DEI Report 2021

University School of Nashville

DEI Report 2021

University School of Nashville DEI Report 2021 the inaugural narrative of the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts

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University School of Nashville

Administrative Team Director Vincent W. Durnan Jr. Head of Lower School Amy Woodson Head of Middle School Jeff Greenfield ’84 Head of High School Quinton P. Walker Athletic Director Josh Scouten Chief Financial Officer Teresa Standard Communications Director Juanita I.C. Traughber Director of Admissions and Financial Aid Juliet Douglas Director of After School Rebecca Stokes Director of Development Anne Westfall Director of Diversity and Community Life Roderick White Director of Operations Erik Mash ’93 Director of Technology Kathy Wieczerza Library Director Mary Buxton

This DEI Report was published electronically in February 2021 by the Communications Office and Office of Diversity and Community Life for the Peabody Demonstration School and University School of Nashville community. Hard copies are available upon request.

Mission Statement (adopted in 2008, again ratified in 2016) University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.

Nondiscrimination Policy (updated in 2013) University School of Nashville does not discriminate on the basis of color, creed, gender identity and expression, handicap, national origin, race, sex, sexual orientation, or transgender status in the administration of its educational, admissions, and financial aid policies, faculty and staff recruitment and hiring policies, athletics, or other programs or activities administered by the school.

Employment Policy (adopted in 1999, revised in 2013, 2015, 2016) University School of Nashville is committed to providing equal opportunity in all of our employment practices, including selection, hiring, promotion, transfer, and compensation, to all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, citizenship, color, creed, disability/handicap, gender identity including transgender status, marital status, military or veteran status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other protected status in accordance with the requirements of all federal, state, and local laws.

This report was made possible by the daily work of students, faculty, and staff throughout University School of Nashville. Special thanks to contributors Juliet Douglas, Mike Jones, Nicole Jules, Dana Mayfield, Adell Neal, Lorie Strong, Katie Sandidge, Teresa Standard, Genie Tanner, Susan Pearlman, Quinton Walker, and Anne Westfall.

DEI Report 2021

From the Office of Diversity and Community Life

Black Lives Matter — that statement is a fact.

Our world is changing. Each and every day, I am constantly reminded about the change in our country, and to a larger extent, our world. The conversation about race, equity, inclusion, and justice has been a long time coming. For some people, this movement towards racial equity has been mostly invisible, not applicable to their lived experience. Unfortunately, for many other members of our community, especially those who identify as BIPOC, the events of this past summer are another reminder of how much work needs to continue to make the experience of all of our community members more equitable.

We, the faculty and staff of USN, recognize the need for the PDS/USN community to see what steps have been taken so far, what action items are in progress, and our plans for our school’s future. This document is a look into the work of diversity, equity, and inclusion that spans the entire breadth of USN during the past six years. It is a report card that shows much of the commitment to the work we have done. It is also a visual to show where we still have more work to do. We did not come to this point in one leap or one summer; rather, we are grateful to all the past faculty and staff who came before us, proud of the alumni who called us to task, inspired by the students who used their voices to shed light on what we can do better, and appreciative of the dedicated educators who are working tirelessly to make sure that all of our students are treated equitably.

There is always room for growth, and we pledge to update and document the steps we are taking to hold the school to the lofty expectations that we so highly treasure as a leader in the education world. I also envision USN as a model institution that nurtures and develops community-minded citizens who think extrinsically and put action to thought for the betterment of the world. In the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “The time is always right to do what is right.”

USN’s time is now; let’s keep working together, Roderick White

Office of Diversity and Community Life rwhite@usn.org

From the Communications Office

Every morning, my 3-year-old daughter and I recite affirmations. There’s a line that goes, “If I fall down, I get back up. If I make a mess, I clean it up.” These metaphorical lessons are figurative and literal. We repeat them after slips on the playground and when eggs splatter on the kitchen floor as well as after we make mistakes or when we have difficulty completing a task.

Last summer, I erred in publishing a poorly-timed social media post. It ignited a spark of dissent with USN’s status quo and fueled petitions. They led administrators to look inward and audit thoroughly. Herein lie our progress and emendations — our getting back up and cleaning up. What you will read on the following pages speaks volumes more than any blackout square or hashtag ever could. Detailed in this report are the DEI efforts of colleagues since 2015 and 2016, when Director of Diversity and Community Life Roderick White and I, respectively, joined the USN community as well as faculty and staff members’ collective goals and strategies to continue pushing this work forward.

Thank you to the many young alumni and students who set ablaze our attention and intentions. Thank you for holding accountable the administrators of your alma mater and the school entrusted with preparing you for life beyond Edgehill.

We plan to produce this report annually for the PDS/USN community. We are committed now more than ever before to have classrooms, hallways, and offices at 2000 Edgehill that are increasingly diverse, that teach and value equity, and that are inclusive of the entire Nashville community.

Heartfelt, Juanita I.C. Traughber

Communications Director jtraughber@usn.org

University School of Nashville

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DEI Report 2021

Executive Summary This report attempts to document the state of diversity, equity, and inclusion work at University School of Nashville as of winter 2021. The summer of 2020 provided us with the opportunity to look deep within to review historical trends, assess current practices, and consider future possibilities.

The report is composed of the following sections, each of which contributes a portion to the larger narrative of diversity, equity, and inclusion at University School of Nashville:

n

n

n

n

Diversity & Inclusion at USN: A Look at the Numbers (Pages 7-11) Recent Student & Faculty Efforts (Pages 13-15) The Institutional Structure for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (Pages 17-19) Striving to Meet the Moment & Looking to the Future (Pages 21-27)

Pages 29 through 31 also include a glossary of terms for frequently used acronyms as well as language USN uses in its curriculum, planning, and conversations.

We have not endeavored to be exhaustive in our historical approach, rather focusing on the school’s most recent time period. That is not to negate the experiences, efforts, and contributions of the countless students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni who have left their marks on the USN community. Each of those experiences matters and will continue to be considered as we advance the work of equity, justice, and inclusion at University School of Nashville.

It is our hope that you read the report as our best first effort at articulating where we’ve been, where we are, and where we are headed. It’s less about perfection; it’s more about progress toward creating a more just community where equity and belonging are among the primary lenses through which we consider and lead this community.

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University School of Nashville

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DEI Report 2021

Diversity & Inclusion at USN: A Look at the Numbers The following numbers illustrate the evolution in the racial and ethnic composition of the USN community since changes in school leadership since 2015. New employees have the option to self-identify when completing their paperwork with Human Resources; USN reports this information annually to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, National Association of Independent Schools, and Independent School Data Exchange. In enrollment contracts for the 2017-2018 academic year, USN began asking families to self-identify their race & ethnicity to help the school better track progress toward achieving its mission; the school reports these numbers to NAIS and INDEX. USN cares deeply about the wellness of its students, faculty, and staff.

In 2019, the school began partnering with Authentic Connections to survey High School students and employees to determine its strengths and identify areas in which USN can improve, particularly focused on communal health and well-being. This instrument is a series of science-based questionnaires about personal experiences, and information is collected anonymously. Topics measured include learning efficacy, rates of student anxiety and depression, quality of relationships between students, faculty, and parents, as well as feelings of connection and belonging. The following data also covers equity and inclusion from the most recent Authentic Connections survey.

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University School of Nashville

Student Enrollment By Race & Ethnicity

2017-2018 n White/Caucasian

56.8%

n Black/African American 10.1% n Unreported 10.0% n Multiracial 9.6% n Asian American 8.8% n Latino/Hispanic 3.1% n Middle Eastern 1.1% n International 0.4% n Native American 0.1%

< Pacific Islander

0.0%

2020-2021 n White/Caucasian

57.1%

n Black/African American 11.3% n Multiracial 9.6% n Asian American 8.9% n Unreported 6.6% n Latino/Hispanic 3.9% n Middle Eastern 1.8% n International 0.5% n Native American 0.4% n Pacific Islander 0.1%

High School Students’ Perspectives from Authentic Connections September 2020 Students are treated differently because of their race and/or ethnicity Students are treated differently because of their sexual orientation Students are treated differently because of their gender identity

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12.9% of USN students perceive low levels of equity & inclusion, compared to national norms of 12.2%. Norms are gathered from surveys of approximately 16,000 students at high-achieving schools nationwide.

n Strongly agree n Agree n Neutral n Disagree n Strongly Disagree

DEI Report 2021

Faculty & Staff Composition By Race & Ethnicity

2015 Total: 312 Employees

2020 Total: 291 Employees

n White/Caucasian: 76% (237 Employees) n Black/African American: 15.7% (49 Employees) n Multiracial: 1.3% (4 Employees) n Asian: 4.2% (13 Employees) n Latino/Hispanic: 2.6% (8 Employees) n Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander: 0.3% (1 Employee)

n White/Caucasian: 76.6% (232 Employees) n Black/African American: 15.1% (44 Employees) n Multiracial: 2.4% (7 Employees) n Asian: 3.4% (10 Employees) n Latino/Hispanic: 2.4% (7 Employees) n Unreported: 0.3% (1 Employee)

Faculty & Staff Perspectives from Authentic Connections October 2020 Students/colleagues are treated differently because of their race and/or ethnicity Students/colleagues are treated differently because of their sexual orientation Students/colleagues are treated differently because of their gender identity

6.8% of USN employees perceive low levels of equity & inclusion, compared to national norms of 7.9%. Norms are gathered from surveys of faculty & staff at high-achieving schools nationwide.

n Strongly agree n Agree n Neutral n Disagree n Strongly Disagree

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University School of Nashville

Enrollment of Black Males by Division 25

20

15

10

LS 18

MS 21

HS 10

2017-2018

5

0

LS 18

MS 18

HS 25

2020-2021

10.2%

8.7%

total Black male attrition

total Black male attrition

Attrition of Black Males

by Division

3.3% 3.0

total school attrition 2.5 2017-2018

2% total school attrition 2019-2020

2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5

LS 3

MS 1

LS 1

HS 1

MS 2

HS 1

0.0

2017-2018

2019-2020 10

DEI Report 2021

2017-2018

2020-2021

37%

29%

acceptance rate K-12

acceptance rate K-12

Enrolled Students at Major Admission Points

Race

Kindergarten

Fifth Grade

Ninth Grade

2017-18 2020-21

2017-18 2020-21

2017-18 2020-21

Black/African American

7

9

6

9

10

12

Latino/Hispanic

0

1

2

4

7

10

Asian American

6

5

5

6

14

2

Middle Eastern

3

0

1

0

0

0

Native American

0

0

0

1

0

1

Multiracial

10

8

11

5

8

7

Pacific Islander

0

1

0

0

0

0

White/Caucasian

34

39

42

48

67

69

International

0

0

0

0

2

0

Unreported

4

1

11

5

4

6

64

64

78

78

Total New Students

11

112 107

University School of Nashville

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DEI Report 2021

Recent Student & Faculty Efforts Much of the work across the school is led by student-leaders with faculty support as well as faculty taking the initiative to bring new curriculum to their classrooms. Below is a look at that work by Division.

USN seeks educators who are enthusiastic about their learning as well as their students’ growth. Our commitment is to provide teachers opportunities to shape their progress in the field with the support and guidance of administrators who recognize the arc of a teacher’s career.

Opportunities abound for faculty to attend conferences & workshops to further their understanding of best practices in education and to renew, inspire, and energize themselves. Following is a list of professional development opportunities that USN faculty and staff have attended annually since at least 2015.

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Lower School

High School

n Identity Curriculum: implemented in 2019 for Grades K-4, this unit is a natural extension of the work already done around diversity and inclusion. Students take an in-depth look at the history of their names and their family traditions as well as study socioeconomic status, race, gender differences, and other identifiers.

n Feminism Club: students strive for this club to be a way to learn about both modern and historical feminism. It reflects the interests and agendas of its members through student presentations, guest speakers, and group discussion.

n Young Activist Club: led by a Lower School teacher, this club is an opportunity for USN students in Grades 4-8 to become civically engaged and focus on Nashville’s growing homeless population, systemic racism, and climate change. Students have written the governor to encourage the removal of statues and hosted a sock drive for people experiencing homelessness. n Black Lives Matter Week of Activism: this five-day event planned by Lower School faculty and members of the Young Activist Club will be held in March 2021 to bring awareness to and teach how to organize for racial justice in education.

Middle & High Schools n Black Student Union: this affinity group is for students that identify as Black, African American, or of African heritage to meet, discuss, and provide support to each other as part of their experiences in an independent school. n ALBANIE: this student organization represents students of Asian, Latinx, Biracial, African American, Native American, International, and European students at University School of Nashville. The alliance is a framework for building a stronger, more culturally competent student body. Students have conversations and activities about the various dimensions of diversity and how it impacts their lives.

n GSA: the Gender and Sexuality Alliance seeks to promote a welcoming educational and social environment for all students; to raise awareness of issues surrounding lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual, pansexual, and other nonbinary identities; and to partner with others both in and beyond our community on matters of student diversity, equality, safety, and well-being. n Asian Affinity Group: this group aims to create a space for Asian-identifying students to discuss issues that pertain to their shared identities, create a sense of solidarity amongst themselves, and voice those issues to administration and the rest of the school. n Aliados: this student organization stands with the Hispanic and Latinx community represented at USN and in Nashville while celebrating the traditions held by those communities. It strives to educate members and the USN community to foster a loving community that embraces and cherishes the diverse backgrounds from which its members come. n CORE: this student organization was created with the intention to stimulate discussion and for each voice in our community to be heard. Inspired by the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference, CORE focuses on self-reflecting, forming allies, and building community. Students learn about the nine core identifiers: ability, age, ethnicity, family structure, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, race, and religion. n International Club: this student organization aims to celebrate the many cultures and diverse backgrounds of the USN community through events like the schoolwide International Fair, usually held in the spring, and to help educate the student body about these cultures. n TESOL: an acronym standing for Teaching English as a Second Language, this USN student-led program mentors fifth and sixth graders at LEAD Cameron, a local charter school, as a way to build their confidence while speaking and/or writing English through worksheets, activities, and games.

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DEI Report 2021

Professional Development n White Privilege Conference: hosted by The Privilege Institute, this conference examines challenging concepts of privilege and oppression and offers solutions and team building strategies to work towards a more equitable world. WPC is a conference designed to examine issues of privilege beyond skin color. WPC is open to everyone and invites diverse perspectives to provide a comprehensive look at issues of privilege including race, gender, sexuality, class, and disability. n People of Color Conference: held by the National Association of Independent Schools, this conference is a safe space for leadership, professional development, and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools. It includes more than 100 seminars, workshops, and a master class for educators to improve the interracial, interethnic, and intercultural climate in their schools n Courageous Conversations: hosted by the Pacific Educational Group, this workshop covers the award-winning protocol for effectively engaging, sustaining and deepening interracial dialogue. n Tearing Down the Walls: held at the The Ensworth School in Nashville, this two-day race and leadership conference is for independent school students in the Southeast. The purpose of the conference is to afford students from diverse racial and socioeconomic backgrounds the opportunity to become leaders and bridge builders in the arena of race relations so that they return home emboldened to lead.

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n Diversity Leadership Institute: by examining and applying sound theory, best practices, and creative approaches to human interaction and organizational dynamics, participants in this NAIS institute enhance professional competencies, build credibility, foster innovation, and plan strategically for building and sustaining school communities that maximize the potential of students and adults alike. n Culturally Responsive Teaching: this NAIS conference draws on cutting edge neuroscience research to offer an innovative approach for designing and implementing brain compatible culturally responsive instruction. n Equity Design Lab: Grading for Equity: this expertly-guided NAIS workshop is an examination of the knowledge, skills, mindsets, and practices necessary to improve learning for all students, minimize grade inflation, and become a lever for creating stronger teacher-student relationships and more caring, engaging classrooms n Pollyanna: this five-part series is for parents and explores topics such as examining white identity, navigating conversations around race, and committing to an anti-racist life.

University School of Nashville

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DEI Report 2021

The Institutional Structure for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion In fall 2016, USN created committees charged with focusing on four specific areas in which the school noted room for improvement. These committees are composed of faculty and staff spanning the school’s divisions and departments, and they operate under the umbrella of the Office of Diversity and Community Life. Director Vince Durnan and Director of the Office of Diversity and Community Life Roderick White sit on each committee. Below are each committee’s charges, membership, and progress to date.

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University School of Nashville

Culturally Responsive Teaching Committee

This committee reviews school curriculum to ensure it is deliberately inclusive and diverse, utilizing identifiers such as age, ability, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, spirituality, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status.

Members

Katie Sandidge, Sixth Grade English Teacher, Committee Chair Richard Espenant, HS World Languages Teacher Connie Fink, Fifth Grade Social Studies Teacher Dana Mayfield, HS English Teacher Nabilah Rahman, Second Grade Teacher Victoria Roca, Second Grade Teacher Freya Sachs ’00, English Department Chair

Highlights

n examining and updating curriculum to ensure that USN can continue to offer content that is academically rigorous and that speaks to the broad palette of scholars who grace our classrooms

n assisting K-12 faculty when they are working on learning units to make sure lessons are inclusive n running workshops for Middle School faculty during inservice n conducting structured and informal conversations around pedagogy, curriculum, and inclusive spaces with faculty n offering after school opportunities for faculty to present a dilemma, curriculum idea, or pedagogical question to the committee & helping them work through their wondering using a protocol, such as working with a teacher to integrate a conversation about racial disparity in a unit on addiction

Hiring & Retention Committee

This committee works to ensure USN is broadening its reach to create the most diverse candidate pool possible by recruiting candidates from historically underrepresented groups. It also works to ensure that the school is a supportive environment for all of its employees.

Members

Genie Tanner, Human Resources Director, Committee Chair Greg Anderson, Summer Camps Director, PE Teacher Kim Avington, Horizons at USN Program Director, Fourth Grade Teacher Jeff Greenfield ’84, Head of Middle School Felicia Holst, Assistant Head of Lower School Erik Mash ’93, Operations Director Adell Neal, Assistant Controller and Human Resources Diversity & Inclusion Associate Josh Scouten, Athletics Director Teresa Standard, Chief Financial Officer Rebecca Stokes, Director of After School Quinton Walker, Head of High School Amy Woodson, Head of Lower School

Highlights n meeting monthly to stay apprised of job openings throughout the school and strategize best ways to diversify applicant pools n focusing efforts on building relationships with historically Black universities in Nashville n exploring and implementing ways of recruiting and retaining a broad range of candidates (e.g., LinkedIn’s premium jobs platform, partnerships with search firms serving historically-underrepresented candidates, teacher mentoring programs)

n secured a memorandum of understanding with Tennessee State University that allows USN to serve as a certification school for education majors to complete their student teaching program

n developed policies and procedures for fair and consistent hiring practices

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DEI Report 2021

Cultural Competency Committee

This committee helps develop a clear understanding of the aspects of inclusion and diversity for faculty, while fostering an appreciation for all of the different backgrounds, perspectives, and cultures represented in the USN community.

Members

Nicole Jules, Dean of Students, Psychology Teacher, HS Girls’ Basketball Head Coach, Committee Chair Ellen Hicks, Third Grade Teacher Kelicia Cox, Assistant Head of Middle School Scott Collins ’05, Assistant Director of Admissions Jennifer McFall, Fitness Center Director, HS Girls’ Basketball Assistant Coach Adell Neal, Assistant Controller and Human Resources Diversity & Inclusion Associate Jody Reynolds, Kindergarten Teacher Erskine White, HS History Teacher

Highlights n created a faculty resources page on usn.org to equip faculty with case studies, articles, and other tools n enacted a comprehensive K-12 Discipline Review process that looked at the usage of common policies K-12 and using consistent language

n hosting opportunities for role-playing situations to better prepare faculty for difficult conversations that may arise in the classroom

n helping faculty develop a toolbox to be productive and affirming to students and make their classrooms intentionally inclusive for all

n facilitating small group work in division meetings to help faculty practice their skills around cultural competency

Outreach Committee

This committee is charged with sharing USN’s name and its benefits throughout the Nashville community to help carry out the school’s mission and meet families underrepresented in the USN community.

Members

Juanita I.C. Traughber, Communications Director, Committee Chair Juliet Douglas, Director of Admissions & Financial Aid, Former Committee Chair Kim Avington, Horizons at USN Program Director, Fourth Grade Teacher Daniel Gordon, PE Teacher, HS Boys’ Soccer Coach Mike Jones, HS Director of Service Learning, HS Boys’ Basketball Head Coach Josh Scouten, Athletic Director Andrés Victoria, Fifth Grade Math Teacher Anne Westfall, Director of Development

Highlights n developing opportunities for USN faculty and students to tutor, mentor, serve, and collaborate with Nashvillians in underserved communities

n cataloging the many partnerships and service projects of USN clubs and classes in the Nashville community into a central directory to identify gaps in programming and demographics served

n working with Divisions to be as inviting, inclusive, and coordinated as USN can be in its work beyond Edgehill n seeking paid and earned media opportunities with niche and traditional publications in the Nashville community

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DEI Report 2021

Striving to Meet the Moment & Looking to the Future In summer 2020, several administrators and Black faculty spent time auditing USN’s work and progress in five categories: hiring and retaining underrepresented faculty of color; recruiting underrepresented students of color; adopting anti-racist and anti-harassment policies; enhancing curriculum materials and course offerings; and serving the USN and Nashville communities. The concept gained national attention with the National Association for Independent Schools featuring USN’s tool built by Head of High School Quinton P. Walker in its quarterly magazine.

The output of that assessment and the school’s goals for the future are outlined on the following pages.

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University School of Nashville

Examining Our Curriculum: Curriculum Conversations Around Inclusivity Goal: to evaluate classroom curriculum and resource material to ensure cultural competencies and diverse voices are heard Strategy & Tactics Accomplished

n librarians created and shared age-appropriate library guides with the USN community in summer 2020,

including USN’s Resources on Racism and Antiracism LibGuide, which gained the attention of the Nashville Scene, and USN’s Black Arts Movement to Black Lives Matter LibGuide for a High School seminar n Black administrators and High School faculty hosted four-part “A Summer Salon Series” for students in Grades

9-12 and alumni to learn from community leaders, academics, and activists

n librarians and the English Department welcomed Jamel Brinkley as inaugural USN author-in-residence in

February 2019 and held a public reading of “A Lucky Man,” winner of the 2018 Ernest J. Gaines Award for

Literary Excellence and a finalist for the PEN Literary Awards n Lower School faculty created and implemented the identity unit in 2019 for Grades K-4 to learn about

themselves and their classmates’ cultural, social-economic status, race, and gender differences with complementary

parent education workshops in January 2020 n Middle School wide held a community read of Bryan Stevenson’s book “Just Mercy” in March 2020 for Grades 5-8 n hosted the NAIS Equity Design Lab: Grading for Equity workshop in July 2019 in the Auditorium with a dozen

USN faculty sitting alongside educators from independent schools throughout the country to upend traditional

grading practices that reward content knowledge over learning

Work In Progress

n Department chairs and faculty on the Culturally Responsive Teaching Committee are comprehensively evaluating classroom curricula to ensure they are inclusive of BIPOC narratives and authors

n Black High School faculty and administrators are continuing the “Salon Series” for High School students and

alumni with a focus on HBCUs participating with the Southern Association of Independent Schools and INDEX roundtables on equity and justice in curriculum n Hassenfeld librarians continue to infuse the school collection with diverse and authentic voices, experiences,

and characters n ODCL provides High School advisors with a topic and talking points to guide conversations about current events

with students each Friday

On the Horizon

n Lower School will host the “Black Lives Matter Week of Activism” for students in Grades K-4 on March 22-26, 2021

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DEI Report 2021

Building Our Community: Hiring and Retention of Underrepresented Faculty Goal: to have the racial and ethnic composition of USN employees be reflective of the student body Strategy & Tactics Accomplished

n created an affinity group for Black faculty in 2020 to fellowship and support each other n signed two memorandums of understanding with Tennessee State University to bring the historically Black

college’s student teachers to USN classrooms and to increase partnerships in regards to programming and grants n USN administrators & faculty co-chaired the National Association of Independent Schools’ People of Color

Conference in 2018, bringing more than 7,000 educators to Nashville; more than 50 USN faculty and staff

attended the conference that year; five USN faculty presented the panel session “They Just Said What?

Helping Early Career Teachers Learn How to Navigate the Trickiest Moments” and Isha Upender ‘19 performed a

traditional South Indian dance during a general assembly n welcomed more than 50 educators from throughout the nation to tour USN and speak with campus

representatives during NAIS PoCC in 2018 n created in 2020 the new position of Human Resources Diversity & Inclusion Associate to coordinate recruitment,

hiring, onboarding, and professional development initiatives for underrepresented faculty & staff and to further

support Human Resources and the Office of Diversity and Community Life n revamped online employment application and hiring processes to support DEI

Work In Progress

n hiring people of color in graduate school or seeking a second career into USN classrooms through the Middle

School apprenticeship; USN has had two Black apprentices since beginning this program in fall 2018

n hosting the Nashville People of Color Career Fair in USN’s Gordon Multipurpose Room annually since 2018 to

connect independent schools in Tennessee with candidates of color n continually seeking opportunities to meet candidates of color and attend career fairs including those at nearby

universities, the Teacher of Color Recruitment Fair in Atlanta, and the Carney Sandoe and Associates Diversity

Hiring Fair in Philadelphia n welcoming undergraduate and graduate students to intern in the Office of Diversity and Community Life to

introduce them to teaching opportunities in independent schools; ODCL has had three interns since 2016 n sending faculty annually to the NAIS People of Color Conference to learn best practices related to DEI in

education n offering competitive salaries with USN in the 75th percentile of INDEX peers, when adjusted for cost of living,

and annual wage pool increases of 2.5% to 5% annually

n evaluating application questions, candidate review, and interview questions to encourage and support a diverse

applicant pool

On the Horizon

n evaluating the benefits of partnership with hiring firms who specialize in candidates of color n expanding teacher training and internship opportunities K-12 as well as professional development for hiring

teams on best practices for diversity and inclusion

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Building Our Community: Recruiting and Retaining Underrepresented Students of Color Goal: for the USN student body to reflect the cultural and ethnic composition of Metro Nashville reported by U.S. Census Bureau Strategy & Tactics Accomplished n created parent affinity groups: the Black Parent Network in the 1980s; and Hispanic Or/and Latinx

Organization, known as HOLA, in 2019

n created the Black Student Union for High School students to connect and have conversations about their

experiences at an independent school

n faculty volunteered as math tutors at Conexión Américas n hosted a listening session in June 2020 to give Black parents the opportunity to speak with school administrators

and offer reflections on their experiences at USN and their wishes for the school’s future DEI initiatives

Work In Progress

n hosting annual small gatherings for parents in affinity groups to interact with school administrators n coordinating outreach of USN administrators to new Black families to support their introduction to campus life n creating small clusters of Lower School students by race/ethnicity in classrooms to assist with identity formation n ongoing relationship building between the USN Admissions Office and Warner Elementary School, LEAD

Cameron Middle School, Purpose Preparatory Academy, and STRIVE Collegiate Academy to build a pipeline of students from underrepresented communities admitted to USN in fifth and ninth grades n participating in the NAIS Student Diversity Leadership Conference to bring back to USN a renewed passion for

creating a better learning environment on Edgehill for their peers

On the Horizon

n expanding the opportunity to enrich USN with the inclusion of unrepresented groups and communities

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DEI Report 2021

Reflecting and Sharing Our Work: Progress and Accountability Goal: to be transparent with the PDS/USN community on DEI progress Strategy & Tactics Accomplished

n hosted five listening sessions in summer 2020 to give alumni the opportunity to speak with school administrators and offer reflections on their experiences at USN and their wishes for the school’s future DEI initiatives

n hosted several meetings between USN administrators and USN Alumni for Change and a discussion with the

Board of Trustees in summer 2020

n created the DEI Subcommittee to the Board of Trustees’ Educational Policies and Student Life Committee, chaired

by USN trustee & parent Grace Jackson, to provide an additional layer of accountability on school progress

n conducted an audit of the school’s DEI initiatives in August 2020 and curated them and future plans into this 2021 DEI Report published in February

Work In Progress

n reporting annually data on the race & ethnicity of USN students and employees to the EEOC, NAIS, and INDEX n hosting sessions in March 2021 for students, parents, and alumni to give feedback on this DEI Report n sharing DEI work happening in hallways and classrooms on social media to the general public, the weekly

division publications to students & parents, and quarterly alumni newsletter

n High School administrators meet regularly with the Student Transformative Justice Committee

On the Horizon

n publish an annual DEI Report & host listening sessions for parents, alumni, and students to offer feedback n develop a usn.org webpage to serve as a dashboard that updates the community on DEI initiatives and projects n update the ODCL webpage

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University School of Nashville

Caring for and Equipping Our Community: Support of Community Members Goal: to broaden USN’s reach into the Nashville community, provide further support for the PDS/USN community, and create opportunities to teach students about social justice Strategy & Action Plan Accomplished

n earned the Volunteer Tennessee’s Award of Excellence in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 for our outstanding

commitment to public service; USN’s achievements include partnering with the Nashville Food Project, presenting an immersive theater performance at Fort Negley Park and multiple classes, student clubs, organizations working with local public schools and nonprofit organizations by mentoring and tutoring, leading food and coat drives for Nashville families, and socializing with elderly and disabled people and English-language learners n creation of the Lower School Young Activist Club in 2020 to focus on ways students in Grade K-4 can contribute

to social change at an early age n developed the Bias Reporting Form, a system of encouraging students to report incidents of troubling behavior;

since published in January 2021, there have been a half dozen submissions and school administrators have

been working to resolve those issues in a restorative justice approach that has led to productive conversations

and opportunities for students to learn about conflict resolution n co-sponsored the daylong Racial Justice in Education and Society Virtual Conference, addressing racial justice in

educational settings in December 2020 with more than 20 USN faculty learning alongside researchers,

educators, community activists, policymakers, parents, families, and community members n faculty and the High School Environmental Club grew vegetables in raised beds in the Edgehill Community

Garden for several years n held a voter registration drive and back-to-school event at Edgehill Apartments, federally-subsidized family

housing less than a mile east of USN n Lower and High School students entertained residents of Gernet Studio Apartments, federally-subsidized housing

for ages 62+ less than a mile east of USN, with board & card games, craft activities, Valentine’s Day parties, and

live music on several occasions over recent years

Work In Progress

n Horizons at USN supports students attending Metro Nashville Public Schools from low-income families who

spend six weeks of summer at USN for high-quality academics (taught by USN & MNPS teachers) with cultural enrichment and confidence-building activities at no cost to the families; the program began in 2014 and

will have 120 rising first through eighth graders in summer 2021 n a 20-year-old relationship with LEAD Cameron continues with a writing-in-service class and students from

Cameron and USN visit each others’ classrooms; it yields several Cameron students to USN’s incoming class of

ninth graders each fall n nurturing new relationships and outreach programs between the Admissions Office and Warner Elementary

School, Purpose Preparatory Academy, and STRIVE Collegiate Academy n tutoring and supporting English-learning students through soccer with L.E.T.S. Play at Whitsitt Elementary School n for 24 years, High Schoolers have paused their academic studies to spend the day interacting with the Nashville

community; Community Action Day includes hearing a lecture from a community activist, serving at more than

30 nonprofits and sites across Nashville to volunteer in the morning, and spending the afternoon reflecting on

their work

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DEI Report 2021

n creating long-term support for expected trauma; being prepared for possible situations of behavior linked to

trauma and upheaval related to previous and current events

n for at least six years, High School students have tutored weekly at the Edgehill after school programs Salama Urban Ministries and Brighter Days

On the Horizon

n inviting alumni to create affinity groups and provide a USN liaison for support n grounding our affinity group spaces in defined outcomes and aims beyond support

n creating a curated guide for K-12 parents and families to refer to with resources, links, and conversation

prompts

n reviewing and updating anti-racist and anti-harassment language in student handbooks

n fostering new relationships with Metro Nashville Public Schools with many English-language learners, including

DuPont Hadley Middle School and Margaret Allen Middle School

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University School of Nashville

Steps Forward This report, the first of its kind at University School of Nashville, documents the work of equity, justice, and inclusion at the school during the past three to five years. Although the contents of the report focus on a more recent view of equity and justice at USN, the foundations of this work were laid in the institution’s more distant past. At its core, PDS/USN has been an institution dedicated to inclusivity, even if that dedication hasn’t always produced the optimal experience for all of its students, faculty, staff, parents, and alumni.

This work never stops. We’ve outlined our initial set of goals in previous sections. And we know that there are more ambitious goals we’ve yet to consider. There are no goalposts, no finish lines, and no final chapters of equity and inclusion work. Rather, the work is ongoing, dynamic, and made better when the people in our community contribute to the work from a place of candor and care.

We invite the USN community to share feedback on this inaugural DEI report with school administrators during one of the following sessions:

7 p.m. Monday, March 1 for USN families Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Meeting ID: 950 5084 3682 Passcode: DEIatUSN

9:30 a.m. Tuesday, March 2 for USN families Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Meeting ID: 920 9347 2826 Passcode: DEI@USN

7 p.m. Wednesday, March 3 for PDS/USN alumni Click here to join the Zoom meeting.

Meeting ID: 992 3008 4967 Passcode: DEI-at-USN

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DEI Report 2021

Glossary of Terms The country’s racial reckoning of summer 2020 brought forth new vocabulary for many at USN. On the following pages are definitions for these words and phrases commonly used in our classrooms and conference rooms as well as those often referenced in independent school jargon.

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University School of Nashville

ally: someone who makes the commitment and effort to recognize their privilege (based on gender, class, race, sexual identity, etc.) and work in solidarity with oppressed groups in the struggle for justice; allies understand that it is in their own interest to end all forms of oppression, even those from which they may benefit in concrete ways; allies commit to reducing their complicity or collusion in oppression of those groups and invest in strengthening their own knowledge and awareness of oppression1 anti-racism: the work of actively opposing racism by advocating for changes in political, economic, and social life. Anti-racism tends to be an individualized approach, and set up in opposition to individual racist behaviors and impacts1

when the term “diversity” is used — but also age, national origin, religion, disability, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, education, marital status, language, and physical appearance; it also involves different ideas, perspectives, and values1 EEOC: U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, a federal agency established under the 1964 Civil Rights Act to administer and enforce civil rights laws against workplace discrimination equity: freedom from bias or favoritism; dealing fairly and equally with all concerned3; USN believes that equity and equality are not the same and each person has individual needs and requirements that are not achieved through a one-size-fits all approach

cultural competency: understanding your own culture, other’s culture, and the role of culture in education; using student’s culture as a basis for learning, communicating high expectations, and reshaping curriculum to reflect student’s diversity leads to better educational outcomes 2

enslaved people: the term underlines that the slave status has been imposed on individuals and used to separate people’s identity from their circumstances 4 gender-fluid: a person who does not have a fixed gender identity 3

Black Lives Matter: a 501(c)(3) in the United States with affiliate chapters in the United Kingdom & Canada that aims to build Black communities and end white supremacy; USN recognizes that there are many organizations supporting the social justice and political movement to improve Black lives; the movement gained prominence in the 2010s following the highly-publicized deaths of Black people at the hands of white police officers and vigilantes and use of the hashtags #BlackLivesMatter and #BLM

INDEX: Independent School Data Exchange, a collection of nearly 300 independent schools throughout the United States who share data, analysis, research, and information to aid each other in decision-making, policy development, and strategic planning inclusion: authentically bringing traditionally excluded individuals and/or groups into processes, activities, and decision/policy making in a way that shares power1 intersectionality: the complex, cumulative way in which the effects of multiple forms of discrimination (such as racism, sexism, and classism) combine, overlap, or intersect especially in the experiences of marginalized individuals or groups 3

BIPOC: acronym for Black, Indigenous, and people of color DEI: acronym for diversity, equity, and inclusion diversity: includes all the ways in which people differ and encompasses all the different characteristics that make one individual or group different from another; a broad definition includes not only race, ethnicity, and gender — the groups that most often come to mind

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implicit bias: also known as unconscious or hidden bias, implicit biases are negative associations that people unknowingly hold; they are expressed automatically, without conscious awareness; many studies have

DEI Report 2021

indicated that implicit biases affect individuals’ attitudes and actions, thus creating real-world implications, even though individuals may not even be aware that those biases exist within themselves; implicit biases have been shown to trump individuals’ stated commitments to equality and fairness, thereby producing behavior that diverges from the explicit attitudes that many people profess1 LGBTQ+: acceptable in all references for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning and/or queer 4 microaggression: the everyday verbal, nonverbal, and environmental slights, snubs, or insults, whether intentional or unintentional, which communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target persons based solely upon their marginalized group membership1 NAIS: National Association of Independent Schools, a nonprofit membership organization that provides services to more than 1,900 schools and associations of schools in the United States and abroad nonbinary: people are nonbinary if the gender with which they identity is not strictly male or female 4 people of color: the term acceptable when necessary in broad references to multiple races other than white 4; however, USN recognizes that some object to the term because it lumps together into one monolithic group anyone who isn’t white PoCC: People of Color Conference, hosted each fall by NAIS as a safe space for leadership, professional development, and networking for people of color and allies of all backgrounds in independent schools and with more than 100 seminars, workshops, and a master class for educators to improve the interracial, interethnic, and intercultural climate in their schools

ODCL: University School of Nashville’s Office of Diversity and Community Life SAIS: Southern Association of Independent Schools, a membership organization of over 380 independent K-12 schools white fragility: a state in which even a minimum amount of racial stress becomes intolerable for white people, triggering a range of defensive moves, including the outward display of emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt, and behaviors such as argumentation, silence, and leaving the stress-inducing situation; these behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium1 white privilege: refers to the unquestioned and unearned set of advantages, entitlements, benefits, and choices bestowed on people solely because they are white. Generally white people who experience such privilege do so without being conscious of it1

Sources 1 Racial Equity Tools 2 National Education Association 3 Merriam-Webster Dictionary 4 The Associated Press Stylebook

University School of Nashville

University School of Nashville 2000 Edgehill Ave. Nashville, Tennessee 37212 n 615-321-8000 ; usn.org

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University School of Nashville