Do Justice. Love Kindness Walk Humbly.

A NEW APPROACH TO DEI EDUCATION

By Cathy Morrison

“Do Justice. Love Kindness. Walk Humbly.” This verse from the Bible’s book of Micah has been guiding Bishop’s themes for chapel and in our community. With that, our Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) curriculum has intentionally evolved from a more reactive approach to a proactive path.

Last year four faculty members were appointed to new positions on Bishop’s Diversity Leadership Team: Raul Ruiz (history and social sciences) and Lara Korneychuk (performing arts) as upper school diversity coordinators, and Mary Ellen Kohlman (history and social sciences) and Carlos Martell (world languages) as middle school diversity coordinators. Despite there being so much to react to in 2020 and 2021, this group worked to create curricula and lesson plans for advisors to implement during designated advisory sessions.

Lara explains, “Our goal for this year’s DEI curriculum was to create a culture of regularly talking about issues related to diversity, equity and inclusion—not in response to something that has just happened in the world—but as a regular part of our lives.

“If we only talk DEI for 25 minutes every A day, that doesn’t lead to a culture shift. We’re hoping faculty will allow these conversations to continue in other interactions. We know that 25 minutes isn’t nearly enough to address these topics and tie them up with a pretty ribbon. In fact—that’s the idea.

“One of the goals is to make DEI an ongoing conversation. We encourage everyone to continue discussions over email, a free period or lunch. Slowly, these personal connections will lead to a culture where we are actively engaged in the diversity of our community and the pursuit of true equity and inclusion.”

Establishing and following “Respectful Dialogue Practices” is central to the DEI curriculum. Raul notes, “As with any new program, there are challenges. The success relies on students’ willingness to speak up for the sake of exploring ideas. I am happy that the program has sparked conversations about important issues.”

Occasionally, some have felt (and expressed) frustration with an activity that didn’t have a single, prescriptive right answer or conclusion. By encouraging students and faculty to stay engaged, experience some discomfort and accept non-closure, members of the School community are called on to have “patience and good faith.” ”Even critical statements about some lessons are signs that students see the value of talking about DEI,” says Raul. “We plan lessons that advisors execute as designed or with alterations to fit student needs. Ultimately, the effectiveness depends on the ownership our School takes of the program. Diversity, equity and inclusion are considered by many to be key values underpinning a 21st century education. Learning from others’ lives and ideas, exploring what is fair and what is not and interrogating what it means to fully belong to a community are essential human endeavors any educated person must undertake. If the DEI program is nudging students toward these tasks, then it is meeting its intended goal.” Lara acknowledges, “There’s a lot going on in our world right now, and we hope that these practices can normalize talking about the things that challenge us. We are all learning together, and it’s a marathon not a sprint.”