The events in the high school right before the break and the letter sent from Black faculty members to our entire community are still weighing heavily on me. These moments of pain and crisis require us to think deeply and intentionally about our steps toward healing and change. In this identity-forming moment for our school community, I hope we wrestle with (and eventually answer) the questions: What do we want our school-wide commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion to look like in action? and How will we care for, affirm, nurture, and celebrate the marginalized members of our community? 

As we reflect on and plan our collective and individual actions moving forward, this newsletter highlights some of the intentional and transformative work that is being done across the school. You'll find opportunities for collective learning, tools to engage in courageous conversations, resources to deepen your own DEI knowledge, and a list of upcoming events. As always, if you have feedback or input about the DEI newsletters, please provide that here.

DAC/DEI COORDINATOR UPDATE

The Diversity Advisory Committee has been refining our Diversity Action Plan this fall. We shared this comprehensive, three-year action plan with the Provost's office of the University for feedback. The All-Schools Council has also had the opportunity to review this plan, provide feedback, and think about what this plan looks like in action.

I collaborated with others to write a proposal for Lower School affinity groups. We pulled from Rosetta Lee's research and used other independent school models as examples for parents and teachers. The Lower School initiative will include a breakout group just for black students as we feel their experience is unique to the experiences of other students of color. These groups will meet once a month, starting this spring.

With the help of Lyneth Torres, I co-facilitated a fishbowl discussion for the Lower School faculty to process the events in the High School. We offered people the opportunity to reflect on what happened, what questions they might have, and what they think our next steps as a faculty should be. We provided the Courageous Conversations Compass as a tool for people to use as they participated in this dialogue. 

AROUND THE SCHOOL

Come see Just Mercy with us!

Monday, January 20, 5 p.m.

Harper Theater, 5238 S. Harper Avenue

We have reserved a block of 25 tickets for Lab faculty and staff interested in seeing Just Mercy, a powerful true story that "is at once an unforgettable account of an idealistic gifted young lawyer's coming of age, a moving window into the lives of those he has defended, and an inspiring argument for compassion in the pursuit of true justice."

The free tickets are available on a first-come, first served basis. Sign up here. We will also host a dinner after the film to debrief. Join us for both!

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Black Lives Matter at School.

Black Lives Matter at School is a national coalition organizing for racial justice in education.  Teachers across Lab have already begun their plans to join this annual week of action (February 3–7). There is a wealth of age-appropriate resources on their website. If you are interested in joining teachers across Lab in participating, check out all of the resources below. Your DEI coordinators are eager to support your planning if you would like to use them as a resource.

Entire Black Lives Matter at School curriculum guide is here.

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SEED update.

SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity) leaders Sharon Williams and Michelle Holmes are excited about the progress that is evolving in their monthly SEED seminars. One of the important protocols we use is Windows and Mirrors, best explained by Emily Styles, one of the founders of SEED. Unpacking our individual stories provides us windows through which others can connect with us, and mirrors in which we can examine our own experiences. 

Our current SEED seminar includes 17 participants from across the Laboratory Schools. Conversations thus far have focused on systemic oppression, 'isms, privilege, and white supremacy. Because change must begin with self reflection and growth, we are sharing a powerful tool that we are currently unpacking—the Invisible Knapsack. We are also discussing the true meaning of allyship and the myriad ways it manifests. We encourage you to review the resources we've shared and continue your own learning, whether you are part of our cohort or not. Please reach out to Sharon Williams or Michelle Holmes if you would like to learn more about SEED.

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People of Color Conference and the Student Diversity Leadership Conference

Lab sent 18 adults and 6 students (pictured above) to this year's People of Color Conference/Student Diversity Leadership Conference in Seattle, WA from December 4 -7. Carl Farrington and Michelle Holmes presented a session entitled Growing Young Voices: Understanding Black Lives Matter for Teachers. Michelle Holmes and Mikki Sanders presented a session entitled Did Wakanda exist? Seeking Truth from Fiction: Uncovering the Origins of STEM in Ancient Africa. Allison Beaulieu, Joseph Kerney, and Mikki Sanders presented a session entitled: Afrofuturism & Social Justice: Ideas Through Art, Literature, & Science. Learn more about their workshops and other takeaways from the conference at the next Lab Together session on January 23.

RESOURCES & TOOLS

Disrupting Islamophobia Amid U.S.-Iran Tension

"As news breaks about increased tensions between the U.S. and Iran, your students may encounter Islamophobic comments or sentiments. These resources can help ensure that you're ready to interrupt and address Islamophobia if it appears in your classroom or school—and that you're ready to help students do the same."

A Hopeful Case of Teacher Leadership and Confronting Bias in Education
Two Boston sixth grade teachers created a blueprint for helping educators examine bias. In doing so, they laid a foundation for change. Randy Wilkerson and Alison Mann had not even started the conversation before some of their colleagues had questions—and concerns. Where was this coming from? Did something happen? What have I done wrong?

20 Things I Will Do to be an Equitable Educator

Paul Gorksi, one of the keynotes at last year's Progressive Education Network Annual Conference and founder of Equity Literacy Institute, provides us with 20 tips for being an educator that practices equity in their classroom.

UPCOMING EVENTS