Getting to Know Langley’s New DEI Coordinator

FACULTY/STAFF UPDATE:

Over the past few years, Langley has strengthened our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and has made significant strides in incorporating these values across all areas of the school. To elevate this work and provide more centralized leadership, Langley created a new DEI coordinator position this year, filled by Director of Extended Day & Enrichment LaToya Needham, a nine-year Langley veteran and fixture in our after-school programs. LaToya’s passion, creativity, and in-depth knowledge of our community make her the perfect choice to guide us on this journey. Here’s what she had to say about her new role and why DEI is more important than ever.

Why did you decide to take on this new role of DEI coordinator?

I’ve always had a passion for DEI work and have been looking for a way to incorporate it into my role at Langley. Head of School Elinor Scully and I have had numerous discussions about where DEI at Langley is headed and how I might facilitate that. I’m thrilled to be partnering with her and our faculty and staff to lead this incredibly important effort.

Why is it important to make DEI a priority at Langley?

I’m proud to be part of a school community that valued the importance of DEI long before the current climate in our country brought it to the forefront. Racial tensions and inequities have been present for a long time, but I think a lot has happened over the past year to raise the profile of this topic. We have a responsibility not only to help our students, faculty, and staff of color feel welcome and represented, but also to help our entire community learn to value different perspectives and build understanding. There’s no better time to make this a priority than right now. What are some of the initiatives you have begun this year?

It’s been a busy few months! We formed a DEI Committee made up of 10 faculty and staff that meets every other week, giving us a forum to discuss how to handle current events like the election or address concerns within our community. I’ve met with faculty/staff and alumni of color to get their perspectives and ideas, and have talked with our teachers about how to integrate DEI topics into the curriculum. At the start of the year, our parent association, PALS, hosted a panel of administrators discussing how to talk to children during difficult times and renowned DEI consultant, Derrick Gay, was the featured speaker at the Board of Trustees’ annual retreat. We also used part of our faculty/staff professional development day in October to discuss scenarios surrounding DEI.

What are your goals for the remainder of the school year?

My goal is to integrate DEI work into our everyday lives here at Langley – whether in our curriculum, professional development, parent events, or the admission process – so that it’s seamless and becomes part of who we are. We’ve come a long way, but we have more work to do. And I know we can do it together.