Actions for Equity
The killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and Rayshard Brooks opened eyes across the country to systemic problems, and pushed schools and organizations—including GFS—to better understand their role in dismantling racism. While equity has long been a part of the GFS mission and a core priority of our strategic vision, this awakening across the country and within our own community inspired us to adapt and improve, creating an even safer, stronger GFS. Thank you to the courageous students, families, faculty, and staff who shared their stories of aggressions and microaggressions, and provided voices and ideas to ensure our plan is implemented with love and care.
We are bringing our renewed commitment to anti-racism to life through an ongoing process that includes:
- Community Conversations
- Statement and Values
- An Action Plan
- A Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Report
- Accountability Checks
Actions for Equity Working Plan
- Statement and Values
- Establish Safety and Accountability
- Require and Expand Anti-racist Training and Education
- Deepen Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Anti-racist Curriculum
- Build Affirming Environment and Partnerships
- Increase Diversity
- Listen, Engage, and Report
- Athletics DEI Plan
Statement and Values
Establish Safety and Accountability
Require and Expand Anti-racist Training and Education
Deepen Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and Anti-racist Curriculum
Build Affirming Environment and Partnerships
Increase Diversity
Listen, Engage, and Report
Athletics DEI Plan
Plan Updates, Reports, and News
- February 3, 2022: Update from Charla Okewole, Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
- January 17, 2022: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
- March 9, 2021: Actions for Equity Update
- March 3, 2021: Condemning Anti-Asian and Anti-Asian American Attacks
- January 29, 2021: Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service
- January 9, 2021: Attack on the Capitol
- December 2, 2021: DEI Report and Plan from the Friends Schools League
- October 7, 2020: Bias reporting form and handbook updates
- August 22, 2020: Actions for Equity Update
- July 16, 2020: Community Conversations Update
- July 2020: Video Message from Dana Weeks Head of School
- June 21, 2020: Responding with a New Way Forward
- June 5, 2020: Doing More to be Anti-Racist
COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS
During the summer of 2020, we invited GFS parents, alumni, faculty, and staff to share working plan feedback. Over 600 people joined our Community Conversations and we heard important feedback, ideas, and reflections, on topics including:
- Accountability and transparency
- Student/Family and Employee handbook updates
- Clear policies and processes for enforcement
- Bias incident reporting procedures
- Curriculum updates and consistency
- Mental health support for the BIPOC community
- Faculty and staff support, recognition, and advancement
- Intersectionality
- Recruitment of BIPOC faculty, staff, and students
- Restorative justice
- DEI program and initiative support
Sessions Held:
- Faculty and Staff of Color
- Faculty and Staff
- Alumni: Graduation year before or including 1979
- Alumni:1980-1999
- Alumni: 2000-2019
- Alumni (All alumni)
- Alumni of Color Host Committee
- Parents: Early Childhood
- Parents: Lower School
- Parents: Middle School
- Parents: Upper School
- Parents of Color Session (2 sessions)
- US Students/Class of 2020
- Multicultural Parents Alliance Executive Committee
RESOURCES
- Petition to the Inter-Ac & Independent Schools of the Greater Philadelphia Area
- Resources and ways for everyone to take action
- Friends Free Library resources and book suggestions: Black Lives Matter-Period.
- Resources from our Lower School