Urgent Action for Collegiate School

Dear Collegiate School Board of Trustees:

We are parents, alumni, students, and allies of students of color who attend Collegiate School. We are writing to voice our support for Collegiate as it strives to be a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable institution.

Collegiate ranks among the best private schools in Richmond and among the top high schools both regionally and nationally. A Collegiate education should ensure that our children will be prepared for college and the world beyond, and the school's mission statement recognizes the central role that diversity plays in promoting learning: "The mission of Collegiate School is to create a diverse and inclusive community of learners committed to a challenging and supportive educational experience that will foster the intellectual, moral, emotional and physical development of each student."

Creating a "diverse and inclusive community" is an important goal, opening up educational opportunities to students of color who were long intentionally excluded. At the same time, it benefits all students and enables them to operate with empathy, skill, and confidence in a diverse, multicultural world. Collegiate has made progress in increasing the diversity of its student body, and, to a lesser extent, its faculty, staff, and administration.

The school website states that "Collegiate is committed to a diverse and well-rounded student body, faculty and staff" and lists 21% "total student diversity." It enrolls about 125 self-identified Black/African American students, or about 7.35% of 1700 total students. (Specific and accurate data about other groups at Collegiate is not readily available.) Among faculty, 3.9% (excluding foreign language teachers) are people of color.

By comparison, the population of the Richmond metropolitan area is 57% white, 29% Black/African American, about 4.5% Hispanic, 4% Asian, and 3% multi-racial.

A diverse school offers educational benefits and opportunities, but if students of color are excluded, marginalized or otherwise harmed by interpersonal relations or institutional policies, practices, or culture, they are unable to realize their potential as students and as community members. If they do not see themselves in the adults around them, or in the curriculum, it is a challenge to feel valued or understood. As Collegiate recognizes, students preoccupied by concerns about their safety, well-being, and belonging cannot thrive. Similarly, the school misses out on the full expression of the talents and contributions of these students as their energy is directed to self-preservation or assimilation. Over the long term, the harm to students accumulates and can ultimately present painful decisions for families who have to consider these personal costs alongside the expected benefits of continued enrollment.

An equitable school is one that ensures that all students are able to participate fully in the life of the school. A school that is committed to equity is able to acknowledge its history, especially as it relates to populations who were excluded by design. Moreover, it takes steps to ensure that policies, practices, norms, and traditions that seem fair or colorblind on their surface are assessed and revised to ensure that historically marginalized populations are treated equitably, provided the support they might need to fully participate and to thrive, and do not endure disproportionate disciplinary consequences. While Collegiate does not specifically identify equity as a goal, the Board and Head of School affirmed in their joint letter of June 17, 2020 a commitment to "ensuring that every person feels a true and meaningful sense of belonging in our Collegiate community." Without equity, belonging will remain an aspiration.

We appreciate the progress Collegiate has made. At the same time, we acknowledge that there is more work to be done to fulfill the school's stated mission and goals.

In the spirit of constructively critical engagement, we are writing to urge Collegiate to:

1. Increase the diversity of the student body and faculty so that the Collegiate community more closely reflects the diversity of the metropolitan Richmond community. We recommend that Collegiate create a plan for the recruitment of students and faculty of color that includes and shares specific metrics for performance and progress.
a. Invest in long-term partnerships with HBCUs and other strategies to attract a more diverse faculty and staff.
b. Establish a dedicated admissions resource committed to the admission and support of underrepresented students and their families.
c. Establish admissions programs for students of color, including outreach and recruitment by current parents.
d. Clearly track and publish demographic data regarding student body, faculty and staff by race and ethnicity, as well as retention rates for faculty and students of color.
e. Hire additional professional DEI staff.
f. Incorporate DEI objectives into the selection, professional development and assessments of all new and existing faculty, staff, and administrative leaders.

2. Commit to the retention of BIPOC students
a. Assess the school culture and experiences of students of color and develop appropriate action plans.
b. Devise policies and programs (such as guaranteed and designated scholarships) to retain underrepresented students.
c. Ensure that students who receive financial aid can participate fully in the Collegiate experience by providing financial assistance for program and activity expenses not covered by tuition, including lunch, extra-curricular and after-school activities, and student trips.
d. Provide mentorship to students of color and formal support and resources to parents of students of color.
e. Collect, assess, and utilize data from students and families of color who leave Collegiate.

3. Commit to the retention of BIPOC faculty
a. Create processes that protect faculty who report race-based incidents.
b. Assess the workplace culture and experiences of faculty and staff of color and develop action plans accordingly.
c. Collect, assess, and utilize data from faculty and staff of color who leave Collegiate.

4. Create a DEI Council made up of faculty, administrators, staff, parents, and students. Empower the council to collaborate with the Board and Collegiate administration in:
a. The selection of consultants to provide expertise about existing models of DEI councils and to assess and make recommendations regarding diversity, equity and inclusion.
b. Discussions related to progress and outcomes related to DEI goals and metrics.

5. Conduct a review of the curriculum and pedagogical approaches and implement changes to ensure that a Collegiate education reflects diverse perspectives and approaches. Although attempts to educate students about race and racism have become targets of misinformed attacks, Collegiate should not be deterred or distracted from providing all students with the foundational knowledge and the critical thinking and interpersonal skills necessary to be successful in a diverse, multicultural world.

Our Board diversity statement declares:

Collegiate School is a community of learners committed to seeking and welcoming students, faculty and staff who represent the multicultural community and world in which we live. We believe that the education we offer in our school is greatly enhanced when many traditions, backgrounds and perspectives are given expression in school activities. We aspire to create an inclusive environment which promotes engaged citizenship and encourages compassionate leadership…. Our vision for Collegiate requires hard work, continual focus and creative new initiatives. We will actively seek prospective students, faculty and staff who represent the breadth of cultures, backgrounds and perspectives that can enrich our school. We will always strive to create a climate of inclusion in our school that fosters understanding among all members of our community. We will challenge our students through a broad curriculum that reflects a variety of cultures and perspectives. We are motivated by Collegiate's ongoing progress towards greater diversity and dedicated to making this progress a vital part of our school's commitment to students' character and academic excellence.

We sign this letter with love for Collegiate, a commitment to the students of color, and an eagerness to work in partnership to fulfill the school's mission and achieve its diversity goals.


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