Diversity Minute from the FCS Board of Trustees

FCS is neither outside of, nor untouched by, racism. Though we have endeavored to create a school that lives up to the Quaker belief that there is that of God in everyone, we have not fully done so, both in ways we recognize and ways we do not yet fully understand as a community. We are learning about the ways in which our community has been complicit in systemic racism and the work that needs to be done to dismantle it both within and outside FCS. We commit to understanding and addressing racism and prejudice in our community, including the white privilege and white fragility that act as a barrier to profound change. We must actively resist racism by making frequent, consistent, equitable choices daily. When we choose to be actively antiracist, we become actively conscious of race and racism and take actions to end racial inequities in our daily lives. Being antiracist is believing that racism is a collective problem and that we all have an active role to play in ending it. To this end, in the 2020-2021 school year the Board of Trustees and the Administration, including the Head of School and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Coordinator commit to taking the following steps:  

• Examine and understand the lived experience of the BIPOC children, faculty, staff, and families within our community, including the experience of microaggressions, racialized language, and factors that might contribute to the higher attrition rates of families and faculty of color. This work is already underway, and we will soon be launching the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism Survey (AIMS) developed by the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to learn more. This is an initial step. We know this work will be ongoing and will require continuous attention in future years, as well.
• Provide professional development to help our teachers and administrators more fully understand and integrate diversity, equity, and inclusion into their practice and curricula. This work, also, is underway, and faculty and staff have received a variety of training and professional development opportunities--both mandatory and optional. FCS faculty also routinely contribute to and participate in the annual NAIS People of Color Conference and bring what they learn back to their peers. We will continue to focus on diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism in our professional development.
• Review and modify our programs and policies to ensure they are free of inherent bias, discrimination, and racism.
• Ensure our Board of Trustees reflects our community and is committed to our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion work. For several years, the Board has acknowledged and taken steps to address its composition, and has committed to integrating diversity, equity, and inclusion work deeply and at the full Board level, not only through the efforts of the Diversity Committee of the Board.
• Create an environment that helps ensure all feel welcome and a sense of belonging in our community. This was initiated last year through the Glasgow Group working with all constituencies of the school, which laid the foundation for the difficult conversations we will need to have to fully create a school that lives up to our core values.
• Incorporate the Declaration by Baltimore Yearly Meeting as an Anti-Racist Faith Community into our own practices.
• Listen to those who share their stories and experiences, learn from them, and commit to positive change.

This is just the beginning of work we are determined to continue as a long-term commitment to our immediate community as well as to our broader society. The more we can do to teach our community to be truly anti-racist and non-discriminatory--and to recognize and correct it when they or others make mistakes--the sooner we will help transform our society into one that is truly inclusive, equitable, and just.
 
Board of Trustees
Friends Community School
September 14, 2020