Learning From This: What Caribbean Schools Must Understand
While the PBLHS context is American, its challenges mirror those in many Bahamian and Caribbean schools.
1. Our classrooms are becoming more culturally diverse.
The Bahamas now serves:
- Haitian students
- Jamaican and other Caribbean nationals
- Latin American migrants
- Chinese and Filipino students
- Students with mixed cultural and linguistic backgrounds
Yet many of our schools still rely on one-way, English-only communication.
2. Parent disengagement is often a systems issue, not a parenting issue.
Parents may struggle with:
- Work schedules
- Transportation
- Language barriers
- Fear of school systems
- Limited digital access
- Past negative school experiences
I learned quickly that silence does not equal apathy.
3. Teachers need real support—not heroic expectations.
A teacher cannot meaningfully engage 36 students in a culturally diverse room without:
- multilingual supports
- classroom management training for diverse cultures
- community liaisons
- smaller class sizes
- dynamic communication tools
4. Community groups are willing—but need system alignment.
Many partners want to help, but lack:
- structured communication points
- clarity of needs
- training to support multilingual families
- resources to engage consistently
5. Crisis communication must be intentional.
Families need accuracy, transparency, and emotional reassurance—especially in emergency situations.
After reviewing the plan, I realized this is not unique to Florida.
It is a Caribbean issue. A Bahamian issue. A global issue.
