With respect to (public or private) schools serving local areas, the lower grades are commonly the least diverse (in race/ethnicity and SES), because they tend to be the smallest with the smallest attendance zones or markets, and many areas tend to have highly segregated (by race/ethnicity and SES) neighborhoods. Diversity in local schools often increases in middle and upper grades because the attendance zones or markets get larger due to there being fewer larger schools, but many are still not very diverse due to their local areas not being very diverse.
Not in my neck of the woods. We’re in the latter category. Lots of great things about living in Northern New England states but real lack of diversity isn’t one of them, IMO.
To the Members of the St. Paul’s School Community,
The recent killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd have once again required our country and our School to re-examine the pervasive role of racism and its impact on people of color and our society.
As Trustees, we hail from a variety of backgrounds, races, ethnicities, nationalities, and faiths. We are White, African-American, Asian, Latinx, and mixed race. We are alumni, past parents, and parents and grandparents of current students. We affirm that all Black Lives Matter, and we are united in our desire to create an institution in which everyone feels seen, respected, and empowered.
We have heard the voices of our current Sixth Form Officers and read the stories of the many courageous students and alumni who shared their experiences through the @BlackatSPS Instagram account. They have helped to surface harrowing stories of racism and isolation that undermine our commitment to inclusivity. We see you, we hear you, and we are committed to change.
Every student, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, or politics, should be able to walk the Millville grounds knowing they belong. It is clear, and Rector Giles has duly acknowledged that we have a long way to go to reach our goal.
As a Board, we recognize that we should not be judged by our words but by our actions and measurable results. Supporting Rector Giles in her efforts to create a more equitable and welcoming community, we are accountable not only to the faculty and the students but also to the moral imperative of protecting the basic human rights of all. We take seriously the directive issued by the current Sixth Form Officers: “Let us all live up to the values of our School.”
Below, please find a list of the initiatives that have been informed by student and alumni feedback and undertaken by Rector Giles, the School’s faculty and staff, and this Board of Trustees.
As a School, we are committed to:
• Moving forward on the recommendations of the 2017 Strategic Initiative Task Force on Inclusivity and Access in the areas of admissions, faculty hiring, and access for all students to the SPS experience. We will update these recommendations for the 2020-21 school year, including students, faculty, and staff in this work led by the Dean of Equity and Inclusion.
• Hiring/retaining a counselor of color.
• Further incorporating anti-racism and anti-institutional racism work into our Living in Community “LINC” curriculum and meetings.
• Developing a “reporting” protocol for microaggressions that includes students, faculty, and staff access and clear consequences for intentional misconduct.
• Identifying and supporting dedicated interfaith meeting and worship space on the grounds.
• Identifying and supporting dedicated affinity group space. We will compensate faculty advisers to affinity groups, as well as develop job descriptions and a council that can coordinate work.
• Requiring annual professional training and development for faculty and staff on diversity, equality, and inclusion work.
• Supporting professional development for faculty as teachers, advisers, house parents, and coaches to strengthen their work with and support of students of color.
• Continuing to explore and work on the challenges to support and retain faculty of color.
• Exploring ways to break down barriers to access, in addition to the new admission officers, people of color whose assignments specifically include seeking out applicants from underrepresented communities.
• Removing barriers to access by going test-optional in our admission process and removing any application fees for the 2021-22 year.
We appreciate the thoughts and experiences many of you have shared with the School and will continue this dialogue and our work as a school community.
Sincerely yours,
Board of Trustees, St. Paul’s School
What I learned from reading several Black@ _. So many experiences across various BS were the same. I had no idea that people actually would touch someone else’s hair or comment on their hairstyle. Next, the common occurrence where one student had to sit in silence and suffer when something terrible was said and no one stood up and said anything to the perpetrator. Another commonality seemed to be lacrosse teams where many boys were more than unkind both to their peers and women in general. And finally, the repeated statements about either a single faculty member who repeatedly offended people or a student who repeatedly said racist things.
First, I was saddened as a parent and as a person that so many unkind things were said. A few I could chalk up to teenage filters, most were unforgivable. My kid and I spoke about it a couple of times. S/he read them aloud and we talked about which ones were the worst and why. Apparently there seems to be examples of these types of kids who do this at all BS. I don’t think this represents the majority of students at all. I do think it should cause them to pause and ask themselves if they are being inclusive.
Not sure I am ever in support of a forum where people are publicly named and cannot reply. But I do understand why these forums were created. I did notice that some schools took out the names and some allowed them to remain. That’s interesting IMO. If one leaves out the names are they allowing the transgression to remain or are they protecting the rights of the person? I honestly don’t know.
@magnetnh Well, if I were sending my first child to BS and I read these posts, I would certainly pause. ( And my child is not POC). That said, I’ve spoken to my child ( oldest) and the one who will start BS this Fall. The oldest said that s/he was surprised at the unkind things which were said on black@XX. Definitely had noticed a handful of kids who were in the “absolutely” not acceptable group to him/her due to their unkind/racist behavior. That being said, my kid also noted that most kids were very kind to each other. There had been a few incidents here and there which people talked about the offenders were often outed and avoided. We spoke about people who don’t say anything when an incident occurs. And we also spoke about inclusion and subtle ways that people can negate someone’s importance. My kid has had no issues but then again isn’t a POC.
A few other things to note, not every person is going to add their comments. The comments span a long time ( there are references to things which happened in the 90’s). Not an excuse just an observation. Also, there are also references to anti-LGbTQ issues, female issues and other issues. So there’s a lot going on and some of the issues seem to be minor and many more are egregious and seem like they call for serious measures.
Read several forums from various schools and see how there are correlations between them. Also note, in some forums full names are used or first names. In others they have been removed. That tells you something IMHO about really getting it out in the open or not.
Here’s what I would tell you as a BS parent. There appears to be more racism than I would have expected. There are also kids that in 2020 seem to feel warranted to attack others ( women, LGBTQ, low income, special needs etc). Look carefully at the dates of graduation. Look at the number of faculty involved. Are the stories often attributed to male athletes or are they pervasive. I’d be looking for a consistent number of stories esp where the admin was involved or ignored pleas from students for help. Are the stories that are really offensive recent or does it look like there was a bad group that left ( at our BS, there appeared to have been a really bad sports group about 5-8 years ago)
A visit can really help. We noticed one school had an odd culture and I’m not surprised that when I read about it, it was one of the worst. Also, look at who is celebrated ( you can find this in the magazines or prizes or head of school or whatever). Are there kids who are non-white sharing in the “prizes” and celebrations esp academic ones? Are online photos filled with lots of kids or do they all look the same? They might be able to change the marketing but old online photos can tell you a lot.
Kids are buzzing about this BTW>
@Happytimes2001 Thank you for sharing your perspective as a BS parent and suggestions for what prospective BS parents of color can look for in a school. Some of the school administrations have made public statements addressing the social media accounts with pledges to review their policies and the school climate. It is an interesting time for kids such as mine who will be entering BS during this time and hopefully there will be improvements. When I think about the black students speaking out it seems like they were just ready to share their experiences and most importantly are looking for actionable change for future students so they don’t have to go through these similar situations.
Yes, I think review is important. I also think that some students who are LGBTQ, female and on FA have similar stories. Being unkind seems to be something that some families are willing to allow. When I read some of the stories I get tears in my eyes.
The best communities embrace all their members. Look carefully for the right community. While none are perfect some are better than others. Don’t let the bad stories stop you from continuing. My kid has really found BS to be a great place.
Moderator Note: This response was merged with this thread.
A recent article in the New York Times titled “High School Students and Alumni Are Using Social Media to Expose Racism” provided some interesting information to me as the parent of a child interested in boarding school. Although I was not surprised by what the students and alumni have posted on the various Instagram accounts created exclusively for each of these boarding schools it served as a reminder of what goes on and how students and administration deal with these situations.
I am posting here for parents of color to review those IG accounts for the specific details, such as Black at Andover, Black at Exeter, Black at Tabor and get some perspective on the specific schools of interest to you and your child. I am also posting for all other parents to read and reflect and have a discussion with your children about these situations and how they can help stop them. My review of the ones for the schools we are interested in has left me saddened and wondering if I am making the right choice.
Students and parents who have had such experiences, feel free to share how a student can be prepared and how they can survive what is described on these accounts. I am looking for meaningful dialogue and not blame, rather solutions on how to navigate the system.
Here is more from a feature on CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/29/us/instagram-black-students-at-pages-race-issues-trnd/index.html
There are also now some black@college threads. Haven’t read them but I’d imagine stories might be similar.
@Happytimes2001 put it best: “Being unkind seems to be something that some families are willing to allow.” Due to the nature of my employment I have to follow several of the “blackat” threads for both independent day schools and boarding schools. When reading stories involving students it is clear that their behavior is either something modeled by their parents at worst or at best it is condoned/excused because as someone stated above “teenagers do and say a lot of stupid things.” I certainly agree with that statement but “stupid” doesn’t need to equal “racist” or “harmful.” What truly bothers me though is the behavior exhibited by the administration and faculty. It is incomprehensible to me that educators would treat children so poorly. It is simply shameful. As @gardenstategal stated above schools need to be more inclusive. It’s not enough to open their doors to POC faculty and students schools must to do the necessary–and sometimes difficult–work required to make everyone in their community feel welcomed and heard.
I apologize in advance for writing on this thread - not a POC, but multi-cultural and multi-national in background. Having gone to a BS outside the US as a student, I may have had a different view from the other side of the Atlantic. I am thinking maybe this comment should be used to start another thread, so feel free : Female@BS
Yes - Boarding School is still high school and high school kids can be mean. It’s a bad combination of ignorance, indifference and intolerance. There are also some schools that just have competitive cultures that include cruelty and intolerance at a higher level than others. Be honest about it - there are some schools that are known for having either more of vs. less of an inclusive vibe than others. I also now believe there are some schools where students being mean and competitive (in a negative way) is tolerated more than other schools. In fact, this is a subject not unfamiliar during Revisit time on CC.
When we toured 10 schools a few years ago, we noticed very little diversity on campuses - except a few of the larger schools (where there were also more day students). We noticed also how very good looking so many of the kids were at boarding school (of all colors and nationalities). In fact, I think BS kids in the NE & Mid Atlantic probably look more alike than different. During one tour, our kiddo was on crutches - so we were very concerned about accessibility on campus. So, also noticed that only ONE school we visited had a student with a physical disability/challenge requiring a wheel chair. So, we asked ourselves questions like “Who is applying to BS?”, “Who are admissions committees accepting to BS?” , “Do schools still look for athletes to fill teams and is that why you see so many athletic looking kids?”, “What if my kid never got off crutches, would there be enough accommodations in place?”
In reading several of the posts here on CC and others on Instagram, including posts authored by students we know/have known, I am concerned that there is another discussion that is being overlooked. Several of the posts include experiences of blatant sexism and also LGBTQ intolerance In addition to the racism described. We know that there is an attitude at some schools (ours included) of “boys will be boys”. We have witnessed immature and inappropriate behavior that smacks of intolerance towards females and LGBTQ & other identifying students in addition to POC students. For some POC students whose posts were highlighted recently by the media, we know personally (from them) they also experienced invalidation, derision, and diminishing from male peers also because they were female. We know of boys, as well as girls, being teased or diminished either online or in person for just being unique, looking different, or not following the pack. I can tell you that the statements we have heard and behaviors we have witnessed (in part fueled by social media) were not as brazenly displayed when I taught in the NE 30 years+ ago.
There is a toxic culture that continues to be tolerated and even promoted by faculty members at some schools- many who have been in the BS world for generations or who grew up in it and never left. Look at your Board of Trustees - and the composition and actions there. Change must begin at many levels.
Looking for support to enact change…
@Golfgr8 - I firmly believe that sexism and LGBTQ-ism are the most pervasive and harmful -isms of our society. While I do not believe that racism is systemic (my opinion, not seeking debate), sexism and LGBTQ-ism are unquestionably systemic. The data supports that (from salary data to domestic violence) and the magnitude of the problem (particularly sexism) dwarfs any other -isms.
But is it worse at BS? As one person’s perspective (based on personal experience and my kids), I don’t believe so. We purposefully sent our kids to the very diverse local public school (elementary and middle) to avoid the mostly white private schools. I personally believe that time in life is when kids learn and appreciate the importance of diversity. But high school is when I personally believe they develop sexism and sexuality-isms, as hormones rage and boys gain physical size and strength. And based on my high school experience (admittedly years ago) and the experience of friends at our local high school, public school and local private schools are much worse.
There is much talk in these forums about the bad behavior (and -isms) of privileged white kids, but those of us who grew up in poor and culturally diverse schools know just how bad the behavior and -isms of those in the low to middle class are, regardless of color, ethnicity, etc. And sexism is particularly bad.
One person’s opinion - these -isms are everywhere and many/all are systemic, depending on your views. They must be challenged at all times and with vigor. But when making decisions about the best choice as to where to send your child to school, they have to be weighed in relative terms. And it requires stepping back, looking at all options through the same unbiased lens, and not placing asymmetric focus on where others want us to look.
@Altras I agree with much of your post (although I think salary data substantiates empirically there is systemic racism, but I will respect your opinion and not debate this point)…
I am incredibly disappointed with BS administrations and faculty members who have allowed such racist behaviour to persist year after year, and apparently in many cases, have participated in it. Makes a mockery of all the high falutin’ mission statements and messaging the elite schools propagate.
I also want to call out parents who quietly complain about affirmative action in college admissions. I have been to so many athletic competitions where some parent will complain about how hard it is for junior to matriculate to elite colleges because of affirmative action.
Meanwhile, these same parents (including me) have our kids in lacrosse/field hockey/rowing/squash/sailing/ice hockey/ski racing, in many instances, because we felt it would enhance their admission prospects to boarding school and elite colleges.
Our family played the “niche non-inclusive” sports as a hook game, we have to admit it. Do our kids love their sports? Yes, but no doubt in the back of our minds we knew they would be helpful for admissions down the road.
Which brings me to ask, are boarding schools going to continue to aggressively recruit kids for sports that provide inherent advantages for wealthier families? We know that grades and SSAT scores and good interviews are usually not enough for admission to the well-known boarding schools, and a sports hook is most helpful. There are so many spots that need to be filled with lacrosse/XC/field hockey/rowing/squash/sailing/ice hockey/ski racing kids, and I just don’t think this narrow sports focus is compatible with building a more inclusive and diverse student body.
Why do the well-known boarding schools, and so many elite colleges, recruit as many kids as they do into these niche sports? It’s fine to offer these sports, but why are these schools recruiting, and in an aggressive way? Why does it matter if Grottlesex beats Exover in the big game?
Niche elite sports = wealthy families = full-pay = elite college matriculation = donations = boarding school reputation and prestige.
Not a winning formula for more inclusive school communities.
I mostly know soccer, and would say that soccer can have more diversity in boarding school because there are programs that place the best Ghanaian players (and students!) in boarding schools. Other countries/schools have noticed and so there are often players from other countries (Costa Rica, South Africa etc) on teams. Many of these kids are full financial aid kids too.
Another reason for the boarding school emphasis on sports is that they are well aware that much of their college placement will depend on who they admit four years earlier. That 8th grade soccer star probably will continue to develop and be attractive to colleges as a 12th grader.
I agree with you, and the elite boarding schools are complicit with our nation’s famous colleges in flagrantly favoring kids for admissions in many niche sports.
Goodness knows why, but HYP desperately want their lacrosse/rowing/squash/hockey teams to win, and St. Grottlesex is only too happy to supply the talent for them to accomplish this “important” mission.
Boarding schools didn’t allow anything. The students and their families groom behaviors. I would eat my hat if a prestigious boarding school allowed overt racism to not be immediately addressed.
Also boarding schools are certainly a personal decision. I agree a good day school or public school will offer great outcomes. And if bs are so bad I’d just take a pass. Who needs it.
The Quaker day schools seem to do a great job of creating very open minded campuses. They also have zero hate speech and behavior policies.