenda, but I feel like it’s bringing up more political conversations than literary conversations.” As well as creating new conversations inside the classroom, the impacts of Stevenson’s diversity are being seen even beyond the classroom. Adriana Flores ’20, a Latina American student and the president of Spanish Club, said that throughout her high school experience, she has been able to rely on Stevenson’s strong ability to integrate students of all ethnic backgrounds so that everyone can come together in a shared community. “I think the way that SHS is bringing together its new 51% rule in the curriculum along with the advertisement of its diverse clubs helps create that sense of community in the school, and it really helps us understand where other students are coming fom,” Flores said. “One of the things I

really like about Stevenson is that you’re really able to connect with people fom all diferent types of backgrounds.” Students like Flores and Ebeling have been able to explore Stevenson’s diversity through multiple means, such as the new curriculum and through clubs, in order to keep the students interconnected with one another. The English Department hopes to further accommodate the diversity in their student body by refecting all students in their teachings. The long-term goal, as stated by Lillydahl, is to keep adapting to the student body and refect Stevenson’s vision and values: celebrating diversity. “Diversity and perspective ofers us windows and mirrors,” Aronof said. “Windows into other worlds, other cultures, other lives that we cannot experience on our own. We can imagine ourselves in the heads of others tangentially. Mirrors, in that, we all need validation fom the world saying ‘your story matters.’”

WRITTEN BY: JANICE LEE , LILA MAIOLO & POOJA JAIN DESIGNED BY: LILY JIANG & SERENA MEHTA