Dear Parents,
On Tuesday, April 23rd at 7:00 pm at 181 Lincoln Place, we will have a meeting for parents where the focus will be on Berkeley Carroll's continuing efforts to build a racially inclusive and equitable community. School leaders will be joined by Dr. Philip McAdoo, a consultant and nationally recognized expert who works with schools on creating and maintaining diverse and inclusive communities.
In the past months we have witnessed independent schools in New York City experiencing a number of upsetting and polarizing events focused on race. These events have received a great deal of media attention and sent reverberations through school communities. School leaders have heard from students and teachers of color about racist language and behavior that have left members of their school community hurt and disillusioned.
Berkeley Carroll is a forward thinking school, reflective about the prejudices and biases that might be in our program, and deeply committed to the values of social justice and racial equity. And while all of that is true, it is important to state that we are not immune from making mistakes and falling short when it comes to being truly inclusive.
Our school has worked hard over the years to continuously take measure of what we need to do to make each and every one of our students thrive in our environment.
We have instituted an ongoing series of teacher training sessions in all divisions that deal with unconscious bias and how to create an inclusive classroom culture. We have incorporated units of study about race in students' classes and established affinity groups for students and faculty in all divisions. BC's Director of Community and Inclusion Brandie Melendez has worked tirelessly to be an effective spokesperson for the values of diversity, equity, and inclusion and has been a valuable resource for parents, students, and staff.
We have also hosted meetings for parents in each division to explain our goals regarding inclusion. And in their roles, our Division Directors have overseen our diversity efforts in admissions and hiring. It is accurate to say that Berkeley Carroll today looks and feels differently than ten years ago and we are the better for it.
The meeting on April 23rd is one more step in understanding what we need to do as a school to continue improving.
Dr. McAdoo has been working with BC since January and has held meetings with students, teachers, and administrators; additionally he has attended play rehearsals and led workshops for students in our theater program.
He has three goals for the meeting on April 23rd. First, to share what he has learned about BC; second, to hear from parents about their experiences; and third, to begin to identify other actions that our school can take.
The reasons these racist events across the city are now coming to our attention are not clear, and while it is easy to blame it on the current divided political climate, we know as educators studying history that the systems that have established inequalities in our society have been in place for generations and will not easily be dismantled. While these reported racist events are upsetting and regrettable, I do believe they have given us an opportunity to have discussions that are long overdue and much needed.
Berkeley Carroll is not a perfect institution, but we cannot shy away from taking stock of what needs to be done in order to advance as a school that works for all of our students. I invite you to continue to be a part of that journey and I hope to see you on the 23rd.
Sincerely,
Robert D. Vitalo