When Germantown Academy in Pennsylvania was founded as the Union School in 1759, Anika Walker-Johnson would not have been welcomed as a student. Only white males were permitted to attend. Today, she is the Director of Equity and Inclusion at the Academy.
Anika and Lauren D. Lewis—the Director of Diversity and Inclusion and Senior Associate Director of Enrollment at Foxcroft School in Virginia—lead the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts at their schools. These private-independent school leaders recently hosted an ISM webinar to bring their experience and guidance to schools looking to improve their work with the Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) community.
Anika and Lauren started this work because they recognize that minority students need support from more than just the DEI office. Attracting, retaining, and engaging BIPOC students requires the cooperation of school leadership, as well as the offices of enrollment management, development, and marketing.
You’ve been hearing about this critical topic often. DEI work should not be a short-term messaging change to address recent events, nor should it be limited to schools that have been asked to or seen a need to address these issues.
DEI work at an institutional level is necessary for the sustainability of all independent schools in a competitive market.
Breaking Down Terms
School leaders must understand the different terms used in DEI efforts.
Diversity describes all the ways in which people differ, encompassing the characteristics that make one individual or group different from another.
Equity and inclusion cannot be simplified to “leveling the playing field” and ensuring all students are invited to participate. Equity requires that everyone receives what they need to be successful, even if those needs vary across racial or socioeconomic lines. Genuine inclusion takes measures to bring traditionally excluded individuals and groups into processes, activities, and decision- or policymaking in a way that shares power.
Cultural competency is an awareness of one’s own cultural identity and views about differences between peoples. It is the ability to learn and build on the varying cultural and community norms of students and their families.
Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious awareness. It is more prevalent than conscious prejudice and is often incompatible with one’s personal values. However, it is very real and cannot be addressed until it is recognized.
Intersectionality is, as civil rights advocate and attorney Kimberlé Crenshaw describes, “a lens through which you can see where power comes and collides, where it interlocks and intersects.” The framework of race, class, gender, sexual orientation, and other personal traits obscures what happens to people who experience many or all of the challenges we listed above.
Tune in to live webinars every week during the school year to get specific, research-backed insight you can immediately apply at your school.
How Are BIPOC Students Represented in Private Schools?
Sadly, many schools can’t answer this question about their school community. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), which analyzes data from the US Department of Education, found that 33.3% of total private school enrollment were BIPOC students in the 2017-2018 school year.
However, in a National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) survey for the 2019-2020 school year, 13.4 % of schools reported that they were unsure of the race or ethnicity demographics of their student population. This reinforces that identity has many layers and is often fluid, and schools have little guidance on how to collect that information.
What Common Obstacles Do BIPOC Students Face?
Many school leaders would say they don’t feel their schools have a problem because there haven’t been any reported incidents between students regarding race. However, microaggressions often go unrecognized. These are the day-to-day slights and insults that BIPOC people face because of their identity.
For instance, the question “where are you from?” seems innocuous. That is, until it is followed up by “Where are you really from?” This insinuates that a person born and raised in this country is forever a foreigner because of their heritage. Pain from these microaggressions often manifests as “imposter syndrome.” This refers to the constant feeling that one does not belong, regardless of personal achievements.
How Are BIPOC Teachers Represented in Private Schools?
NCES data pinpoints the national average for BIPOC teachers at private schools is just 15% of faculty. This leaves a significant representation gap.
What students need are windows and mirrors. Mirrors are people students encounter who reflect their identity—individuals in positions where they can see themselves in the future. Windows are individuals through which students can process their own identities and relationships with other people to better understand themselves.
If your school aligns with this national average, explore your existing school culture. Does bias exist in your recruiting and hiring process, either consciously or unconsciously? Is there something negatively impacting your retention of BIPOC faculty?
Examine your school’s climate and everyday interactions between students, teachers, and staff. What do those experiences look like?
How Can You Engage Your Community?
One place to start examining your school’s processes is in your prospective family interactions.
Start with the first meeting. How is this meeting structured? Are you clear about what your program offers? Have you communicated your value proposition?
If the parents are not proficient English speakers, have you provided translators, rather than expecting their child—your prospective student—to shoulder that responsibility? Committing a child to a private education is a sacrifice for the family. Your acknowledgment and support are needed in making that decision.
All parents want to understand how their child will benefit by attending your school. Look at your process from all angles and ensure that all voices coming to your school are welcomed and included.
Cultivating relationships with the BIPOC community requires support from many leadership areas. Acknowledge the challenges BIPOC students face in your school and then correct these problems.
Enrollment professionals must review their communications process with prospective families and pay attention to how families from minority backgrounds are supported through the process. Ensure that students feel welcomed and included throughout their time at your school. By doing this work, you'll create a culture that acknowledges and values everyone.
