DEI & Anti-Bias Commitment
"There is that of God in everyone, and that each person is deserving of respect."
The Quaker values that guide both work and play at School for Friends are rooted in this core testimony. In this spirit, School for Friends warmly welcomes families and staff of all races, religions, nationalities, family structures, sexual orientations, genders, ages, and income levels. We are also inclusive of children with special abilities, unique needs, or different learning styles. We strive to build a community in which our children, at an early age, can grow to accept the diversity among human beings so that they will not perceive differences as barriers to friendship.
At School for Friends, diversity is central to the mission of the school. As educators and parents, we have seen firsthand how a diverse classroom environment enriches education and social development. The school takes diversity of all kinds into account in making each of its decisions, including the hiring of teachers and the admission of students. Our goal is simple: to create a community where every child and family feels genuinely welcomed and valued, and where a sense of belonging and joy are part of each child's daily experience. We believe that this philosophy is not only the proper way to treat families, but it also helps nurture the hearts, minds, and bodies of the school's students.
We know that with diversity, we can always do better, and we strive to do so. Watching our school's children learn in the diverse environment of School for Friends is an inspiration.
Anti-Bias Education Goals
In addition to working toward social justice and upholding these non-negotiable values, we affirm the goals of Anti-Bias Education:
- 1
Children will demonstrate self-awareness, confidence, family pride, and positive social identities.
- 2
Children will express comfort and joy with human diversity, use accurate language for human differences, and form deep, caring connections across all dimensions of human diversity.
- 3
Children will increasingly recognize unfairness (injustice), have language to describe unfairness, and understand that unfairness hurts.
- 4
Children will demonstrate a sense of empowerment and the skills to act, with others or alone, against prejudice and/or discriminatory actions.
What this work looks like in action includes incorporating families into the curriculum, choosing books and materials with intentionality, and ongoing staff training on Anti-Bias Education — supporting children in building positive identity development through interactions, conversations, and play. School for Friends also participates in the Black Lives Matter at School Week of Action, which involves designing and implementing experiences that encompass the Black Lives Matter Guiding Principles. There is also programming for families to explore equity and diversity issues, such as the Parents of Multiracial Children Affinity Space as well as the Equity and Diversity Parent Book Club.