School leaders from various Boston-area independent schools convened at Beaver on Wednesday, January 22 for an event hosted by Facing History, a global non-profit organization aiming to support school leaders as they navigate political polarization in their schools and communities. Beaver’s continued partnership with Facing History has allowed Beaver to facilitate crucial conversations amongst faculty, staff, and administrators, including two full faculty workshops on navigating crucial conversations and teaching current events.
The Facing History program Beaver co-hosted was inspiring and hopeful–exactly what school leaders needed at the end of this January! Bringing together educators from a dozen schools in the Boston area to hear from Meira Levinson and discuss the complicated landscape of our communities provided us with an important point of connection and infused us with the energy necessary to continue moving the work of engagement and inclusion forward.
Kim Samson, Head of School
Meira Levinson, the Juliana W. and William Foss Thompson Professor of Education and Society at Harvard Graduate School of Education and a member of Facing History’s Board of Scholars, led the event with an interactive case discussion that participants engaged with. This discussion served as a moment of reflection for school leaders and a chance to develop actionable steps that can be taken to address issues of identity-based hate and political polarization.
Participating schools included…
- Atrium School
- Bancroft School
- Brimmer and May School
- Buckingham Browne & Nichols School
- Concord Academy
- Dana Hall School
- Dedham Country Day School
- Derby Academy
- Meadowbrook School
- Milton Academy
- Noble and Greenough School
- The Rivers School
This convening was right on time as it provided a dedicated opportunity for school leaders, in particular, DEI Directors, to have focused time with other school administrators with whom they collaborate, such as Heads of School and Division Directors, most closely often during times of crisis, to ensure that our communities are cared for. My biggest takeaway was moving forward to collaborate with the entirety of our Core Senior Leadership Team to explore timely topics and ensure alignment on our institutional response.
Delonte Egwuatu, Chief Engagement & Inclusion Officer