Our School
The Plan
Diversity and Building Community Committee
of the Board of Trustees Diversity Plan
Creating the School We Want to Be
Draft Updated March 2008
Note: This draft of the Diversity Plan is under review by the Board of Trustees and will be approved at the October 2009 Board meeting.
Introduction
Our mission is to spark in students of diverse backgrounds and talents a passion for learning, accomplishment, and contribution to their communities. The Bush School values diversity. We believe that differences among people provide a rich and vital context for the effective intellectual, emotional, social, and psychological development of our students. We believe that multiple perspectives and a range of worldviews enliven learning and stimulate good teaching. For this reason, we seek to create a school community that is inclusive, welcoming, and supportive of children and families of all backgrounds and life experiences including ability/disability, learning differences, age, cultural, and ethnic background, gender, gender identity/expression, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic class. We are a school in which our programs and interpersonal relationships affirm and are respectful of the dignity and worth of each member of our community.
We want to guide our students to develop the skills and attitudes needed to interact productively with others, to understand each other, and to act with justice and compassion. We will continue to address these issues throughout our educational program in age-appropriate and developmentally-appropriate ways. Further, we seek to improve cultural competency throughout our entire school community.
The purpose of the Diversity Plan is to build a school culture that is inclusive, supportive, and welcoming of all members of the school community. The Plan will be implemented over a five-year period and focuses on the most pressing community issues facing our school. The Plan addresses four critical areas of school life:
- School Environment
- Student Recruitment, Enrollment and Retention
- Faculty and Staff Retention, Recruitment, and Hiring
- Faculty and Staff Professional Development
The responsibility for this Plan will be shared by the Board of Trustees and the administration of the school. The Diversity Director, Diversity Action Committee and Diversity and Building Community Committee will also play key roles in implementing this Plan. We expect the entire Bush community will participate in achieving the goals.
The Diversity and Building Community Committee of the Board of Trustees will monitor implementation of this Plan and establish a calendar of regular reports regarding progress on each of the objectives of the Plan. The Diversity and Building Community Committee will use this information as the basis for annual reports to the full Board of Trustees and to the broader school community.
Plan Initiatives
School Environment
The environment of our school is shaped by the assumptions, norms, expectations, and behaviors of all members of our school community. In order to create a climate in which each member of our community feels welcome, included, and well served, we must assure that our school’s operation and program are characterized by fair, clear, and consistent expectations and accountability. Without this institutional foundation, the initiatives outlined in this Plan cannot achieve their full effect. This Plan addresses school environment in three areas: community conversations, engagement and on-going education, welcoming new families, and the composition and education of the Board of Trustees.
Community Conversations
The purpose of these conversations is to animate school-wide conversation about diversity and inclusivity. These strategies foster self-reflection, dialogue, and ultimately, a shared community-wide commitment to inclusivity. These conversations promote a sense of individual and shared responsibility for welcoming and supporting all members of the school community. Examples of Community Conversations are guest speakers, guided classroom discussions, attendance at the White Privilege Conference, post event discussions and community involvement.
Engagement and On-Going Education
The engagement of current families in the life of the school is critical to creating a welcoming environment. Because the community conversations focus on engendering respect, kindness, and relationship building as keys to creating a welcoming school culture, we encourage all members of our school community to participate in these conversations and other related activities, such as speakers, programs and diversity events.
Welcoming and Orienting New Families to the School
The school assesses and changes, as needed, the current program for welcoming and orienting new families to the school in order to create broad support for new families and students. The orientation of new families leads to the development of meaningful relationships between current and new families and between key school personnel. We strive to prepare new families to understand school structure, protocols, and procedures.
Composition and Education of the Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees has a long-term commitment to create a more inclusive school culture. Through its Leadership Committee, the Board should continue its efforts to become more racially, ethnically, and culturally diverse. The Leadership Committee should, as part of its responsibility for the ongoing education of the Board, ensure that all Trustees are developing skills and knowledge related to cultural competence, social justice, privilege and oppression.
Student Recruitment, Enrollment and Retention
Recruitment and Enrollment of Diverse Students
The Admission Office and faculty are primarily responsible for the recruitment and enrollment of a diverse group of students. The Admissions Office uses and should continue to develop and implement specific strategies to increase the enrollment of diverse students and families and measures the school’s progress in this regard.
Services and Support for Diverse Students
The Diversity Director and Division Directors will address the retention of students. They should focus on enhancing services to and support for all students in the school, but pay particular attention to the needs of those who are in jeopardy of leaving the school for academic, social, or financial reasons, or because they do not feel welcome or included in our school community. Our goal is to identify institutional successes as well as barriers or challenges so that we can provide early intervention and support for students who need it.
Financial Aid Program
The Diversity and Building Community Committee and the Resource Management and Audit Committee will review our school’s financial aid program to determine, affirm or recommend changes to policies and practices so that the school can make it possible for admitted students to attend and participate in all aspects the school program.
Faculty and Staff Retention, Recruitment and Hiring
The Diversity and Building Community Committee and Diversity Action Committee along with the Administrative Group and the Department Heads, will develop a plan for retaining and recruiting diverse faculty and staff with cultural competency skills.
Faculty and Staff Professional Development
Professional Development Goals
The environment of the school is impacted most by its faculty and staff. The adults in the school establish the expectations and norms for the thousands of daily interpersonal interactions that take place in the school. Professional development goals of faculty and staff should include the development of cultural competency skills. The school wants to enable our faculty and staff to teach and model the skills, attitudes and behaviors that enable diverse groups to work together.
Faculty and Staff In-service
The school will provide an ongoing comprehensive and integrated program of in-service activities for faculty and staff aimed at the development of skills and knowledge needed to effectively serve diverse students.
