Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

A Look at the Board of Trustees’ New Initiative

It is an educational institution’s responsibility to provide an inclusive curriculum and community to students, parents, and faculty. This commitment is reflected in St. Thomas School’s diversity statement:

St. Thomas School invites, welcomes, and celebrates diverse cultures, individuals, experiences, and perspectives within our school community and the world beyond our doors... We believe our most critical role is to nurture the development of tomorrow’s responsible and engaged global citizens.

Being a part of the St. Thomas School family means being open to the contributions of every member and recognizing that a sense of belonging stimulates our institution’s growth and strengthens our community. Celebrating and appreciating diversity is an ongoing process that requires open dialogue and exploration of ideas and beliefs. At St. Thomas School, our students begin a journey toward global citizenship that they will follow throughout their lives.

In June 2020, the St. Thomas School Board of Trustees started a diversity, equity, & inclusion (DEI) initiative that provides a more intentional action plan to advance these objectives. This initiative will challenge the School to consider recent events in the country, and the world, for the benefit of STS students and the STS community.

“It’s no secret that all of us—in every institution—need to work on diversity, equity, and inclusion,” says Dr. Jayasri Ghosh, a member of the board of trustees. “All children need to be treated fairly. They need equal opportunity to attend school, to recognize themselves in the curriculum, and to have their culture and background honored and accepted.” As a policy-making body responsible for the continued strategic development of the School, the board of trustees is asking the hard questions and addressing these needs head on.

While St. Thomas School has always worked to provide a safe, inclusive, and equitable education to all students, this initiative will bring additional attention to diversity throughout the School. “With new information, we have the opportunity to do more,” explains Ghosh, who is chairing the board’s DEI Committee. “We want to hold ourselves more accountable. That starts with asking direct, difficult questions about diversity in all its forms in the school and on our board.”

One of the initial actions the board took toward this initiative was a meeting dedicated to listening to diverse perspectives. “It’s the first time we’ve devoted an entire meeting to this topic other than at a retreat two years ago,” enthuses Ghosh.

Cliff Avril, a fellow member of the St. Thomas School Board of Trustees, shared his experience growing up as a person of color in this country. “He reminded people how difficult it is for Black Americans to live ‘normal’ lives in the United States. He entreated us to consider our focus on DEI initiatives not be a moment because of the Black Lives Matter protests. Instead, our actions are part of a movement, where each positive step leads to perceptible change.”

Dr. Jayasri Ghosh, STS Board of Trustees

One of these steps is working in concert with the School’s faculty-led work on diversity, equity, and inclusion. “We want to mirror at the board level what the teachers are doing in the classrooms,” Ghosh said. “The faculty have already taken a lot of initiative to address diversity in all aspects of the Schools’ programs, but we on the board need to be aware and consciously supportive of their work. Working together, we can create an even more just society of which we can be proud.”

The board plans to seamlessly work this initiative into St. Thomas School by incorporating it into the School’s “three C’s: Character, Curriculum, and Community.”

Strengthening character is the first step to creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment at STS. “Diversity is a way of being,” says Ghosh. “It’s a daily respect. It’s knowing how to navigate people’s differences and actively engage with them. It’s asking critical questions about ourselves, how we think, and how we act. It is being open to people who think, act, and are different from us. It’s lifting each other up to ensure that everyone is heard and feels safe being heard.”

“All children need to be treated fairly. They need equal opportunity to attend school, to recognize themselves in the curriculum, and to have their culture and background honored and accepted.”

Much of the initiative’s character building starts with asking board members to take a hard look at themselves. “We need to ask ourselves if we are making assumptions,” Ghosh stresses. “Is there enough opportunity for people to have a different opinion? Are we taking the time to look at best practices?”

The board’s initiative also addresses the ways in which the School builds character in its students. Inclusivity is essential to exhibiting and teaching character, especially to young people. “It’s not just about racial diversity,” Ghosh clarifies. “Diversity can mean anything from understanding the needs of children who may have different physical, social, or learning needs, or who need special understanding in developing their identities.” Addressing the fundamentals of inclusivity is vital in developing character. By giving board members, students, and teachers the language, tools, and skills to promote inclusivity, a permanently welcoming environment is formed for people from all walks of life.

On a more concrete level, the board will actively support faculty in their efforts to bring more diversity and inclusivity into the School’s curriculum.

For instance, rather than discuss Black history only during Black History Month, we need to fully integrate Black stories into American history. “Black American students need to see that their legacy is part of American history, and not just a part of a month,” says Ghosh. “Each child needs to be able to see themselves in the curriculum.”

The School also needs to bring greater diversity to our community by appealing to people of diverse backgrounds and making them feel welcomed, acknowledged, and included. This applies to faculty and staff members, as well as students and families. “Students need role models and leaders who look like them, too.” Ghosh added.

Hiring practices alone are not enough to promote diversity; it takes financial support as well. “Bellevue is one of the most diverse populations in the state,” Ghosh points out. “So we should strive to reflect that diversity in our school. We can more proportionally represent our diverse community by being more intentional with financial aid.” To create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive community, the School must make its stellar education accessible to a broader range of students and families.

Finally, creating a diverse community doesn’t end with admissions. “We need to keep track of how we are growing and changing as we become a more diverse community,” Ghosh insists. “It’s not enough to just welcome people in. We need them to stay, have a voice, and contribute to a community that they’ll want to be part of for the rest of their lives.”

The board has been discussing several ways to hold themselves and the School accountable for this equity. For instance, the board, together with the head of school, and the director of admissions and financial aid, can more deeply examine how financial aid is being distributed yearto-year. This discussion can include important questions, such as, “Are we seeing the changes we wanted in the community as a result of our financial aid distribution?” That community extends to the greater STS alumni community, as well. We know that many of our alumni are involved in other schools and organizations that are finding ways to promote diversity; we are always interested in learning about what is working for others.

“Our alumni continue to be role models for our current students,” Ghosh adds. “We want our current students to see alumni as adults they may grow into, and to take the lessons they learn at STS to be model participants and leaders in reshaping our society to be increasingly just and humane.”