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  Case: De-emphasize Differences.
I was recently assigned to the middle school in the Warren School District. The district serves a community that had once been an all-white middle-class enclave, but has recently become more diverse in its ethnic makeup. I am very interested in multicultural education. I instituted the use of dialog journals in my adviser group, telling the students that they can write anything they want. Some journal entries cause me concern. Warren Jackson, an African American, complains that my emphasis on African American culture embarrasses him. Gail Smith, a white girl, writes that her parents object strongly to her affection for Warren Jackson and that she is considering suicide. My problems come to a head in my first meeting with the principal. The principal suggests that I decrease his use of small groups, that I abandon my dialogue journals, and that I de-emphasize the multicultural aspects of my classes. He suggests that I emphasize similarities, not differences. I don't know what to do. I do think that my methods have some value but I cannot go against my principal.
Solution: (Rates are posted for this solution!)
First and foremost I would immediately follow your schools procedures as a mandatory reporter and pass off the girls threats of suicide to the appropriate parties. This is something that should never be taken lightly and honestly trumps the issue with multicultural education. Even if the threat isn't serious it has to be taken seriously.

Next, as far as the dialogue journals I would meet my principal halfway. Maybe I would give prompts every day and pass out guidelines or a grading rubric. They way you have it is to loose and invites these types of situations. If you want to get your students into multicultural education, steer them that way. You could ask them to write about their feelings or experiences with interracial dating from an outsiders perspective, and then ask them to provide specific evidence as to why they hold certain opinions. Then use these to prompt a class discussion.

Also, I don't think you should emphasize similarities or differences, you need to have students approach things more academically and analytically. You could even do journal prompts on perceived cultural and racial similarities or differences and have your students again provide evidence as to why they have a particular feeling one way or another, and forcing them to self analyze may open them up to seeing things a different way or seeing a new way they may find more appealing or relevant than the way they were seeing things.