“Made in the Image and Likeness of God” Genesis 1:26
2022 PROGRESS REPORT
DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
This Progress Report serves to chronicle the specific, intentional actions taken since the articulation of that vision until now. We hope the contents of this report inspire you to continue learning and growing with us on our mission.
We are pleased to share with you Archbishop Mitty High School’s 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Progress Report. A distinct and important element of our expressed desire to take more meaningful steps in this area includes ongoing, transparent communication about our work. This report aims to give a more comprehensive picture of our progress thus far.
Archbishop Mitty High School 2022 DEI Progress Report
[1] Definition of Terms: Diversity refers to the unique and complex identities within our community and their various intersections, inclusive of but not limited to race, nationality, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, religion, socioeconomic status, language, political perspective, or ability. Inclusion refers to an intentional focus on building and maintaining a culture where everyone feels valued, supported, welcomed, and respected; everyone is invited to participate meaningfully in the community; everyone sees themself reflected in the curriculum and physical surroundings of the school; and the diverse perspectives that make up the Mitty community are celebrated. Equity refers to a sustained commitment to implementing just policies and practices that actively disrupt systemic oppression.
INTRODUCTION
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BEGINNING IN THE SUMMER OF 2020, ONE OF THE NEWLY-EXPANDED DEI COMMITTEE’S FIRST ACTS WAS TO CLEARLY DEFINE A VISION FOR A MORE DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE COMMUNITY. TODAY, OUR SELF-ASSESSMENT, REFLECTION, AND ACTION IN PURSUIT OF THIS VISION CONTINUES.
Archbishop Mitty High School will be an inclusive community in which it is consistently evident that diversity is welcomed, respected, and valued; equitable policies and practices are in use; everyone feels safe and supported; and all members of the community learn to be culturally-competent leaders who advocate for the equitable treatment of others within and beyond AMHS.[1]
Dear Archbishop Mitty Community,
In DirectorPatsySolidarity,VargasofDiversity,
Monica Lebrón ’97
Every year brings new challenges and opportunities, and each year I am incredibly grateful to work with a group of dedicated adults that strive to live out its Catholic school mission. A special thank you to all those that have continued to support the DEI Program including the administration, faculty, and staff of Archbishop Mitty High School, the DEI Committee members, and Dr. Melina Johnson from ScholarVision Educational Consulting for their ongoing vision and partnership. I especially would like to thank our students who come each day to school and remind us of what it means to be a Monarch.
Onye Okafor ’07 Lindsey Poole ’09 Anthony EvangelinaRojoRuiz ’15
Nam Nguyen ’01
Dr. Miel Wilson THE DEI DIRECTOR
Maria Simon Lia Theologides Mukhar
Patrick Miller ’81
Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee ’05
Zane Barnes ’00
Tricia Montalvo Timm
Equity and Inclusion
Patsy Vargas
During my 15 years at Archbishop Mitty High School, the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Program has noticeably evolved. Without a doubt, our community is comprised of rich backgrounds that make our campus stronger, better, and a place of belonging for all. As the Director of DEI, I see each change with pride and a reminder that we are all made in God’s image and likeness as our school mission tells us.
A MESSAGE FROM
Dr. Emily Cabebe Kate LatanyaCaputo(Johnson ’92) Hilton
Alex Okafor ’05
B eyond these changes, our community has continued to be intentional in our approach to support our increasingly diverse student population. This past year, affinity groups proved once again how important it is for students to have a space to embrace their identity/ies while also sharing their unique backgrounds with the wider Mitty community. The Black Student Union hosted African drumming to share its important history, the LatinX Student Union built an altar for Día de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) outside the school chapel, the Korean Club posted traditional recipes on a library bulletin board; and Shepherd highlighted significant figures of the LGBTQ+ community around campus. Truly, affinity groups continue to be an outlet in which students build camaraderie while engaging the larger AMHS community on the importance of a diverse campus.
S ome of the major changes our DEI Program has undergone have been the extension of the DEI Office, which has given students a larger space in which to build life-long friendships while sharing stories and lived experiences. The expansion of the DEI Committee has allowed for different voices to be represented and lastly, the appointment of our first female and the first Black president has paved the way for new possibilities.
Araceli Janini
Maria Nash Vaughn Hannah Villalpando ’16 Greg Walker
THE AMHS DEI COMMITTEE A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO DR. MELINA JOHNSON FOR HER PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT 2
Based on feedback from the listening sessions and the climate survey, the AMHS DEI Committee, with approval from the AMHS Academic and Administrative Councils, identified strategic initiatives in four major focus areas:
ADMINISTRATORS,
ENHANCE
ATTRACT
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3. VIEW CURRENT DISCIPLINE
parents, staff, and faculty—participated in the listening sessions, sharing their experiences and calling for bold action to ensure a safe and inclusive campus environment for everyone. During those listening sessions, several themes began to emerge. Those themes were explored further through a schoolwide climate survey sent to all faculty, staff, administrators, and students in the fall of 2020.[1]
[1] Climate Survey respondents included 142 employees and 1234 students. In February 2021, parents were also surveyed, with 308 parents responding. Participants responded to questions in three major sections. In the first section, demographic information was collected. In the second section, participants described their general impression of the campus climate, as well as more specific negative experiences in the last two years (if applicable). In the third section, participants described negative incidents they observed rather than experienced in the last two years (if applicable) and considered the potential impact of proposed DEI-related initiatives.
1. EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY
RE
2. STUDENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS
POLICIES
4. AND RETAIN FACULTY, AND STAFF OF COLOR
In the summer of 2020, following a nationwide focus on racial injustice, as well as a call to action from AMHS alumni to address issues of bias and discrimination in our own community, AMHS embarked on a schoolwide Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiative. We started with a series of listening sessions, facilitated by Dr. Melina Johnson of ScholarVision Educational Consulting. Close to 200 participants—alumni,
BACKGROUND
Archbishop Mitty High School 2022 DEI Progress Report
Several AMHS academic departments have begun work around the implementation of a more diverse and inclusive curriculum that encompasses a wider range of voices and perspectives, that will include a focused assessment led by our academic council in the fall of 2022.
In part, the 2020 climate survey asked community members to indicate how a number of DEI-related initiatives might influence the AMHS school climate. Over 70% of all participating employees and over 60% of all participating students indicated that providing diversity and equity training for AMHS faculty, staff, administrators, and students would have a positive influence on the school climate. “I think any opportunities to bring about cultural awareness among students, faculty, staff, and parents is a great thing. The conversation can then lead to action and change for the better,” noted one adult respondent. One student commented, “I feel like we should have training so everyone at Mitty can be more thoughtful in the way we speak and act. This will hopefully stop us from making comments or doing something that is offensive to a group of students, teachers, and/or parents.”
1. EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY
The AMHS Administration has expanded offerings to include even more conferences focused on DEI topics for all faculty, staff, and administrators, as well as listing specific resources on the teacher portal.
Efforts to educate the community have included a partnership with Epoch Education and invitations to a variety of speakers and scholars to share their expertise and inspiration across the AMHS community. The partnership with Epoch Education consisted of a two-year, six-part professional development focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion. All members of the administration, faculty, and staff participated in six separate professional development sessions: “Thriving as a Racially Conscious Person” (September, 2020), “Let’s talk about Race” (October, 2020), “What is implicit bias and how can we address it?” (January, 2021), “Compassionate Dialogue” (August, 2021), “Tragedy of Non-ness” (September, 2021), and “Culturally Relevant Pedagogy as a Lens for Equity” (November, 2021). The Epoch student curriculum has also been explored by a small group of students (see Review Current Discipline Policies section of this report for more information).
The AMHS Athletics Department secured Neil Phillips, renowned speaker on Black male achievement, to lead a virtual zoom session. Also, in connection with Positive Coaching Alliance, the department ran the webinar, “Sports to Battle Racism” for coaches and hosted a book club for head coaches on anti-racism.
Dr. Danielle Morgan, Assistant Professor in the English Department at Santa Clara University, led the AMHS English Department in a dialogue about thinking and teaching about race, racism, and racialization in the classroom. The group created short and long term goals and reconnected with Dr. Morgan to continue the conversation.
Dr. James Lai, Professor in the Ethnic Studies Department at Santa Clara University, collaborated with the Social Studies Department to offer an expanded understanding of the experiences of Asian and Asian American communities in the United States.
Parent Education Chats took place to help bring parents into the DEI conversation, celebrate our diverse families, and support one another. The chats covered topics such as the Common Ground Speaker Series “Radical Empathy”, and “What it means to be made in the image and likeness of God and how this idea is fostered at home.” Discussions were entirely parent driven and facilitated.
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In 2021, a website dedicated to educating the community about Black History Month was created and shared across various social media platforms.
What was most helpful/impactful about Epoch Education?
Kate Slevin, Science Department
“Learning about the RIR (Recognizing, Interrupting, and Repairing) protocol was the most impactful take away from the Epoch Education Training over the past few months. I feel more empowered to address problems as they come up, and like that I have the tools to respond in difficult situations. Epoch has given me tools to navigate challenging conversations around race, gender, and disability.”
This past school year, to better educate our students on the services offered by the Counseling Department, counselors spoke to students during divisional class meetings. Students were reminded of the department’s open door policy in addition to the academic, personal, and college guidance they can expect to receive from their counselor. To further support students on the importance of understanding the role of their counselor during their academic trajectory, this year the incoming class of 2026 was introduced to the breadth of counseling services during their freshmen orientation.
How have you incorporated your Epoch Education training into your teaching?
John Marheineke, Religious Studies Department
How have you incorporated Dr. Morgan’s work into your curriculum?
Archbishop Mitty High School 2022 DEI Progress Report
Educating the community also entails keeping everyone informed about the work of the DEI Committee and DEI-related endeavors across the entire AMHS community. To that end, the DEI website is continuously updated and includes the DEI Strategic Initiatives plan.
“Dr. Morgan’s training encouraged our department to revisit important and ongoing conversations about whose lived experiences are centered in our classrooms, specifically through the literature that we teach. She also provided helpful strategies for establishing a shared language to productively engage in classroom discussions about race in our society. By using literature to center the experiences of those who are marginalized and challenging students to in vestigate the causes and impacts of that injustice, I have been able to encourage my students to take an active stance in the anti-racist work that we need to do”. Janelle (Smith ’96) Kroenung, English Department
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“I have been even more deliberate about the ways in which I introduce sensitive topics and resources. I make sure to leave time before and after covering sensitive content for discussion, and I make sure to open and close the conversation with clear invitations to process challenging content. I have also chosen different content than I have in the past based on an awareness of our ever changing community.”
In conjunction with the Con Bondad drive, AMHS partnered with the SJSU Racial Justice Symposium that led a discussion on “Transforming Communities, a Movement to Social Justice.” Students discussed the intersectionality between farmworkers and race with the Executive Director of Farmworker Families, Dr. Ann López.
The student-led clubs formerly known as the African American Student Union and the Latin American Student Union underwent a name change and are now the Black Student Union (BSU) and LatinX Student Union (LSU), respectively. Students voted on the name changes to create a more inclusive and welcoming atmosphere. The BSU and LSU continue to be active clubs on campus.
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2. ENHANCE STUDENT SUPPORT SYSTEMS
Through community feedback, it became clear that DEI initiatives at AMHS should also focus on the social and emotional support of students, making it apparent through action and not just words that student diversity in race, culture, language, and ability is valued. Efforts that support students in feeling safe and able to be them selves would be helpful in making the school “a more positive place for those who feel singled out because of their differences,” described one student in response to the climate survey. The following actions have been taken in relation to this focus area:
Con Bondad, a student-led drive, spearheaded by members of the LatinX Student Union and the Mitty Advocacy Project, brought awareness to the challenges farmworkers face. The successful schoolwide event collected several non-perishable items for the Center for Farmworker Families.
In the summer of 2021, the DEI Office on campus was expanded. The space is decorated to represent AMHS’s diverse student body, including representation from the Black, Asian, LatinX, and LGBTQ+ community. At any given time, you will find students in this space playing board games, studying for tests, completing homework, or just hanging out. The space is also used for club and staff meetings. The office is open and staffed with a DEI staff member throughout the entire day.
Students studying inside the DEI Office
A Career Symposium for all students featured professions focused on DEI work was held in January 2021.
“The DEI office is a necessity on campus because it gives students a safe place to be united with people that have similar backgrounds. Additionally, the office takes away the anxiety of asking for help because of its judgment-free atmosphere. I use the DEI office as a safe place, where I feel comfortable to work freely. I chose this office, because I feel comfortable to reach out to a colleague whenever necessary. Not only that, the office provides community on days where I feel as if I don’t belong, a perfect reminder that we are all here for a purpose.” Xander Velasco ’22
Why is the DEI Office space important to you and how do you use it?
Students from various organizations on campus continue to be invited to share, and thus celebrate, their unique backgrounds through the use of AMHS social media, including our Instagram account, AMHSMonarchs. Student-created content has focused on events/topics such as Lunar New Year, the history of Shepherd at AMHS, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr’s call for justice and equality.
“I create AAPI content because it not only provides an outlet for me to express my creativity, but also for me to learn more about myself, my Asian heritage, and my community. Furthermore, it makes me happy when other members of our diverse community are able to learn more about the Asian diaspora and celebrate themselves.”
Why do you participate in creating content for AAPI?
We continue to center student support and work together with students to better understand and address their varied experiences in order to support their success.
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Minh-Anh Pham ’22
Archbishop Mitty High School 2022 DEI Progress Report
Our schoolwide Inclusivity Campaign in the spring of 2022 invited students, administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and board members to share their thoughts on what being made in the image and likeness of God means to them. Their answers reflected the diversity of our community and our deep connection to God’s love.
Supporting our students who identify as LGBTQ+ continues to be an important area of focus. As a Catholic institution, we recognize this is an ongoing and complex conversation and as we continue to evolve and learn, we take seriously our responsibility as Catholic educators to walk with our students in order to provide them with a community that welcomes, embraces, and loves individuals from all backgrounds. As educators, our students’ safety, health, and feelings of belonging are of utmost importance. We remain committed to facilitating important conversations and safe spaces to ensure all students feel seen and heard with the support of our Campus Ministry Program. Members of Shepherd, a Campus Ministry program that works to promote dignity and respect for LGBTQ+ people on campus, have worked closely with our DEI Office to educate the community on their experiences and share their hopes for how they can better be supported on campus.
A student-led drive to collect personal care items was held in the spring of 2022. Spearheaded by a BSU member, the aim was to focus attention on how Black and Latino populations, disproportionately represented in communities of poverty, are disadvantaged in their access to necessary feminine care products.
We are also seeking additional avenues for recruitment including organizations specific to Black, Asian, and Latino representation in education. Currently, AMHS subscribes to the Black Alliance for Secondary Educators, EdJoin.org, and specialized portals such as the Stanford STEP Program, NCAC (National Counselors of Teachers of English), and WACAC (Western Association for College Admission Counseling).
Our third focus area is a review of current discipline policies in an effort to ensure an equitable experience for all students. Specifically, AMHS community members expressed a desire for increased restorative justice approaches to discipline, an update of the school dress code, and the development of a clear and specific process for reporting acts of discrimination on campus. The ultimate goal is to ensure policies that are clearly in line with the vision and values of AMHS.
Finally, we also heard that increasing more counselors of color was important to the overall student experience. While this continues to be an area of growth, our Counseling Department has seen an increase in ethnic diversity. As we continue to track our overall numbers, we see an increase in Asian, Black, and Hispanic staff, faculty, and administration. Additionally, during the 2021-2022 school year we saw a significant increase in individuals that identify as multi-racial or decline to state. More information about the trends of our school demographics can be found on the DEI Website.
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With this as an expressed intentional goal, we are actively developing long-term strategies to engage a more diverse faculty and staff. This includes inviting community members to encourage diverse alumni to return to campus as administrators, faculty, staff, and coaches. We have begun to take a closer look at our
4. ATTRACT AND RETAIN ADMINISTRATORS, FACULTY, AND STAFF OF COLOR
To establish the importance of DEI at AMHS, all new faculty, staff, and administrators are personally welcomed by a member of the DEI Program and introduced to the importance of DEI as an integral component of the AMHS community. Additionally, all faculty and staff are invited to attend and participate in affinity group activities, which helps foster community and build relationships with students as well.
The recruitment and retention of teachers, counselors, and administrators of more diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds was also high on the community’s list of initiatives that could have a positive influence on school climate. Eighty percent of participating employees and over 65% of participating students indicated as such, with one student commenting, “Adults set the environment for students, and students need to see themselves represented on campus.”
In response to 74% of students and 69% of employees who indicated that a more culturally inclusive and gender neutral dress code would have a positive influence on school climate, the dress code was revised in the fall of 2021 to be more inclusive of cultural expression. The dress code is created with input from the Administration, DEI representatives, parents, and students, and we
3. REVIEW CURRENT DISCIPLINE POLICIES
will continue to work with all stakeholders to review the dress code on a yearly basis.
In response to alumni feedback, in the summer of 2020, we eliminated the existing Work Study Program and its requirements in order to better cultivate a community of Thebelonging.development
As a first step, the Dean’s Office and DEI Program have worked closely together to educate students who have engaged in offensive behaviors that include the use of racial slurs or discriminatory language. Using the Epoch Education student curriculum, the focus is placed on education and meaningful dialogue, rather than punitive action. Parents have also been involved in the process, and the feedback received thus far has been helpful as we work to evolve in this area.
of a clear and specific process for reporting acts of discrimination on campus is still a work in progress. Seventy-eight percent of students and 80% of employees indicated that the implementation of such a process would likely have a positive influence on the school’s climate, and the administration continues to explore options for a transparent, safe, unbiased process. We are researching effective reporting models and considering how to best implement them on our campus. As always, students are encouraged to reach out to any AMHS adult if they hear or see something that doesn’t seem right. The 2020 Climate Survey also shed light on the fact that, for wide-ranging reasons, negative conduct toward others on campus, both experienced and observed, is often not reported. Although there is still significant work to do in this area, the education of “if you see something, say something,” can help us begin to address important issues.
hiring practices to determine how new employees learn about AMHS. Most recently, many of our new employees became aware of open positions by word of mouth or they are AMHS alumni.
Why do you support the DEI Committee?
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“I support the DEI committee because celebrating diversity, prioritizing equity, and practicing inclusion make the AMHS culture healthier and more sustainable. Ultimately, I want Mitty to be a place that welcomes, nurtures, and supports the development of every student who graces campus. In many respects, Mitty has been that place, and, in some instances, it has fallen short. It’s important to me that our commitment to improving on behalf of all the students we serve is unwavering.” Alex Okafor ’05
Archbishop Mitty High School 2022 DEI Progress Report
“I know the leadership behind this committee and know for a fact that this is not a hollow attempt to be on the right side of a conversation and what is expected today. I believe in its commitment to play a significant role in the development and counsel of creating a school our students deserve in today’s world.” Nam Nguyen ’01
“I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another.”
John 13:34
As always, we appreciate the personal experiences and ideas shared by students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni, as well as the support and prayers offered as we continue to live our mission. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact Patsy Vargas, Director of Diversity Equity and Inclusion at pvargas@mitty.com or Associate Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Dr. Miel Wilson at mwilson@mitty.com.
What are your hopes for the DEI Committee?
NEXT STEPS
7) Affirm our diverse cultural community every chance we get
6) Continue to welcome guest speakers with diverse experiences and backgrounds
We have taken steps to respond to the community’s call to support the cultivation of a more diverse and inclusive campus, and this work is an ongoing priority for AMHS.
We will produce a report on our progress every two years.
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4) Review our curriculum to include a broader under standing of the historical context and experiences of marginalized communities
3) Incorporate DEI education as standard during New Teacher and Freshman Orientations
“My hope is that through the parent events we can all learn together and open our eyes to the wonderful differences among us. Having honest conversations about difficult topics will not only help us grow, it will also help us better understand and support our children and the school community. I hope these types of conversations will become easier and more natural over time, and everyone will feel included and valued.” Lia Theologides Mukhar, Parent ’24
1) Identify strategic partnerships to assist in meeting our administrator, faculty, and staff diversification goals
“I hope to help build a more inclusive community that celebrates and appreciates one another. Being part of the DEI Committee is important because representation matters.” Dr. Emily Cabebe, Parent ’25 & ’22
Our next steps are ambitious and necessary. Over the next two academic years, we will:
2) Develop a clear process for reporting acts of discrimination
5) Offer ongoing deep dive DEI educational and training opportunities for faculty, staff, and administrators
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My vision for Archbishop Mitty High School is rooted in all of the things that make this community great — the very best of Catholic education, a global mindset of service and learning, an incomparable school spirit, and a whole lot of love. Each school day we strive to live the most fundamental truth as expressed in our mission statement - that each of us is made in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26). At Archbishop Mitty, this means we are special because of who we are, not just what we do.
Thank you for being a part of our journey.
We know it will not be easy but we embrace growth and change so we can continue to learn and contribute to the betterment of our school and our local and global communities. Today, AMHS has students, faculty, staff, coaches, and administrators from many different backgrounds, abilities, and cultures. Our job now is to ensure every member of our community sees themselves reflected here. Because ultimately, a diverse community makes everyone present more comfortable with being who they are — an individual possessing and contributing their worthiness. And a house built by many stands so much stronger than a house built by one.
This past school year, our liturgical theme for the year was “Home”. We spent the year focused on how we, as a community of individuals from different backgrounds and cultures, can make Archbishop Mitty High School a home for all. What we heard is an expressed desire to build an even more diverse and inclusive community. We listened to the feedback of students and alumni, like myself, who oftentimes had a long road to feeling at home on our campus. We understood that we needed to take the next meaningful step towards diversity and inclusion to fully achieve our mission.
Dear Friends,
Our 2022 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Progress Report shares some of those steps, their impact on students, faculty, staff, and alumni, and our hopes for the future. For our school to be a truly inclusive and welcoming home, our Archbishop Mitty community must continue to acknowledge the value that having students, faculty, staff, and administrators from a diverse population of races, ethnicities, cultures, religions, and socioeconomic backgrounds brings. We must welcome and consider new ways of looking at the world, promote critical thinking, and invite our community to participate in meaningful dialogue, especially when we disagree.
FINAL THOUGHTSOFFICE
Latanya (Johnson ’92) Hilton President
OF THE PRESIDENT 12
This report is dedicated in loving memory of Mrs. Kate Slevin and Mr. Zach Smith. Their dedicated support and love of our students inspires us every single day.
5000 Mitty Way • San José, California 95129 ARCHBISHOP MITTY HIGH SCHOO L