Does Aliso Niguel Need A More Diverse Staff?

The study body at Aliso Niguel is noticeably diverse and has the privilege of hosting students from different ethnic backgrounds. There are even multiple clubs on campus that dedicate themselves to promoting equality such as Dear Asian Youth and Aliso For Change. Despite efforts by students to ensure inclusivity at the school, it appears that the actual staff at Aliso Niguel is lacking in diversity.

According to the racial breakdown on schooldigger.com, the white population makes up 52.6% of the students at Aliso Niguel. The other portion is roughly 21% Hispanic, 16.2% Asian, and 1.6% are African American students. 

This problem is most prevalent in the world language department. Not only does Aliso Niguel only offer two languages which already limits a student’s ability to become familiar with a variety of languages and cultures, but there is a distinct lack of teachers who identify as Latino.Aliso Niguel has a visible Hispanic/Latino population that would naturally benefit from seeing educators share a familiar culture to be more well educated on their heritage as well as properly share it with other non hispanic students. In fact, According to the racial breakdown on schooldigger.com, the white population makes up 52.6% of the students at Aliso Niguel. The other portion is roughly 21% Hispanic, 16.2% Asian, and 1.6% are African American students. 

A crucial part of learning a language is the ability to be immersed in the culture that surrounds that language. To accurately teach on something so complex, it is necessary for our school to enlist the aid of more staff with real experience in the culture they aim to educate students about.

Nevertheless, the need for diversity goes for all departments. In some departments as large as the math and social science department there is as little as 2 people of color in the entire faculty. How are minority students expected to find crucial role models that demonstrate their capabilities and relate to their experiences if all their teachers are white? The lack of diversity in the Aliso Niguel staff creates a rift between the interconnection between students and teachers. 

However, a larger problem is responsible for the lack of diversity in educators in general is the lack of minorities that go into the educational field. Nevertheless, it is crucial that in a state such as California that hosts a distinct population of minorities, that our school district accommodates for this diversity.