Jane's Pocket Change: Diversity is Not Enough

Rosanna Salcedo, Dean of Equity & Inclusion
Occasionally, I ask other members of our community to be guest authors for Pocket Change. This week, our new Dean of Equity and Inclusion Rosanna Salcedo made a compelling and important presentation at assembly and I asked her to share some of her thoughts with you. Join us at the End of Mod 2 Parent Coffee on November 9th
for a full presentation and discussion on Rosanna's work at CSW and the role we hope our families will play going forward. - Jane Moulding, Head of School
 
Occasionally, I ask other members of our community to be guest authors for Pocket Change. This week, our new Dean of Equity and Inclusion Rosanna Salcedo made a compelling and important presentation at assembly and I asked her to share some of her thoughts with you. Join us at the End of Mod 2 Parent Coffee on November 9th for a full presentation and discussion on Rosanna's work at CSW and the role we hope our families will play going forward. - Jane Moulding, Head of School


From Rosanna Salcedo, Dean of Equity & Inclusion:
 
Institutions around the globe, especially educational institutions, are beginning to understand that it’s not enough to create diverse environments, continue to do things the way we’ve always done them, and hope that everyone is going to get along. We need to take it a step (or a few steps) further—to acknowledge and leverage our differences in order to enrich our learning and growth, and to ensure that all members of the community thrive. Our focus on diversity must be accompanied by policies, programs, and curriculum that are equitable and inclusive. CSW created the Dean of Equity and Inclusion position with these objectives in mind and my role is to examine procedures and create programs that will help the school attain its goals for inclusion.
 
On Monday, September 18th, I had the pleasure of addressing the community at assembly.  My intention was to deliver a message, early on, about what it means to be a diverse and inclusive community, and to set a foundation for further conversations and initiatives.

I began the talk by defining diversity in the widest sense, including all aspects of our identity, and naming the many virtues of living and working in a diverse community: it helps all members of the community develop important cross-cultural competencies; promotes collaboration and innovation; raises consciousness about issues of social justice; and ultimately develops our capacity for empathy. I also acknowledged that living and working in a diverse community creates opportunity for dissonance – a powerful learning tool – since it is in the tension of having to deal with differences that we face our preconceived notions about others. These “notions” or biases are messages we absorb from our environment: our immediate surroundings; institutions/organizations in which we participate; industries (like the media) that impact our daily lives; and even larger ideological movements and agendas. We can be passive recipients of ideas, or we can be critical learners who use reason and actual experiences to inform us, and who question what we have learned. We want our students to be active learners and engaged citizens who possess an informed social consciousness.

“The awakening of consciousness is not like the crossing of a frontier; one step and you’re in a another country” (Adrienne Rich)

Social consciousness is developmental. It is a process that requires practice and self-examination over the course of a lifetime. In my talk, I urged the community to focus less on monitoring the consciousness of others, and more on constantly examining one’s own consciousness with humility. I encouraged them to strive to engage in conversations with the intention of reaching deeper understanding of ourselves, and each other’s point of views, rather than try to make a point, win an argument, or diminish each other. Ultimately, it’s okay to disagree with another point of view, but it is not okay to attack, blame, or shame another member of your community, as these are not helpful or effective ways to influence each other, or to inspire empathy.

I reminded the audience that when we choose to join a community, we enter a social contract with other individuals. In our CSW social contract we agree to value, learn from, and care for one another. If we remember this, if we practice this, we are sure to make strides in becoming a more inclusive community, one day at a time.

The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.