VISION 2020: Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity

VISION 2020 Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity

Prepared by the Friends Academy Equity & Diversity Committee | 2016-2017

Strong Minds.

Kind Hearts.

FRIENDS ACADEMY EQUITY AND DIVERSITY COMMITTEE VISION 2020 WORKING GROUP DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY & MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS Shanelle Robinson CONTRIBUTORS Ken Austin – Middle School faculty, P’98 and P’02 Ayana Bailey – Former parent Tyra Banks – P’16 Tanya Baptiste – P’16 Brian Baxter – Former Athletics faculty and parent Lauren Carballo – Former Assoc. Director of College Counseling Deidre Cooper – Lower School faculty, P’22 and P’25 Marianna Cuomo Maier ’15 – Alumna Lanessa Davis – Former Middle School faculty and parent Nikita Desai – Lower School faculty, P’29 Camille Edwards – Former Theatre & Dance faculty Julia Zborovsky-Fenster – Former parent Jennifer Ferreira – Former Lower School faculty Gloria Fortuna ’15 – Alumna Simmy Ghooi ’15 – Alumna Jennifer Gillen-Goldstein – P’17 Elizabeth Holmes – Assoc. Director of Admissions, P’XX Sloane Hughes ’16 – Alumna Nina Kim – Former Admissions Assistant Christine Kulke – Upper School faculty Joy Lai – Middle & Upper School Visual Art Dept. Head Natalia Lee ’16 – Alumna Angie Martin – Director of Quaker Education, Upper School faculty, P’31 Lauren Menzin ’81 – P’13 and P’16 Andrea Miller – Director of Communications & Marketing, P’22 and P’25 Bill Morris – Former Head of School Amy Mulcahy – Middle School faculty, P’30 and P’29 Maryam Salem – P’16 John Scardina – Quaker-in-Residence Nathaniel Shepherd-Tyson ’16 – Alumnae

THE FRIENDS ACADEMY MISSION

families of different backgrounds, race, color, ethnicity,

Founded in 1876 by Gideon Frost for “the children of Friends and those similarly sentimented,” Friends Academy is a Quaker, coeducational, independent, college preparatory school serving 780 students from age three through twelfth grade. The school’s philosophy is based on the Quaker principles of integrity, simplicity, patience, moderation, peaceful resolution of conflict, and a belief that the silence and simple ministry of the “gathered meeting” brings the presence of God into the midst of busy lives. Friends Academy is committed to developing a diverse community whose members value excellence in learning and growth in knowledge and skill, a genuine commitment to service and ethical action, and a realization that every life is to be explored, celebrated, and enjoyed in the spirit of the Religious Society of Friends.

DIVERSITY AT FRIENDS We believe each student is a valued individual with unique intellectual, physical, social and emotional needs. The Friends Academy community values the Quaker principles of equality, integrity, responsibility and mutual respect and is committed to developing well educated and engaged students in a respectful, positive and supportive environment. We value the diversity of students and gender, sexual orientation, abilities, body image, size, family structure, economic background and faith traditions which contribute to a transformative education.

We strive to help students work together in order to prepare them to be leaders in a diverse world and encourage them to model behavior based on acceptance and understanding. We seek to make Friends Academy a microcosm of the better world we hope to create.

Strong Minds.

Kind Hearts.

A LOOK AT OUR COMMUNITY Founded in 1876 by Gideon Frost for “the children of Friends and those similarly sentimented,” Friends Academy is a Quaker, coeducational, independent, college preparatory school serving 774 students from age three through twelfth grade.

Here is who we are today:

Major Faiths at Friends (2016-17 school year)

Muslim

Hindu

Friends Academy families hail from over 50 different school districts across Long Island and Queens.

None Not reported

Other Greek Orthodox Catholic Quaker

Protestant

Where we live

Top 5 districts with the most FA students: Locust Valley – 171 North Shore – 78 Port Washington – 73 Oyster Bay/East Norwich – 56 Glen Cove – 46

Compass points: Jewish

Furthest south – Baldwin Harbor (7) Furthest east – Gordon Heights (1) Furthest west – Queens (10)

Diversity at Friends

Students of color at FA (5-year look)

2016-17 31% 2015-16 32% 2014-15 32% 2013-14 27% 2012-13 24%

SOURCE: FRIENDS ACADEMY ADMISSIONS DEPARTMENT

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

[3]

FROM THE HEAD OF SCHOOL ANDREA KELLY

W

elcome to Vision 2020, a strategic plan for advancing diversity at Friends Academy.

This comprehensive plan was developed through an inclusive and collaborative process and the tremendous effort of faculty, staff, parents, students, and Trustees.

As a document it serves as a blueprint and outline that provides a framework from which goals and benchmarks demonstrating progress are derived.

Beyond the print on the page is this promise – that every member of our Friends Academy community will feel known, understood and respected for who they are – their full and genuine selves.

We will accomplish this laudable goal through major efforts in increasing diversity in our faculty, staff and student body; by offering professional training for all members

[4]

of our faculty and staff and through developing and adopting an anti-biased curriculum.

Ultimately, beyond the promise and behind the text lies our mission. Our Quaker faith calls us to the task and we must heed the call.

In 1656 George Fox captured the importance of inclusion to Quaker faith and practice. “Be patterns, be examples in all countries, places, islands, nations wherever you come, that your carriage and life may preach among all sorts of people, and to them; then you will come to walk cheerfully over the world, answering to that of God in everyone.”

I invite you to become familiar with this plan and to join us in this vital work.

Through partnership and inclusion we will achieve great things.

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY AND MULTICULTURAL AFFAIRS SHANELLE ROBINSON

I

n 2011, I joined Friends Academy as the new Director of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs.

I chose to come to Friends because, as a school founded on Quaker faith, principles and practice, I wanted to work at a school committed to providing a transformative educational experience that spoke to the lives of each member of its community.

Friends recognizes the need for equity and justice in the world, and that true diversity requires engaging both theory and practice, engrossing both mind and heart.

Strategic planning is a very personal process in which an institution looks honestly and critically at itself and asks, “What could we do better?” It gives the school an opportunity to define who it is, who it wants to be, and design the roadmap to reach those goals.

Vision 2020, the Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity is the next step in the institutional transformation of Friends Academy. It aims to build upon the constructive change accomplished through the previous strategic plan developed in 2006. It also serves to reaffirm our commitment to diversity in all its forms, at all levels, and is the coalescence of two years of diligent planning, hard conversation and collaborative effort on behalf of the Friends Academy Equity and Diversity Committee (EDC).

The first principle guiding this endeavor is DIVERSITY – a focus on the appreciation and understanding of people of varying backgrounds, and valuing the uniqueness of each individual. A diverse school community is necessary to fulfill our educational charge of cultivating well-informed students who care about their community, are

empathetic and compassionate, and are able to navigate our complex global society.

The second principle is EQUITY – the guarantee of fair treatment, access, opportunity and advancement for all members of our school community, while at the same time striving to identify and eliminate barriers that have prevented the full participation of historically underserved and underrepresented populations.

The third principle is INCLUSION – the act of creating an educational environment in which any individual or group feels welcomed, respected, supported and valued. According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities (AACU), inclusion is “the active, intentional, and ongoing engagement with diversity – in people, in the curriculum, and in communities (intellectual, social, cultural, geographical) – in ways that increase one’s awareness, content knowledge and empathic understanding of [others].”

With these three principles as our guide, Vision 2020 outlines specific objectives and strategies that we hope will inculcate values of respect, integrity, compassion and social justice. The next steps include the development of an implementation plan that will be measurable and timely. The implementation ofVision 2020 is to be a shared responsibility among all members of the school community – attaining our vision for diversity, equity and inclusion will take everyone’s effort. We look forward to working with all members of our school community to help implement these important next steps for Friends Academy.

“As a parent, it is important that my children are educated in an environment where they are understood, feel valued and accepted for who they are. It is also important for them to be globally conscious individuals who seek out understanding from various perspectives, not to be limited by a narrow worldview presented in mainstream culture. This Diversity Plan in all that it encompasses pursues such an environment for ALL children.

I am proud to be a part of this process, as it will affect change in a most essential way.”

– TYRA M. BANKS, P’16 AND EDC MEMBER

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

[5]

STUDENTS

PARENTS

SCHOOL

FACULTY & STAFF

VISION 2020

STRATEGIC PLAN FOR DIVERSITY

CULTURE

LEADERSHIP CURRICULUM

TRAINING

“Friends Academy honors our Quaker Mission and continues to weave a tapestry for a diverse community rich in individuality. We strive to model the values of our Quaker Principles in our children in the hope that they can bring about acceptance and peace in an ever-changing world. It is our responsibility to instill the importance of respect for and understanding of all.”

– DEBRA DEL VECCHIO, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND P’18/P’20

[6]

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

STUDENTS

•

OBJECTIVE: Attract, enroll and retain a diverse student body.

OUTREACH & MARKETING: Continue to explore and expand the mechanisms by which outreach and marketing strategies are carried out to attract diverse families.

•

SUPPORT: To ensure retention, establish academic, social and emotional support systems

and resources for students and parents as part of an orientation and year-long support program.

•

EXIT INTERVIEW: Develop an exit interview process for all families, who withdraw

before graduation in order to gather information about the reasons behind their departure.

“In many aspects Friends has the ability to prosper with more diversity in its student body. To reach this goal, we must take the opportunity to discuss the matter at hand. Without discussion there is no chance of Friends moving towards a more wonderful and versatile environment to encourage inclusiveness. As a alumna who was here since fifth grade, this strategic plan reflects the change that I want to see at Friends.”

– NATALIA LEE ’16 AND FORMER EDC MEMBER

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

[7]

FACULTY & STAFF

OBJECTIVE: Increase our ability to attract, employ, and retain diverse and talented faculty, staff and administrators to educate and support our diverse student body.

•

RECRUITMENT: Review current recruitment strategies and practices and consider alternative approaches to attract diverse candidates in keeping with our mission as a Quaker school.

•

POLICY REVIEW: Examine current hiring and recruitment policy and procedures in order to strengthen efforts to hire diverse candidates.

•

HIRING COMMITTEES: Encourage inclusion of diverse faculty and staff on hiring committees.

“As a teacher at Friends for 40 years, I have often felt that open, honest discussion of the subject of race was often pushed aside, neglected, or ignored. Gradually, the celebration and the emphasizing of the inherent strengths of diversity helped to close the gap and upgrade the awareness that these issues were not going away and would continually need to be addressed. Having a viable Strategic Plan for Diversity will provide us with a forum that will catapult us into the 21st century by continuing to teach values, deal with matters of race, and finally raise awareness and sensitivity to gender equality issues and sexual orientation. We all will benefit from this Strategic Plan for Diversity.”

– KEN AUSTIN, MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER, P’98/ P’02 AND EDC MEMBER

[8]

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

OBJECTIVE: Expand our efforts to create a school environment where all students feel welcomed and can participate fully, regardless of their financial or personal circumstances.

CULTURE

•

TRANSPORTATION: Explore options for making transportation available to Friends Academy students in areas where it is limited or non-existent so that all students can participate fully in our program.

•

ORIENTATION: Develop an orientation program that will specifically support new students and families of color.

“My experience at Friends is one that has and will continue to shape and challenge me. My time here has truly been incredible, yet I believe there is a unique opportunity to become stronger and healthier through a more diverse community. I am honored to be a part of a group of individuals that has a similar mindset regarding the topic of diversity at Friends Academy.

The world is becoming more, and more diverse and every aspect of our daily lives can offer us a chance to prepare all who study here, a chance to experience what life will be like after Friends. I believe that we have the necessary tools to create even more talented, well rounded and accomplished people. This strategic plan will help us get there.”

– SLOANE HUGHES ’16 AND FORMER EDC MEMBER

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

[9]

CURRICULUM

OBJECTIVE: Develop and implement a multi-cultural curriculum that reflects diversity and social justice in each division in a manner consistent with the mission and values of Friends Academy.

•

CURRICULUM: Building upon prior and current work, further develop divisional and school-wide curricula and programs to educate the community regarding diversity, social justice, and equity. This is in keeping with a major recommendation from the 2014 New York State Association of Independent Schools Decennial Accreditation Visiting Committee: “Continue to deepen the knowledge and awareness of multi-cultural and diversity education including LGBTQ and gender identity issues.”

•

DIVSIONAL REQUIREMENT: Consider implementing a diversity/social justice requirement in Lower and Upper schools.

•

AUDIT & ASSESSMENT: Conduct an assessment (e.g. NAIS Assessment of Inclusivity & Multiculturalism [AIM]) to identify areas for development in the curriculum.

“As a student, you never forget which of your teachers felt like real people.

You witness them laugh, stutter, or even find themselves at a loss for words.

I want my students to see and feel my humanity every day. There are many lessons awaiting them beyond their primary years of education. One of the greatest lessons they can learn before they leave us, is what it means to be a good person; what it means to stand up for what’s right. I don’t just want them to be prepared in theory, but in practice. I want them to develop brave hearts and fierce spirits. Those are the qualities that will motivate them to be proactive members of society. It is our civic duty as leaders and adults in this Quaker community to wear integrity fearlessly and confidently teach such lessons.”

– CAMILLE EDWARDS, FORMER THEATER AND DANCE FACULTY AND EDC MEMBER

[10]

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

OBJECTIVE: Provide diversity & social justice training for students, teachers, administrators, staff, board members, parents and families.

TRAINING

•

FACULTY: Provide and require training and other professional development opportunities for faculty to learn and implement culturally-relevant curriculum.

•

STAFF: Increase the number of opportunities for staff to engage in discussions around diversity, spirituality, social justice, etc.

•

FAMILIES: Increase the number of opportunities for parents/families to engage in discussions around diversity, spirituality, social justice, etc.

•

NEW EMPLOYEES: Include diversity training in the new faculty/staff orientation.

“I grew up in the 70s and 80s, where there was rarely structured and constructive talk of race, gender, sexual orientation – at my dinner table or in my classroom. As a result, I never developed the skills, competency and ease to enter into difficult dialogue. If there is no discussion, there is no awareness, no understanding – no problem-solving. As an administrator at Friends, but most importantly, as a mother, I know that it is critical that my children learn not only why it is important to talk about racism, diversity and social justice, but know how to positively confront the topics that in my generation would have made us squirm, look away and change the conversation. I may have squandered the last 30 years, but one thing is certain – they cannot.”

– ANDREA MILLER, DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, P’22/P’25 AND EDC MEMBER

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

[11]

SCHOOL

LEADERSHIP

OBJECTIVE: Ensure that leadership at all levels reflects the racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of the school community.

•

BOARD LEADERSHIP: The Board of Trustees will actively cultivate both leadership and membership that articulates and demonstrates an understanding of the educational benefits of a diverse learning environment.

•

LEADERSHIP COMPOSITION: Support strategies to ensure that the composition of the Board of Trustees, Advisory Group and Equity and Diversity Committee reflect the diversity of the school community.

•

BOARD SUBCOMMITTEE: Create a Diversity Subcommittee of the Board of Trustees.

“Diversity is a culture of understanding and celebration that enriches the lives of every member of our school community. As both an alum and a Friends Academy parent, I fully appreciate how Friends nurtures and embraces the varied life experiences of all its students. Also, as a member of the Board of Trustees, I believe this Strategic Plan for Diversity will ensure that the School provides our students with the cultural competency necessary to succeed as advances in technology, communication and transportation “shrink the world” and makes the world’s citizens co-dependent upon one another.”

– JEFFERY DANIELS ‘90, TRUSTEE AND P’16/P’20/P’23

[12]

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

OBJECTIVE: The volunteer leadership of the Parent Council will actively encourage and support diversity.

PARENTS

•

LEADERSHIP: The Parent Council Executive Board and Nominating Committee shall continue its efforts to expand the composition of its leadership to reflect the socio-economic, gender, racial, ethnic and cultural diversity of the student body.

•

PARTICIPATION: Continue to increase, encourage and support the involvement of parents and families from diverse backgrounds in Parent Council events, programs and leadership positions.

•

PROGRAMS & EVENTS: Examine events, meetings and programs and, where necessary, (re)design in ways that encourages and supports the involvement of all families, particularly families of color and working parents.

“It is my hope that this document, and all that it stands for, will be instrumental in breaking down barriers and provide our children and community the opportunity for more open dialogue and experiential programs, which in turn will lead to an increase in diversity and acceptance amongst the FA population and more exposure to important cultural issues. Subsequently, our children will gain the confidence, awareness, and thoughtfulness necessary to act appropriately in civic matters and be more equipped to be successful in making a difference at a time when our world demands such knowledge and leadership.”

– LAUREN MENZIN ‘81, P’13/P’16 AND FORMER EDC MEMBER

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

[13]

WHY FRIENDS? Why We Are Having This Conversation The Equity and Diversity Committee was established in 2012 to ensure the highest level of commitment and support for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at Friends Academy. The Equity and Diversity Committee is designed to reflect the school’s desire to create and maintain a school community that is truly welcoming and attentive to issues of diversity, equity, and justice. The motivation behind our purpose is evident in our Friends Academy Diversity Statement: “…We strive to help students work together in order to prepare them to be leaders in a diverse world and encourage them to model behavior based on acceptance and understanding. We seek to make Friends Academy a microcosm of the better world we hope to create.”

To be creating a strategic plan for diversity in our community does not stop at merely being relevant. It becomes our manifesto, explaining who we are going to be and what we are going to do with regard to the progressive inclusion of every administrator, faculty/staff member, parent, and child in this community.

THE VISION 2020 WORKING GROUP: (Top row) Sloane Hughes, Liz Holmes, Simmy Ghooi, Lauren Menzin, Bill Morris, Lanessa Davis, Jennifer Ferreira, Andrea Miller, Jennifer Gillen-Goldstein, Joy Lai, Angie Martin and Shanelle Robinson.

(Bottom row) Nathaniel Shepherd-Tyson, Amy Mulcahy, Natalia Lee, Camille Edwards, Tanya Baptiste and Brian Baxter. Not pictured: Ken Austin, Ayana Bailey, Tyra Banks, Lauren Carballo, Deidre Cooper, Marianna Cuomo Maier, Nikita Desai, Julia Zborovsky-Fenster, Gloria Fortuna, Nina Kim, Christine Kulke, Maryam Salem and John Scardina.

WHY US?

WHY NOW?

Why the Equity And Diversity Committee is Leading This Effort

Why This Deserves to be Talked About Now

The Equity and Diversity Committee serves as an advisory body to the community on issues, policies, and practices that affect the school’s commitment as a champion of diversity.

In other words, this body is designed to direct its focus on what will keep this community in tune, healthy, and thriving when it comes to our efforts of being a safe and inclusive environment for our students and families to live and grow.

For all of the different populations in our community that are not in the majority (i.e. race, gender, class, sexual orientation, ability, religion, etc.), this conversation is not just happening now.

It’s always been a conversation.

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Diversity 2015-2020 ventures to encourage us all to think sincerely about the places in this community where each of us has wished another would have afforded us more attention, more consideration, and most importantly genuine understanding.

“ As a teacher of color, it is crucial that the administration fully supports this strategic plan.Without this clear articulation of goals and objectives, we may have difficulty measuring our progress and reaching our full potential as a school.”

– JOY LAI, VISUAL ARTS DEPARTMENT FACULTY AND EDC MEMBER

[14]

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

FROM THE QUAKER-IN-RESIDENCE JOHN SCARDINA

Q

uakerism is an experiential faith: Friends challenge one another to “let your lives speak.” As a Friends school community we must take this quite seriously: “strong

minds and kind hearts” are to be educated and nurtured in every aspect of our lives at Friends.

We must find a way to “walk the walk” of the Quaker testimonies in everything we do and say though our commitment to simplicity, peace, integrity, community, equality, service, and stewardship.

Biological communities are strengthened by a diversity of species. Whereas monocultures are susceptible to the spread of single pathogens – often with devastating results – diverse cultures meet the challenge of disease, adapt, and regroup with renewed vitality. The same can be true in human communities: a single fundamentalist idea can poison an entire nation, whereas the checks and balances of a society with freedom of speech and multiple opportunities for dialogue and shared power lead to humanistic solutions for all peoples.

We must especially embrace diversity through the testimonies of equality, integrity, and community. As equally blessed members of the world we achieve an integrated wholeness by celebrating our differences.

Spiritual equality means that every voice in the

Meeting House has an equal access to the divine.

Physical equality means that our campus and programs can be maneuvered by people of varying abilities and needs. Educational equality means that all minds can find success in our classrooms, given the diversity of teaching styles and the opportunities for multiple expressions of our intelligences.

Emotional equality means that the emotional health of our community is nurtured by all for everyone – staff, faculty, administration, students, and parents – as we strive for that “peaceable kingdom” of early Quakers.

Integrity is the glue that binds us, the mortar that holds together our principle and our actions. How can I have integrity and deny the humanity of my brothers and sisters?

How can I be false to anyone if I am true to that moral compass Quakers believe we each can access?

True community is participatory and engaging for all. There is no single voice that sets the culture for the school. We avoid hierarchies and judgments, help one another to access the riches that FA has to offer, and defend one another’s right to be ourselves.

I am honored to be part of this strategic plan.

May this good work bear fruit in the flourishing of our school for years to come.

“Since my time at Friends, I have realized an important responsibility the school has to its students is to provide exposure – to the world that exists outside of FA’s doors. Putting diversity on our agenda is the first step to creating a place that educates students about different kinds of races, ethnic backgrounds, cultures, religions, sexual identities, and socioeconomic statuses of people from all walks of life, which is essential to prepare them for the reality that awaits them after high school. This kind of teaching and exposure will contribute to changing the attitudes of our community, promoting greater open-mindedness and understanding of those who may be the minority at our school or may not be present in the immediate FA community at all.

FA has the chance and the power to be the catalyst for changing attitudes toward difference and diversity.”

– SYDNEY MENZIN ‘13, PAST DIVERSITY CLUB PRESIDENT AND FORMER EDC MEMBER

The Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion & Diversity

[15]

VISION 2020 Friends Academy Strategic Plan for Equity, Inclusion and Diversity

Prepared by the Friends Academy Equity & Diversity Committee