Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

Westside School is committed to promoting inclusiveness, diversity, and cultural competence in its education, employment practices, school community, and governance.

We view inclusiveness as a fundamental value, diversity as a key element, and cultural competence as a vital skill necessary to prepare students to participate in and contribute to a global society. Westside uses the term diversity broadly to encompass differences in the attributes of individuals, families, and communities.

Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

Westside is excited to introduce Chay Dixon as Westside's inaugural Director of Diversity, Equity, and Belonging, beginning Summer 2023.

Chay is committed to creating safe and equitable classroom environments. She is in alignment with Westside that the concept of Belonging is critical to diversity and equity work in schools. They are excited to partner with us to help all of our students, families, and staff feel a greater sense of Belonging and to ensure that our children see themselves in our curriculum, materials, and in our faculty and staff. She looks forward to bringing a critical thinking, data-driven approach to support the school in our DEB efforts.

Among Chay's goals will be to:

Shepherd our grassroots work to provide a strategic vision and develop institutional structures necessary for sustaining and advancing DEB goals throughout our school.
Lead recruitment and retention efforts with a focus on building and sustaining the diversity of the faculty and staff in collaboration with the leadership team.
Develop targeted professional development programs for faculty and staff to advance cultural competency and other diversity, equity, and belonging skills.
Lead and support others in the organizational structure tasked with DEB work, including affinity groups, curriculum assessment, admissions, and development.
Collaborate with parents and caregivers on educational programs and serve as a resource for families to ensure that this vital constituency engages with the school's and their own DEB work.

Facts & Figures for 2022-2023

34% Students of Color
Languages Spoken: 25+

Amharic, Cambodian, Catalan, Dutch, English, Farsi, French, German, Hindi, Hungarian, Igbo, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Norwegian, Oriya, Oromo, Polish, Punjabi, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Swedish, Turkish, Vietnamese.

Defining Terms

At Westside, we believe that having a common understanding of terminology and language helps us have essential conversations. We plan to have community dialogues to build our own working definitions of key diversity, equity, and inclusion terms. For now, we source definitions from credential anti-racist organizations as a resource to guide our work.

ANTI-BIASED EDUCATION

“Anti-bias education is an approach to teaching and learning designed to increase understanding of differences and their value to a respectful and civil society and to actively challenge bias, stereotyping and all forms of discrimination in schools and communities. It incorporates an inclusive curriculum that reflects diverse experiences and perspectives, instructional methods that advance all students’ learning, and strategies to create and sustain safe, inclusive and respectful learning communities.” (Anti-Defamation League)

DIVERSITY

Diversity is all the meaningful and varied identities of individuals and groups present in our school community and world. These include, but are not limited to: ability, age, ethnicity, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic status. We strive to provide a safe place for students and faculty to step out of their comfort zones and discuss each of our multiple and complex identities. We recognize that diversity creates situations in which groups are advantaged or disadvantaged and that experiences can be varied both within and between different groups. (Southern Poverty Law Center & Learning for Justice)

EQUITY

Equity means each student receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential. We work to identify and remove structural barriers that prevent strong outcomes for students in our educational system. We attempt to interrupt inequitable practices, examine our personal and institutional biases, and create inclusive classes. We acknowledge that equity is an ongoing process to counter systems of oppression. (National Equity Project)

INCLUSION

Inclusion is the active and intentional process of creating and maintaining an environment and culture that is welcoming and affirming. An inclusive community promotes and sustains a sense of belonging for all by actively inviting contribution and participation, with a particular focus on historically marginalized identities. Inclusive communities promote and enact the sharing of power and recognize the interdependence of individuals. We strive to be an inclusive community where all feel accepted, empowered, supported, and affirmed. (National Association of Independent Schools AIM Survey Definitions)

CULTURAL COMPETENCE

Cultural competency is the application of a defined set of values, principles, skills, attitudes, policies, and behaviors that enable individuals and groups to work effectively across cultures. Cultural competence is a continuum that evolves over time for both individuals and organizations. Cultural Competence is the means by which institutions are equitable and inclusive. (National Association of Independent Schools AIM Survey Definitions)

References:

DEB AT WESTSIDE

DEB Overview

as a Community

In program & Curriculum

Resources

2022-2023 Equity & Inclusion Speaker Series

Westside School is excited to partner with local independent schools to bring the Equity & Inclusion Speaker Series to our communities. The purpose of this series is to raise awareness, challenge ourselves, deepen understanding, and empower our communities to advance their efforts to actively recreate systems into equitable, inclusive, and antiracist institutions.

CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE AND TO RSVP FOR THE SPEAKER SERIES

LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The Westside School Community acknowledges that we are on the ancestral lands of the Duwamish People. We make this acknowledgment with gratitude and a commitment to justice for the land itself, and the Duwamish People, past, present, and future. We endeavor to join them in honoring and protecting the Water, Earth, Air, and Spirit of our shared home.