DEIB Commitment

• Over the Summer of 2020, we established the Office of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging in the Metcalf Building, led by Dr. James Greenwood and Brandi Wheeler. During these summer months, we added members to our faculty DEIB Committee to make sure our committee reflects the diversity of our student body. The school also held Community Town Hall sessions for students, faculty and staff, parents, and alumni to help familiarize the community with the goals and role of our new DEIB Office.

In the Fall of 2020, our DEIB Office:

• Developed a DEIB Orientation for all students and new faculty members.
• Led a DEIB Professional Development session for all faculty during opening faculty meetings.
• Launched our DEIB Student Committee with a series of local and national training opportunities.

Early fall activities include:

• Facilitated the WRA summer reading program, One School Many Books. This year’s selections had a DEIB focus and DEIB Committee members and other faculty led discussion groups on the first day of school.
• Hosted a Faculty of Color Dinner and Students of Color Dessert Social.

Our DEI Office worked this year to clarify distinctions between clubs, alliances and affinity groups. This required collaborating with faculty advisors to offer support and guidance to make these groups vibrant, active and meaningful throughout the year.

Currently, offerings include:

• Asian American Club
• BSU
• Desi Club
• Gender Sexuality Alliance
• Korean Club
• Latinx Club
• Mandarin Club
• Muslim Student Union

In the 2020-21 school year, WRA welcomed:

• Ms. Easley, College Counseling Office
• Dr. Greenwood, Dean of DEIB
• Mr. Mittal, Mathematics Dept.
• Ms. Nizzer-Bates, English Dept.
• Dr. Sims, Counseling Office

We also are excited to welcome new BIPOC Trustees:

• Dr. Menna Demessie ‘98
• Ms. Marcia Prewitt Spiller

This year, in collaboration with the Student Life Office, the DEIB Office developed a Bias Reporting form available to students through the WRA portal. This is a way for students to report incidents of bias for follow-up and/or to reach out for help with navigating difficult situations. Submissions are not anonymous, but we make every effort to keep submissions confidential.

In February 2021, The Enrollment Management Association (EMA) welcomed Dr. Greenwood in the #admissionchat podcast "Let's Talk About Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion," outlining steps for fostering anti-racism, tolerance, inclusion and social justice in private schools.

Additionally, earlier this year, Dr. Greenwood presented at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annual People of Color Conference (PoCC), as well as at several other local and national conferences. These include:

• A session entitled Reflections on How to Be an Anti-Racist: Understanding and Practicing Kendi in Independent Schools at the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) annual People of Color Conference.
• Two presentations at The Association of Boarding Schools (TABS) Annual Conference: The Boarding School Reality for Black and Brown Faculty and The New Talent Profile: Hiring for Boarding Schools in a Post-COVID World, presented alongside Head of School Suzanne Buck.
• A session entitled Enhancing Culturally Responsive Practice in a District at the University Council of Education Administration (UCEA) Conference.
• Dr. Greenwood also presented for EMA Webinar Series: The Importance of a School’s Commitment to Diversity.

In print, Dr. Greenwood authored multiple pieces for industry publications, including:

• NAIS Independent School Magazine
  • Dr. Greenwood authored article, “Exit Signs: Why Some Educators of Color Ultimately Decide to Leave Their Jobs” which appeared in the Winter 2021 Issue.
  • Dr. Greenwood also featured in the article, “Listening In”, discussing influential readings for educators of color in the same issue.
• Ohio ASCD Newsletter
  • Dr. Greenwood is featured in the Winter 2021 newsletter for the Ohio Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD) discussing the public/private partnership working with the Hudson City Schools DEI Office and the Hudson DEI Alliance this fall.
• Other articles and notable works include:
  • The Importance of a School’s Commitment to Diversity, a presentation by Dr. Greenwood for the EMA Enrollment Management Association.
  • Why Some Educators of Color Ultimately Decide to Leave Their Jobs, an article by Dr. Greenwood published in the Winter 2021 issue of Independent School Magazine.
  • Reading Room: Books that Unpack Race in America, an interview with Dr. Greenwood published in the Winter 2021 issue of Independent School Magazine

The DEIB Office dedicated time and resources to faculty DEIB professional development and training time. Faculty members participated in:

• ISACS webinars
• NAIS PoCC
• TABS
• NAIS Diversity Leadership Conference

The DEIB Office also spearheaded department-based inclusive classroom practice review and organized the following faculty expert professional development workshops:

• Supporting Students of Color
• Supporting International Students
• Supporting LGBTQ+ Students

The WRA DEIB Office led an effort to partner with the Hudson DEI Committee. Mrs. Wheeler participates in this group on a regular basis and worked with several committee members to help organize a community-wide read of the book, White Fragility. Additionally, Dr. Greenwood served as an expert panelist for the White Fragility book read and several faculty members volunteered as book group facilitators.

The WRA DEIB Office also joined the Cleveland Consortium of Independent Schools (CCIS) Diversity Practitioners Group. Dr. Greenwood meets on a regular basis with this group to develop connections with DEI practitioners in the Northeast Ohio area.

In April, Western Reserve Academy joined the Pipeline Collaborative, a consortium designed to strengthen the network of teachers of color at every level.

To honor Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the DEIB Office organized a weeklong recognition of his life and legacy, hosting school activities and events such as:

• At the Table With Dr. King program during morning meeting.
• Viewing of Netflix mini-series, When They See Us.
• Encore presentation of fall play, All I Want is a Fair View.
• A special viewing of the film, Selma

Moreover, the DEIB Office worked with the WRA community to recognize and celebrate various heritage months and holidays including:

• Working with Latino Student Union to commemorate Hispanic Heritage Month with announcements and presentations at Morning Meeting.
• Working with the Black Student Union to commemorate Black History Month with announcements and presentations at Morning Meeting. Other events included a viewing of play, Turning 15 On the Road to Freedom from Playhouse Square.
• Supporting Asian American Club and Mandarin Club to celebrate Lunar New Year.