FACULTY
FACULTY
Supporting Diversity,
Equity, and Inclusion at Trinity School By World Languages Teachers and Diversity Committee Co-Chairs Sarah Meurisse and Gina Quiñones and First Grade Lead Teacher and Diversity Coordinator Kim Washington
Our culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion at Trinity School encompasses and celebrates multiculturalism, individual value, and a belief that difference is what makes our community unique. This mindset contributes to Trinity’s rich learning environment and encourages our community members to bring their whole selves to school. By having a diverse and inclusive community, Trinity ensures that its students and teachers learn empathy, respect, and acceptance for all individuals and their unique identities, including religious beliefs, family structure, gender, sexual orientation, age, race, class, and learning styles. As part of our school mission, we strive to help children become active, compassionate members of the global society. Our primary goal is to guide and support our students and all members of our community by helping them answer the following questions. • Who am I?
18
• How can I be a contributing, supportive member of a community?
These questions provide a framework for the efforts toward a school culture that recognizes the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Faculty members have worked closely with Rosetta Lee, a nationally recognized diversity, equity, and inclusion speaker, to define what these terms mean in an independent school community. • Diversity: difference, variety • Equity: providing opportunities and access to all so that every person can achieve his or her full potential. Equitable treatment involves acknowledging diversity, recognizing and celebrating differences, and eliminating the barriers that prevent the full participation of all persons • Inclusion: feeling a sense of belonging, worthiness, and value in an organization/school As part of teachers’ ongoing professional development, Trinity commits to sending a team to the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) People of Color Conference (PoCC) each year.
Attending PoCC provides teachers and administrators with multiple opportunities to learn from nationally renowned speakers and to offer their voices and perspectives on a national scale through workshops and affinity groups. After attending the PoCC for nine years, First Grade Lead Teacher and Diversity Coordinator Kim Washington served on the PoCC Planning Committee in 2016. Working behind the scenes, Washington received a firsthand look at the amount of preparation and effort that goes into creating this event. “Each year that I attend this conference, I am inspired by the work teachers around the country are doing to help their school become more inclusive,” says Washington. “I always leave with a toolkit of resources, information, and ideas that I enjoy sharing with my colleagues and students. Also, one of the biggest highlights for me this year was meeting Georgia’s living legends John Lewis and Hank Aarons.” For the last two years, World Languages Teacher Lauren Kinnard and World
Languages Teacher and Diversity Committee Co-Chair Gina Quiñones have served as PoCC Affinity Group Facilitators. In 2016, Kinnard guided a group of about 550 white teachers through conversations about how their experience as white people affects the way they understand race and racism and how they interact in their classrooms and schools. Quiñones led a group of about 200 Latino/a educators and administrators through the process of engaging with social issues that affect school communities. “It has been an invigorating and empowering experience for many reasons, but by far my favorite parts are sharing our stories and enjoying joyful fellowship through song and dance,” says Quiñones. The following are reflections from some of the other 2016 PoCC attendees. “You never see with the same lenses after PoCC,” says World Languages Teacher and Diversity Committee Co-Chair Sarah Meurisse. “PoCC got to the core of my humanity. Learning dances that our ancestors would have done to unite people and finding how my voice can be of service to others were key gifts that I brought out of the conference.” “Because of inspiring words from Bryan Stevenson, I am compelled, now more than ever, to be a stronger advocate for all Trinity students, and to stand in the gap for them when they are unable to speak
for themselves,” says Kindergarten Lead Teacher Nicole King. In addition to PoCC, faculty members also participate in other off-campus professional development opportunities, including NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute, Master Class in Inclusive Leadership, iChange Collaborative, and BOLD Leadership Summit. A new initiative, BOLD is an annual gathering of educators of color who are looking to grow in their careers and make an impact on education through leadership of an independent school. Early Elementary Division Head Rhonda Mitchell is a BOLD Fellow. Last year, she participated in the leadership summit; this year, she will serve as a class leader. “Over the last decade, independent schools have increasingly evolved to have student bodies and faculty that are more reflective of the communities in which they are located,” says Mitchell. “This diversity in enrollment and teachers provides students the opportunity to learn and develop broader perspectives that will be valuable to them throughout life. The BOLD Summit was designed to develop the skills and networks of new and aspiring leaders in independent schools. As a participant, I spent a week with current women heads of school and other independent school leaders developing the knowledge and skills important to moving a school forward. This year, I
will participate as a class leader, sharing learnings from my areas of strength so that others can benefit. The BOLD Summit was an affirming experience that provided me with a new level of confidence and practice to serve the Trinity community.” Additionally, during pre-planning in August, Trinity’s diversity leaders offer in-house professional development to establish mindfulness about the importance of keeping diversity, equity, and inclusion at the forefront of what we do as we prepare to welcome students back to school. Throughout the school year, ongoing professional development opportunities at Trinity offer faculty members opportunities to lead this mission-critical work within our entire school community. Faculty leaders facilitate sessions and offer support to strengthen and expand our day-to-day classroom practices. In 1963, Trinity School became the first racially integrated private school in Georgia. Today, as a community, we strive to continue to have diversity, equity, and inclusion be an ever-present, integrated part of the school day; to value the power of conversation and dialogue; and to embrace an attitude of continual growth and learning.
19