DEI in CTSOs.

Last week…

This is the time of year my organizations complete their officer teams by filling positions for young, inexperienced but active and engaged members. Both DECA and FBLA have spaces on their Executive Councils for “leaders in training.” In both instances, these positions are designed to capitalize on the energy and excitement of young students just finding our CTSO. We encourage first year members to start their journey towards leadership by applying for one of these positions. There are two or three of these positions available every year, and we have had great success with translating these training positions to Chapter or State Officers in the future. It’s a fantastic training ground that I fully support.

The other day we held interviews for this “leadership in training” position, and we were thrilled with the number of applicants to fill these two spots. We had twelve young members—all freshmen and sophomores—outside my classroom waiting for their interview. They all looked professional—and a bit nervous—and were carrying the extra copies of their resumes in shaking hands. 

It was torture!!! How to choose between these young leaders, all of whom show promise and excitement to start their journey.

The answer, from my perspective, came from the concept of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). Let’s delve into my thought process on this, shall we…

The Modern Organization

I have some very dated publications from Career and Technical Student Organizations—don’t forget I started with DECA in 1979! These documents were very well-done for the time period, with lots of pictures and colorful titles.

Pictures of white kids.

Just white kids. 

The really funny thing is that “just white kids” was the exact opposite of my experience in high school organizations. In retrospect, we were way ahead of the country in suburban New Jersey, with different cultures and ethnicities blended together in our classrooms, sports, and clubs.

But, overall…white kids.

DEI in CTSOs wasn’t quite there yet.

This does not represent modern Career and Technical Student Organizations in any way, shape or form. I couldn’t find any demographic information for DECA or FBLA beyond the total number of members in the organization. This was frustrating, and really makes me question what they might be hiding, so I can only go on my own anecdotal experiences with these amazing organizations.

They ain’t all white kids. At all.

Equity And Inclusion In CTSOs

In my decades of experience, I have been witness to the changes in demographics and populations of students who are involved in DECA and FBLA. Attending decades of state and national conferences, I’ve seen the subtle shift in the winners towards a significantly better representation of the United States as a melting pot of every ethnicity and culture. DEI in CTSOs is certainly improving. I’ve watched students from obviously different cultures and backgrounds hugging and crying on stage when they win, and I’ve seen similar scenes on the convention floor when students aren’t successful. 

There is no doubt these scenes remind me of the incredible power of these organizations, and how they can impact individual students and change lives.

They can also open minds.

What Is Your Demographic?

We have a high school in our state that represents the most impoverished and undereducated section of our area. Homelessness is a huge problem for their students, and generational poverty abounds.

They are fierce competitors. They are always dressed professionally. We fear them in competition, to be honest.

Then, there is my school. We have a significantly more positive demographic, although we have incredible diversity. Our school is fortunate to have significant funding, and many sponsors willing to assist us with resources as necessary. Even though our demographic is changing slowly, it will never mirror the competitor of which I spoke. We are a well-funded magnet school of choice, and quite simply will never be similar to the public schools in our state.

But when we see them come into the convention, we shiver. We aren’t scared of them due to ethnicity. We know them as fierce competitors who are well-trained and ready for action. 

They are our equals. In every way.

Are You Reaching Everyone On Campus?

As a successful and longstanding powerhouse organization on campus, we often don’t self-reflect as we should. We are too busy serving the 100 or so members of each organization, running meetings and preparing for competitive events. 

Kind of like teachers, isn’t it? Always on the grind, with no chance to breathe and reflect on your efficacy.

The interviews of last week were a stark reminder to me that we need to take that step back and evaluate whether we are truly serving our entire community. Whether our CTSOs are following the proper DEI initiatives. 

Are we being inclusive?

The answer that was staring into my face was that we had become complacent in some areas—living off of our past successes and strong leadership teams. We hadn’t really evaluated our membership in terms of diversity, equity and inclusion in the four years that I had been in charge.

It was time.

Overcoming Stereotypes

In retrospect, both of my organizations are stereotyped on our campus in several ways:

We are business clubs

Both DECA and FBLA began in the mid-1900’s, and, yes, they were originally designed as clubs for students interested in business. That is no longer our focus, despite the fact that both organizations do factor into my curriculum, and the advisers are business teachers. Both organizations have expanded their reach and offerings to make membership accessible to anyone. The focus on leadership development and community service have changed our reach to include all students who want to build their skills and community reach.

We are for smart people

Another old stereotype is that only “nerds” could win in the competitive events. While decades ago the events focused on content knowledge, the current format of competitive events is designed to highlight the different talents of all students. With a newer focus on soft skills, it is very possible for students who do not identify as academically gifted to be extremely successful on stage.

We form cliques

I remember this one in particular from my own humble beginnings with DECA. I was so self-conscious at my first meeting, thinking that everybody already had a friend group and I was, once again, the “outsider”. It’s important that you specify officers who can act as your “welcome wagon” for new members, so they can help them meet new students and acclimate into the environment of your organization.

We don’t welcome everyone

That ‘prep school’ mentality for our organizations also seemed to leave no room for people in the LGBTQ+ community. In the school community, we were sometimes seen as a “conformity” type of club, with all of us in suits and ties and loafers. While nothing could be further from the truth, it is incumbent on us to make sure we are reaching everyone on campus.

More DEI in CTSOs: Tackling Gender Identity Issues

Our CTSOs practice positive DEI in many areas.

Last year I had a spectacular competitor who identifies as non-binary. Last week, one candidate asked to be identified by a different gender from their birth. These commonplace experiences need to be addressed by us as advisers, so that all students know they have a firm and welcoming place in our organization. 

These issues should not impact the students’ inclusion in your organization one bit, nor should they be subject to any form of discrimination or discomfort while they are participating fully in your classroom. They are just kids—they don’t need to “earn” a place at our table. 

But when we travel, this particular issue becomes important for us to face and tackle head on. When—not if—this situation occurs in your organization, I strongly advise you to be pro-active, and reach out to your state director as soon as possible, so that discreet and equitable plans can be made for these students to participate fully in your state and (hopefully) national competitions.

Encouraging Participation By Changing Perceptions

So, the elephant in the room is the question of how we change perceptions and break through the stereotypes to become the inclusive, diverse group we need for our students?

The answer lies with you and your leadership team. 

Are you being the inclusive educator you think you are? How many students have you personally invited to a meeting? How many times have you reached out to leaders of other organizations to invite them to a meeting?

Does your leadership team reflect your campus? Look again, Boo Boo. This is an important question.

Building A Leadership Team

So, we needed to appoint the “leaders in training” in both organizations. 

Twelve worthy souls. 

Appointed not elected. On purpose.

THIS is how you make sure your leadership team reflects your school demographic. THIS is your chance to affect change in your organization, reach across the table, and demonstrate your commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.

I’m not telling you who to appoint.

But…if they are all qualified.

Come to the decision from the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion.

And call that kid whatever name they want.
It’s about respect. 

THANK YOU FOR READING THIS FAR!!!

Wow, thank you for reading about DEI in CTSOs!

Hey, since you’re here! You may as well check out family engagement for students, here, and learn about trauma-informed education, here! Check out our other topics here! Either way, I appreciate you!

Please leave a COMMENT about any tips you may have!! Or comment what your favorite lesson of mine was! How’s your student organization operating?

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Resources

https://www.decadirect.org/articles/inclusion-access-equity-diversity-cte-learners-discuss

https://wafbla.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/2022-2023-DEI-Guide.pdf