Over the past few years, East Cobb has experienced a large influx of people from all over the world. Those families have chosen East Cobb as a place to live and raise their families due to its proximity to global-based businesses and its reputation for outstanding schools. As a result, a variety of diversity programs have been implemented in our public schools. East Cobb is known for strong involvement in our community and in our schools. The East Cobb County Council of PTA’s (ECCC), is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote the well-being of all students, has historically cared about and devotes time to issues related to diversity and inclusion. PTA understands and embraces the uniqueness of all individuals, and recognizes that each student possesses unique points of view, based on his/her culture, traditions, and values. The Diversity & Inclusion committee of ECCC celebrates diversity and promotes inclusion by following the 5 National Standards:
Standard 1- Welcoming all families with an understanding that cultural norms may differ across the diverse population.
Standard 2- Communicating effectively with the aid of interpreters (if needed) for student success to be achieved.
Standard 3- Supporting student success by giving opportunities to strengthen our knowledge of our diverse culture of families.
Standard 4- Speaking up for every child with the goal of empowering families to be advocates for their children.
Standard 5- Collaborating with the community to connect students, families, and staff to expand learning opportunities.
In recent years, ECCC launched the Facebook Multi-Cobb Diversity Awareness Group. This group aims to share and promote diversity-based programs happening at different times and locations in the Cobb County schools. The group gives a voice to the diversity of families in the area and it is a supportive place to find resources, connect with people of diverse backgrounds, and find civic-minded events within the county.
This article was written by Carmen Melendez, committee chair for Diversity and Inclusion, East Cobb County Council of PTAs, and originally appeared in our December issue, on page 8. For our digital edition, click here.
