Task Forces: Race/Gender

Clerks:

Alyson Goodner OPC '96, P '33 Director of the Center for Public Purpose
Naté Hall P '27 and '29, Director of Admissions
Mark Hecker OPC '99, Penn Charter Board Member

Committee:

Allison Keen P ‘26, ‘29
Al San Valentin Pre-K Lead Teacher
Allen Vandegrift Former MS Assistant Director, Visual Arts Teacher, Basketball and Lacrosse Coach
Amani Rivers OPC ‘22
Ben Solomon Class of ‘25
Brooke Kravitz P ‘25
Chandler Turner Class of '22
Chris Rahill OPC ‘99, P’34, Development Staff, Football Coach
Christopher Burnett 5th grade teacher, Basketball Coach, Day Camp Staff
Colleen Kelly Former Associate Director of Athletics
Douglas Gorham US Math Teacher
Elizabeth Hitschler US Counselor
Ella Parke Class of ‘23
Emelia Malhotra Class of '23
Emma Cohen-Westbrooke Health, Wellness and Human Sexuality Educator
Grace Neuwirth Class of '24
Jennifer Sokoloff P ‘26, ‘30
Jessica Rawlings Athletic Trainer
John Estok PE Department Chair
Katie Kelly MS Counselor, MS Lacrosse Coach
Kevin Medansky Former MS/US French Teacher
Leilani Bacchus Class of '24
Lindsay Franklin LS First Grade Teacher
Mallory Benard US PE Teacher & Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach
Marianne Master P ‘29, 9/10 Grade Dean, US Latin Teacher
Melanie Wills P ‘20, US Chemistry Teacher
Merrill Gadsden Class of '23
Rachel Dyer OPC ‘92, P ‘19 ‘21 ’24, Registrar, Field Hockey and Lacrosse Coach
Rachel Malhotra P ‘23, ‘26, ‘34, US English Teacher
Serena Amos Former Director of Human Resources
Sharon Ahram 11/12 Grade Dean, Asst. Director of the Center for Public Purpose
Shelby Tucker MS History Teacher, MS Basketball Coach
Soozung Sa Rankin P ‘27
Will Betts-Cope OPC ‘22

Clerks:

Antonio Williams P '22, Former Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Ben Robinson III OPC '82, Penn Charter Board Member

Steering Committee:

Marcy Sosa  P'18, '31 Director of Lower School
Lee Payton  P'20 Assistant Director of Upper School
Lisa Reedich Lower School Counselor
Leon Caldwell OPC '87
Gabi Bembry OPC '14
Caroline Wilkes OPC '08
Naveena Bembry P'11, '14, 5th Grade Teacher
Ruth McGee US Visual Arts Teacher, US Diversity Coordinator
Dr. Howard Stevenson P '23
Alyson Schwartz P '21, '24
Gabbi Polite OPC '22
Zora Johnson OPC '21
Leila Williams OPC '22
Amanda Ehrenhalt OPC ‘22

Planning Committee:

Ruth Aichenbaum  Coordinator of the Teaching & Learning Center
Karen Campbell  P'22, Assistant Director of Admissions
Gillian Diffenderfer US Spanish Teacher
Ben Dziedzic  P'24, US English Teacher
Jeremey Eith Athletic Trainer
Lindsay Franklin 1st Grade Teacher, SEED Facilitator
Karen Hallowell Director of Admissions
Jackie Hamilton Coordinator, Independent School Teaching Fellows Program
Liz Jones US English Teacher, Yearbook Advisor
Ken Johnson P' 20, ‘25
Joy Lai Visual Arts Department Chair
Laura Mansfield US Math Teacher
Cory Moy Chinese Teacher, SEED Facilitator
Jessica Stusnick-Czyzewski  1st Grade Teacher, LS Diversity Coordinator
Lisa Turner P' 26, '29, US English Teacher
Joy Chaffin P'25
Jon Weinstein P'20, '23
Chris Adams OPC '21
Joshua Black OPC '21
Kees Lynch OPC '21
Peyton Parker OPC '21
Ayana Opong-Nyanantekyi OPC '19
Leila Sor OPC '19
Lynn Seth P'21, 26
Ed Weihenmayer OPC '58
Liam LaBarge OPC' 21

Task Force Formation

Students and alumni have shared personal stories of pain experienced in our Penn Charter community (both on and off campus) around issues of racism, sexual harassment and assault. In the summer of 2020 the school reached out to the community to gather more information about these experiences, to acknowledge the pain of those affected, determine a way forward to heal as a community, inform you of our actions, adjust our curriculum, and improve the culture of Penn Charter. 

One of these actions was the formation of two task forces, Race & Equity and Gender Equity, Sexuality & Consent, which are focused on bringing about necessary change in our community.

Discovery Phase

Penn Charter's two DEI task forces complete the discovery phase of their work and move forward to analysis and, then, recommendations. 

The Race & Equity Task Force was divided into four committees: parents/guardians; students; OPCs; and faculty, staff and administration. During the discovery phase of their work, in the 2020-21 academic year, students surveyed students about their experiences learning about race, discussing race and racial dynamics at PC, and the other groups surveyed parents, OPCs, faculty and staff. Next, the task force used empathy interviews to hear the stories and experiences of members of our community. Data gathered during discovery has been analyzed by an outside firm, and the task force will work to develop recommendations based on the findings. 

The Gender Equity, Sexuality & Consent Task Force has determined three priority areas of focus: curriculum, policies and procedures, and community healing.  The Curriculum working group partnered with the International Institute of Restorative Justice to train more than 20 students, faculty and administrators to conduct listening circles for students, faculty, OPCs and parents to reflect on Penn Charter’s curriculum related to the goals of the task force. With the help of outside consultants, the task force will identify central themes; following that analysis the group will make specific curriculum recommendations to administration.

For both task forces, this discovery phase was a first step toward identifying and addressing policies, procedures and practices that uphold systemic racism, sexism and other oppressive and discriminatory attitudes and beliefs at Penn Charter. 

Task Force Guiding Principles and Core Questions

The mission of Penn Charter is aspirational; more than describing a way of life, it focuses on an approach to life and the character of all of us as we go through life, seek fulfillment and make a difference in the lives of others. The issues we face, however, are real issues and they challenge us now. The challenges are not specific to Penn Charter; they are the same ones facing educational institutions across the country and society at large.  Success, therefore, must be considered in a broader context. We cannot pretend to "solve" these societal problems; however, we can be clear as to how Penn Charter seeks to address these issues, and, by engaging in thoughtful discussion around these issues, begin to shift community thinking, reinforce our Quaker heritage, and make real change in the lives of our students.  

We have created two task forces – Race & Equity and Gender Equity, Sexuality & Consent – to look at these issues in context, and with an understanding that we need to respond with clear visible actions to improve school climate at Penn Charter. The Race & Equity Task Force is clerked by Antonio Williams and Ben Robinson. The Gender Equity, Sexuality & Consent Task Force is clerked by Naté Hall, Alyson Goodner and Mark Hecker.  

Specifically, the work of the task forces addresses several core questions, including:

• How can we better value and respect our Penn Charter students, including students of color?

• How can we best foster an environment that promotes respect and healthy relationships and teaches students how to prevent and report sexual harassment and sexual violence?

• Are there gaps in our curricular or co-curricular offerings regarding key social issues our students routinely confront and, if so, how can we appropriately fill them?

• How can we reinforce care and support for students and community members impacted by racial or sexual harassment or violence and instill responsibility and accountability for individuals who violate school policies or the core tenets of our Quaker values?

Roles and Responsibilities

Each task force consists of two leadership groups:

• The steering committee, which is made up of board members, administrators, faculty, staff, students, OPCs, parents and outside experts, is responsible for reviewing current programs, practices, policies, as well as, collecting and reviewing relevant data. The committee develops best practices, devises strategies, and identifies goals, priorities, and procedures to address inequities in Penn Charter’s educational program, school culture (for students) and work environment (for faculty, staff and administrators) as related to gender and race.

• The planning committee, a larger group of faculty, staff, administrators, students, OPCs and parents, supports the work of the steering committee as it reviews data and establishes goals and priorities for the task force work. As work moves forward, members of the planning committee will lead and serve on work groups established by the steering committee and play an active role in creating and planning school improvement initiatives.

While the clerks of each task force determine the specific processes to be used for this essential work, the overarching approach for each task force involves systematic reviews of policies, procedures and practices currently used at Penn Charter as well as deep community engagement throughout the process.  Ultimately, each task force is responsible for recommending action steps to the board, head of school, and/or other school leadership groups, as appropriate, to improve Penn Charter’s educational program, school culture and work environment as related to race and gender. 

Committee Roles and Responsibilities

• The steering committee’s role and responsibilities:

  • Examine Penn Charter’s current DEI strategies

  • Review the DEI mission statement and make recommendations (if any)

  • Collect and Analyze Data - Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats (SWOT)

  • Identify Goals and Priorities

  • Devise a DEI strategy that will address the racial inequity in our programs, curriculum, culture, athletics, policies, etc.  
     

• The planning committee’s role and responsibilities:

  • Examine and provide feedback on the data analyzed by the Steering Committee

  • Plan the implementation of a DEI strategy that will address the racial inequity in our programs, curriculum, culture, athletics, policies, etc. (via subcommittee work)