A Message from the Principal and Head of School
May 22, 2017
Dear parents,
Over the course of this school year, and especially this spring, tensions in the Upper School involving issues of identity, inclusivity, privilege and race have been felt quite poignantly by many members of our community. Students from a range of backgrounds have felt targeted by the national dialogue and, in certain moments, by their peers here on campus.
The use of offensive language and imagery has played out among students in several ways, including through social media. The ways in which we’ve responded as an administration to these incidents has felt unfair and unwarranted to some, while others have felt the intervention or consequence to be much too lenient. These circumstances have prompted student conversations about identity and perspective. While some of these conversations have been productive, the result has been unsatisfying for many.
Like other educational institutions across the country facing these challenges, we must balance 1) our School’s long-standing and unrelenting rejection of bigotry, racism and hate, in all forms; 2) the importance of civil discourse; and 3) students’ need to learn and grow from mistakes. Achieving this balance is not simple. It requires unambiguous expectations regarding the types of language and behavior we will not tolerate; a clearly articulated, fair and effective response for when those expectations are unmet; and the understanding that students will be held responsible for their words and actions. Though much of this critical framework already exists at Milton, some—as we have learned this year—requires our close evaluation and refinement.
We must acknowledge that this climate—at Milton and beyond—represents, for some, an ongoing struggle for equity at a time when freedoms or legal rights are at risk based on identifiers such as gender, religion, sexual orientation or race. In this context, we are responsible for ensuring that each student on our campus does not feel vulnerable in our care. We will continue to work tirelessly to support each and every student on our campus, and we must acknowledge that there will be moments in which certain groups or individuals will need focused care, advocacy and support.
This summer, the Upper School administrative team will take the following steps toward strengthening Milton’s approach to this work:
- We will review and revise language in the student handbook that makes unequivocally clear the expectation that no student may use or perpetuate racist and other discriminatory language, imagery and behavior.
- We will revise Milton’s student and parent programs to set clearer expectations and provide concrete information as to how we must each be invested contributors in Milton’s commitment to inclusivity and respectful engagement with all members of our diverse community.
- We will enhance our ongoing training and education programs for faculty and staff so that all adult members of our community have the information and tools necessary to facilitate discussion and navigate circumstances related to inclusivity, identity, and respectful conduct in our diverse community.
- We will prepare to introduce and implement the institutional strategic plan for diversity and inclusion (due for board approval academic year 2017–18), providing direction and accountability as we move forward.
In the remaining weeks of the school year we will also implement additional student programming addressing the climate on campus and the work we, collectively, have ahead of us. This work will begin today.
This critical and ongoing work is not driven by political correctness or political ideology. This work—foundational to Milton Academy’s mission of embracing diversity and a respect for others—is paramount in our engaging with one another in meaningful teaching, learning and living together. This work is about acknowledging one another’s talents and invaluable contributions and, ultimately, recognizing our shared humanity. We have the chance, and the obligation, to redouble our efforts; take a close and analytical look at what’s working and what needs work; and set an example, as leaders, of how a community can move through acrimony and discord toward civility, empathy, collaboration and productive discourse.
On behalf of the Upper School administrative team, we thank you for your support of this vital and challenging work.
Sincerely,
David Ball
Upper School Principal
Todd B. Bland
Head of School
An Update from Campus Today – May 22, 2017
Dear Upper School parents,
Though some of you are likely aware, we want to inform you of events taking place on campus today. After a morning assembly focused on issues of identity, inclusivity, privilege and race—representing voices of students, faculty and administrators—Upper School students staged a walk-out and have been demonstrating through an organized and peaceful sit-in in the Schwarz Student Center throughout the morning and into this afternoon.
We and other administrators have been engaged with students and faculty on these issues throughout the day and plan to continue these conversations well into the future. We are aiming to address the real needs that students and faculty are voicing and work together to frame a plan to move forward from here—developing short-, medium- and long-term goals aimed at a School culture true to Milton’s mission, in which all individuals feel safe, heard and valued.
Again, we appreciate your support as we move forward in meaningful ways, addressing this critical and challenging topic.
Sincerely,
David Ball
Upper School Principal
Todd B. Bland
Head of School
An Update from Campus Today – May 23, 2017
Dear parents,
As you now know, this week has begun in an atypical fashion, with many students, faculty and administration focused intently on challenges involving identity, inclusion, privilege and race. Today, some students chose to continue their peaceful sit-in, occupying portions of the Student Center and adjacent administrative offices. Mid-day, students, faculty and administrators came together so that we could share our responses to some of the questions students have asked. From there, we collectively moved down to the ACC for special programming organized by Milton faculty members.
During that programming, we heard from teachers of various disciplines who shared facts and showed short videos related to race and our country’s founding. We learned how legislation over centuries has affected individual experiences today; how language and the words we choose shape meaning; and how understanding other perspectives is a critical component of education. We also heard accounts of personal experiences from Milton adults. Faculty, staff and administrators participated in an exercise that physically demonstrated the ways in which each individual experiences this world based on things like family structure, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, or race. Finally, students and faculty broke down into groups to discuss what they learned or how they felt, based on the presentations and events of the last two days.
A clear need for us, this week and moving forward, is to enlist external resources—experts in this field—to address the needs of our community and to ensure continual learning for both our students and adults. We have invited Rodney Glasgow—known and well-respected by students and educators—to join us on campus this week. Mr. Glasgow is chair of the National Diversity Practitioners Institute, as well as a noted speaker, facilitator and trainer in areas of diversity, equity and social justice. He has a long and distinguished career in this work, and he serves today as chief diversity officer and head of middle school at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Maryland. Mr. Glasgow earned degrees in Afro-American studies and psychology at Harvard University and holds a master of arts in organization and leadership from Columbia. He is an independent school alum, having graduated from Gilman School. He is an experienced educator, trainer and administrator, and we will be working with Mr. Glasgow to help us navigate these challenges and move forward in productive ways.
In the last 36 hours, several of you have contacted us or other members of the administration regarding the events taking place on campus. For those of you who expressed your appreciation and support, we are grateful. For those of you with questions or concerns, we do intend to respond as soon as possible. As you might imagine, our time and energy has been appropriately focused on responding to needs on campus and working to support the students in our care.
We thank you, again, for your support as we continue this challenging and important work.
Sincerely,
David Ball
Upper School Principal
Todd B. Bland
Head of School
