About

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

We will unflinchingly challenge our assumptions and make necessary institutional changes to create a safe, equitable, and anti-racist learning community at Poly.
—John Bracker, Head of School

Statement on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

adopted 2020

Diversity of ideas, experiences, and identities within the school enriches the experience of everyone and inspires transformative teaching and learning. At Poly, we celebrate and value the uniqueness of each individual in the community to fulfill the school’s mission and vision.

An inclusive community fosters academic excellence and personal growth to ensure that all students are seen and heard, empowering every student to be authentic. Faculty and staff practice inclusivity and appreciation to create a safe learning environment where differing viewpoints and multiple perspectives are expressed and honored. Conformity of thought is not required. At Poly, we value all cultures and ethnicities and the richness they bring to our shared community. Poly strives to ensure all families experience a sense of belonging and are able to participate fully in the life of the school.

We believe all members of the Poly community share a collective responsibility to foster an equitable and just community. We strive to:

Value and create connections amongst all members of the community;
Weave the practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion into the curriculum and fabric of the school;
Seek and provide feedback to promote growth;
Approach decisions with integrity, kindness, and generosity;
Encourage empathy and see the best in each other.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Focus Areas

List of 4 items.

Deepening Transformative Teaching

Deeply embed and teach content and values of diversity, equity, and inclusion across our curriculum so that all students consistently see and experience their value.
Inclusive Student Community

Cultivate a Poly community that is welcoming to all students and actively provides the experiences and resources needed for our increasingly diverse
community to thrive.
Full and Equitable Participation

Ensure the full and equitable participation of all Poly students and families in the whole life of our community, regardless of financial status.
Inclusive Adult Community

Foster a dynamic and diverse adult community at our school that equips members to connect with each other and learn together in support of their own growth and the growth of our students.

Poly's DEI Ecosystem

DEI-focused groups exist throughout our student, school, and adult communities. These groups work in unique and focused ways towards our common goal of an inclusive Poly community that fosters academic excellence and personal growth by ensuring that all members are seen, heard, and valued as their authentic selves.

List of 3 items.

Board of Trustees DEI Committee

The Board DEI Committee interfaces with other board committees on issues related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. They partner with the Head of School and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion to develop Poly’s long-term DEI strategy for Board approval. Additional activities include supporting the monitoring and identification of key DEI metrics, and others that are outlined in “A Message from the Board of Trustees on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”.
Divisional DEI Teams

The Divisional DEI Teams are faculty members who are keenly attuned to the need to offer developmentally appropriate learning experiences that ensure all students feel seen, heard, and valued for their unique contributions to our community, and that help students learn about themselves and the world around them. The Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School each have a divisional DEI team that collaborates with the DEI Director, their divisional peers, and each other to advance Poly’s work of diversifying our curriculum and adopting more equitable and inclusive pedagogy and practices.
K-12 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Parent Organization

The Poly K-12 Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Parent Organization brings together parents and caregivers across the school with the goals of supporting an inclusive school community through parent/guardian education and community building. Representatives from the Lower, Middle, and Upper schools are led by the K-12 DEI PO Co-Chairs in ensuring a cohesive and coordinated approach to parent/guardian education and community building that spans our Poly family community as a whole. Family affinity groups are also connected to the K-12 DEI PO as primary channels of community building, and are supported through communication and event assistance.

Alumni Reconciliation Sessions

In light of the national focus and the role anti-Blackness has played in recent contemporary police brutality controversies, Poly took immediate action to create dialogue within our community. We held reconciliation sessions to explore the various forms of bias experienced by alumni that were disclosed through social media in 2020. All Poly community members were invited to come together during these sessions and shared their frustrations, disappointments, as well as ideas to address bias dynamics at Poly. The first reconciliation session was moderated by Dr. Camille Rich in August 2020 and focused on sharing truths about anti-Black bias and was an immediate and constructive place to start this conversation. Also, sessions in the Fall of 2021 focused on anti-Latinx bias and anti-Asian bias, as well as forums for LGBTQ+, Jewish, Muslim, South Asian, and Middle Eastern community members. We allotted time for these affinity groups to convene and appointed leadership to facilitate the forums. The learnings gathered from these courageous conversations ultimately informed the development of our three-year DEI Strategic Plan.

For more information, please contact Emily Fischer, Executive Director, Alumni and Community Relations

A Vision to Move Forward

As Poly moves forward, we do so with a new vision. We understand that diversity and difference only enrich our community. We believe that every student, parent/guardian, faculty, staff, and alumni share a responsibility to create a space of true belonging for all members of the Poly community. We are committed to providing our families with developmentally-appropriate tools, discussion spaces, and exploration experiences that will build confidence and belonging for every student at Poly.