Dear Penn Charter Community,
This year, unlike any other, has required us to listen, reflect and change. Many at Penn Charter have worked throughout the spring and summer to prepare for what comes next. While this fall brings uncertainty, it also brings opportunity for thoughtful and positive work to transform our community and culture and make meaningful change to our curriculum.
In June and July, I updated you on the school's response to harmful, upsetting and unacceptable incidents of racism, inequality, disrespect and sexual misconduct shared by students and OPCs. We are grateful to individuals who stepped forward to share their experiences, whether on social media or in conversations with external professionals or Penn Charter administrators, or via our online survey. No matter how you have communicated, we have tried to listen and to provide support.
The protocol establishes a structure to manage and respond to harmful incidents related to bias: a School Inclusion Committee (SIC) that includes the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, division and assistant division directors, and school counselors. The SIC's purpose is to:
We encourage members of the PC community to review the protocol and will provide opportunities to discuss its purpose and practice with students and parents, as we have done this summer with faculty and staff.
By communicating our values more clearly and by establishing a clear system to address bias-related behavior and incidents, we hope we have taken a step forward to improve the culture and climate laid bare by members of the Penn Charter community.
Task Forces: – Race & Equity – Gender Equity, Sexuality & Consent
Thus far, the Steering Committees have met to begin to evaluate the dissonance between Penn Charter's values and our community's experiences related to racism, sexism, gender equity and human sexuality. These committees will establish structures for advancing the work and for creating a framework for accountability actions and measurement. They are committed to creating opportunities to continue conversations and engagement with the community to seek truth; acknowledge painful and traumatic experiences; ensure ongoing dialogue around anti-racism, anti-sexism, gender equity and sexuality; and instigate positive change within the school's culture and environment.
In these initial stages, both task force groups will be reaching out to the PC community using surveys, focus groups and empathy interviews, with the goal of digging into the data we collected this summer and filling gaps in our knowledge and understanding. We hope you will participate if contacted.
Race & Equity
Gender Equity, Sexuality & Consent
In addition to the establishment of the two task forces, the school hired Deborah Roffman, MS, CSE, CFLE, a human sexuality educator and consultant. Roffman will assist Penn Charter in creating a comprehensive pre-kindergarten to grade 12 sexuality curriculum. Roffman also will work with and help train health educators, counselors and teachers; support parent programming; and advise the school on hiring a full-time human sexuality educator, a newly created position. Finally, Roffman will be a resource for the Gender Equity, Sexuality & Consent Task Force.
Sincerely,
Head of School RACE & EQUITY TASK FORCE
Alyson Schwartz P '21, 24 Caroline Wilkes OPC '08 Gabi Bembry OPC '14 Gabi Polite, Class of '22 Howard Stevenson P '23 Lee Payton P '20, Assistant Director of Upper School Leila Williams, Class of '22 Leon Caldwell OPC '87 Lisa Reedich, Lower School Counselor Marcy Sosa P '18, '31, Acting Director of Lower School Naveena Bembry P '11 '14, Lower School Teacher, Diversity Coordinator Ruth McGee, Upper School Teacher, Diversity Coordinator Zora Johnson, Class of '21
GENDER EQUITY, SEXUALITY & CONSENT TASK FORCE
Steering Committee
Allen Vandegrift, Assistant Director of Middle School, Visual Arts Teacher, Basketball and Lacrosse Coach Amani Rivers, Class of '22 Chris Burnett P '17, Lower School Teacher, Basketball Coach Chris Rahill OPC '99, Director of Alumni Relations and Leadership Giving, Football Coach Elizabeth Hitschler, Upper School Counselor Haydn Sage, Class of '21 Henry Davis, Class of '22 Holly Silberman, Middle School English Teacher John Estok, Health & Physical Education Department Chair, Strength and Conditioning Coach Justin Wilson OPC '20 Leilani Bacchus, Class of '23 Marjani Merritt P '32 Rachel Dyer OPC '92, P '19, '21, '24, Upper School Registrar, Field Hockey and Lacrosse Coach Rachel Malhotra P '23, '26, '34, Upper School English Sabrina Shaffer OPC '20 Sharon Ahram, 11/12th Grade Dean, Assistant Director of the Center for Public Purpose
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