Education, Introspection, and Action

Education, Introspection, and Action

Update on our Internal Climate Assessment

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As mentioned previously in Quaker Matters, Wilmington Friends engaged Brown-Gary Associates, who conducted an immersive climate assessment and submitted a comprehensivereport to the School with both commendations and recommendations. The assessment identified and prioritized bothshort-term and long-term needs for the School and the students we serve––education, introspection, and action being atthe heart of the recommendations––and here we provide a summary.

To manage the implementation of the recommendations included in the Immersive Climate Assessment report, we haveformed a Diversity Steering Committee made up of faculty and staff members, Ken Aldridge (clerk), Melissa Brown,Carlos Charriez, Erica Childs, Tina DiSabatino, Aminah Finney, Beth Hill ‘12, Karen Horikawa, Danielle Litterelle, KathleenMartin, Amanda McMillan, and Don Morton ‘94. Ex-officio members are Mike Benner, Jon Huxtable, Julie Rodowsky, andRebecca Zug.

In addition, we are hiring a Director of Equity, Justice, Community, and Engagement as a priority recommendation, andtheir primary role is to assist the School in realizing the aspirations articulated in our Statement on Diversity and Inclusionand guide the committee and the School through the important work outlined both in the report and through otherstrategic initiatives that they identify. Here is a summary of the commendations and recommendations:

Commendations

The findings produced several commendations for WFS. The School’s foundation and mission, along with our Philosophy and Beliefs and Statement on Diversity, articulate a firm and solid commitment to a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community. Student experiences affirm this commitment.

Our consultant found that the WFS Board of Trustees is both committed to being an active part of ongoing discussions regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to their own personal growth. The Administrative Team was commended for their engagement in this process overall, and especially for the work being done in the middle school as well as the focus in Admissions on an enrollment management plan that is committed to a diverse student body. The School was also commended for a commitment to service learning in all divisions.

Specific initiatives within the School were especially noted. This includes the development of and participation in the School’s 10-year commitment to Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) groups; the newly-created Read and Educate ourselves on Antiracism and Diversity READ Journal groups; and the Black Lives Matter committee work and community discussion groups held in the summer of 2020. There were also some specific commendations regarding curriculum and programming.

WFS was also commended for providing the space and time for various groups–affinity, alliance, and interest– to engage, and there was specific praise for the students of color having the courage and care to talk about their experiences and challenges.

Looking at equity, the School’s goal to grow our endowment to make WFS more affordable was applauded, as well as our fund apart from financial aid that assists families with incidental expenses outside of tuition. The accessibility of learning coordinators in each division was also commended.

WFS Statement on Diversity

At Wilmington Friends, diversity is integral to our educational objectives and to our mission as a Quaker school. The defining belief of Quakerism is that there is “that of God” in everyone. That belief gives rise to a profound respect for the dignity of each person and an obligation to lead on issues of social justice. Guided by Quaker principles, we seek to build and sustain a community of students, families, faculty, staff, administrators and trustees with a variety of identities—in terms of culture, economic means, ethnicity, gender, nationality, race, religion and sexual orientation.

We define diversity not only by the composition of our school community but also by the character of our interactions and the high level of scholarship in our program. We recognize that diversity of thought, identity and experience is essential to academic excellence and to the pursuit of truth, in the Quaker tradition. In and beyond the classroom, we seek to instill an orientation to learning about various countries, cultures, experiences, points of view, and identities that inform individual and family stories. That intentional engagement allows for honest discussion, including disagreement and the growth that can come from it, promoting mutual respect and a broadened perspective for all.

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Recommendations

In the spirit of the Quaker concept of continuing revelation, the School is pleased to have a more concrete path forward for growth based on the recommendations provided in the report.

Education

Providing ongoing training and education for administrators, department chairs, faculty & staff, and the Board of Trustees, including workshops on inclusion; professional development in cross-cultural competency; and internal review of and discussions about the specific feedback in the climate assessment led by facilitators.

Providing ongoing implicit bias and anti-racist training for all WFS faculty and staff including learning about strategies that “positively affect student learning and attachment to schooling, in spite of social inequalities” for all adults in the community.

Increasing student programming centered around identifying behaviors of bias and bullying, what the consequences are for

Introspection

Implementing a curriculum audit.

Reviewing the process for differentiated instruction in the classroom, as well as providing more professional training.

Conducting a review of our service learning programs.

Including measures regarding identity-safe classrooms in student evaluations of teachers.

Including the application of multicultural practice in school faculty and staff evaluations, including the intentional pursuit of professional development; specific references to course content, teacher communications and classroom management; and skills consistent with the WFS mission.

these behaviors, and what options are available to students to report these behaviors and seek out help.

Communicating the process to report incidents of bias as well as a clearly articulated no-tolerance policy.

Educating community members on the past and current experiences of people of color in this country by understanding the work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Learning from national programs supporting LGBTQ+ students, along with research, to support in-school programming.

Maintaining and expanding our diversity and inclusion training for new faculty.

Conducting exit interviews with faculty that include components related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Implementing a review of our disciplinary processes.

Updating the process to report incidents of bias annually and looking at processes at other schools.

Review roles and responsibility for all faculty and staff with an eye on equity.

Conducting an annual review of the hiring process to help measure if we are achieving our goals.

Evaluating support for students with learning challenges who don’t have the means to seek outside support.

Action

Increasing diverse representation on the Board of Trustees and the Administrative Team.

Increasing lessons about various communities, points of view, leaders and changemakers, and cultures in the curriculum.

Refining the mission and purpose of student clubs and committees, adding more to include affinity spaces, and focusing faculty support to increase inclusion.

Creating more affinity and identity groups in the middle school, especially for students who identify as LBGTQ+ and their allies.

Creating ambassador groups for parents and alumni of color, as well as an affinity space for Quakers in the community.

Increasing engagement from the School and outreach to new families.

Using targeted recruiting efforts and networks for hiring.

Looking at specific networks, organizations, and associations for admissions, and using targeted advertising Open Houses.

Including specific language regarding diversity, multicultural practice, and cultivating a just and inclusive community in job responsibilities and aligning job descriptions to include expectations.

Providing ongoing mentoring with feedback to new faculty including WFS customs and expectations, and expose them to local and regional culture and activities.

Creating an Affordability and Access Committee to better understand non-tuition expenses that are considered essential to life at school.

Clearly communicating the process to access the School’s existing access fund for non-tuition expenses.

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