Reporting from the Diversity Leadership Institute

In June, members of the Saint Andrew’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion committee attended the virtual NAIS Diversity Leadership Institute (DLI). This institute is designed for diversity professionals and other school leaders to engage in meaningful learning and dialogue through interactive lectures, presentations, and collaborative group projects. In addition, homegroups were created to provide safe spaces for daily processing and reflection. In small and large peer groups, practitioners from independent schools across the nation were able to build relationships. In the coming months, DLI will organize additional groups to extend our summer work and facilitate peer-to-peer mentoring, sharing ideas, and brainstorming challenges.

NAIS describes the DLI curriculum as one that  “...addresses the many dimensions of diversity to help you develop mindful initiatives and enhance ongoing efforts that support your institution’s mission and commitment to continuous improvement.” Each day was built around one of the following thematic strands and led by NAIS faculty members: 

• Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Identity Development -Sandra "Chap" Chapman
• The Neuroscience of Bias -Rosetta Lee, Allen Broyles
• Intercultural Competence -Christel McGuigan, Billy Vargas
• Dynamics of Privilege and Power -Karen Bradberry, Johnnie Foreman
• Leading and Managing Diversity Initiative -Nicole DuFauchard, Steven Tejada

One of the highlights of the institute was the plenary session The Conversation Ignored for Too Long: Race and Racism in Education and Society. This remarkable event featured Cinnamon Kills First (author, word warrior); José Vilson (Educolor co-founder, teacher, activist); Liza Talusan (educator, facilitator), Tia Brown McNair (VP in the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Student Success at the Association of American Colleges and Universities). This candid conversation confronted white supremacy and the systemic racism in America that has devalued people of color for more than 400 years. 

We are inspired to lean into courageous conversations within our school communities and build the capacity to listen, share our stories, and connect with one another on the topics of identity, race, and social justice. The employees of Saint Andrew’s Episcopal School have committed to summer reading books that address these themes, and we will engage in conversations during our in-service days this August. The DEI Committee is also reading and discussing Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Equity in Schools by Glenn E. Singleton. When we return to school, the DEI Committee will report out on the work we have done this summer including our DLI experience and our readings. The DEI Committee will set goals for the 2020/2021 school year, which we will then share on our DEI web page. We also look forward to our continued professional development throughout the year as we wholeheartedly work to build a more just and inclusive community for everyone.