The York School DEI Update - May 2023

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION & BELONGING UPDATE

Dear York School Community,

Three years ago, The York School committed to increasing and improving our understanding of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion (DEI) and Belonging as a school community (see link to last year’s DEI update). While our monthly DEI Newsletter (shared in The Flash) is designed to provide snapshots of our work, as the 2022-23 school year draws to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to update you on our progress and look ahead to next year.

Having completed the CAIS and IB accreditations in November, we received praise for the positive changes that have taken place, including the following from the Chair of the CAIS Visiting Committee:

“The York School is a gem. Although small in carat, significant positive changes in the past five years have created a finely cut school of exquisite clarity. From the Junior School to Senior School, from the youngest student to the most experienced member of the Board, The York School engenders strong feelings of affection and pride. The York School is well governed, purposeful in its academic rigour and adherence to the IB programme and maintains a comfortable school environment that is described as: inclusive, progressive, supportive and global”.

The Board of Directors and Leadership Team of the school, as well as many members of staff, have been focused on taking the CAIS/IB accreditation recommendations and writing a new strategic plan for York. One of the most important recommendations from both our self study and the CAIS report was to review and update our mission, vision and values, which were first established by the school in 2007. We are pleased to share that we have completed this task and shared the updated ones with student and staff focus groups as well as the Board of Directors who wholeheartedly feel that the new mission, vision and values reflect York’s progressive nature and culture of belonging and inclusivity. We are excited to share the newly updated mission, vision and values with the community when we launch the new strategic plan in the fall.

The chart below highlights more of the work that has been implemented or is on-going. It is grouped into four categories which reflect the four pillars of our Interim Strategic Plan, which will be completed in June 2023. The Interim Strategic Plan Wrap Up Report was shared with our community last month, and we welcome you to review it again to see how our school has progressed since 2021.

Promoting Academic Excellence

Review our curriculum through a DEI lens, leveraging professional development and our understanding of best practices.

The York School has:

• made enhancements with the objective of increasing representation and centering diverse voices throughout the curriculum in collaboration with IB coordinators and DEI Chairs have. A formal curriculum DEI audit has commenced to identify gaps and areas of improvement.

• worked with Indigenous educator Dr. Pamela Toulouse to enhance the authenticity and impact of Indigenous education within the JS curriculum.

Cultivate Highly Qualified & Progressive Staff

• hosted DEI experts from our community and beyond in the past three years including but not limited to:

Dr. Pamela Toulouse, Shakil Choudhary, Anima Leadership, Holland Bloorview, Canvas, Kiki OjoThompson, Kim Katrin and the Get Real Movement.

These leaders have worked with our students, staff, parents and Board of Directors to support our learning and increase the culture of belonging at our school.

Use our annual Employee Opinion Survey to enhance engagement and promote DEI work including professional development.

The York School has:

• engaged staff in annual summer book clubs with a focus on DEI.

• participated in numerous professional development opportunities including the Leadership Team’s completion of the Cornell University DEI Certificate, attending the NAIS Student Diversity and Leadership Conference and People of Colour Conference, Addressing Anti-Black Racism to Change Pedagogy and Practice and various other workshops and affinity groups in house and through the CIS Ontario and CAIS network.

• engaged in professional development with the Centre for Transformational Teaching and Learning out of the U.S. on the intersection between research backed neuro-informed teaching, Social Emotional Learning and belonging.

Prioritize Student Citizenship, Engagement, Relationship & Community Building

Promote culture and curriculum in new ways including learning the intersection of DEI, wellbeing and belonging

The York School has:

• established student leadership positions in wellbeing and DEI, as well as engaged our students with leaders from other schools.

• established student affinity groups and each year has run focus groups, facilitated by an outside consultant to better understand our DEI progress and areas that still require attention.

Promote the Growth of the Organization

• supported students and staff, with retiring the house names.

• written a Land Acknowledgement in collaboration with Dr. Pamela Toulouse and personalization is encouraged to enhance its ongoing relevance meaning and as part of reconciliation

Adopt a DEI commitment statement and embed it in all aspects of the organization including operational practices

The York School has:

• worked with the Rick Hansen Foundation to complete an accessibility audit of our campuses. The minor recommendations have already been implemented such as audio devices at receptions, adjustments in the elevators and accessible washrooms.

• made significant facility improvements which align with our DEI commitment including: gender inclusive washrooms, the Athletic Commons (summer ‘23) and has provided Quiet Rooms at both campuses.

• been more intentional with the use of language to be more inclusive in its communication and recognition of the diversity of our community.

• been working towards creating a more identity affirming culture.

• established an endowment with a foundational gift of $500k to ensure talented students of all socioeconomic backgrounds can access our school and reap the benefits of a York education.

• hired a Director of Human Resources with strong DEI expertise and established dedicated DEI roles within the faculty.

• supported The Board of Directors commitment to the Government of Canada’s 50-30 Challenge to increase the representation of diverse groups within the board and leadership team.

Finally, the school has completed its partnership with Equity Connections, the consultancy group that has led professional development for our staff, facilitated student and staff focus groups and provided parent education through Coffee Connects. This collaborative partnership has helped build internal expertise and capacity by supporting our students’ and employees’ learning and confidence in facilitating difficult but necessary conversations around issues related to DEI. As the school prepares to complete this partnership, Cherilyn Scobie-Edwards of Equity Connections said the following:

Working to promote an expansive culture of belonging takes time and the collective efforts of all members of our community. We have much to be proud of, but acknowledge there is still lots of work to do and the road may not always be entirely smooth. The key is that we have already created a learning environment where we are more self aware, able to ask questions, share insights and challenge each other. We are grateful to have students, staff, parents, alumni and a Board of Directors who are committed to ensuring the long term success of The York School.

“York is truly ready and it has been wonderful to be part of your journey.”