At the heart of our mission.
At Town, we believe that academic excellence depends not only on a diverse body of students, families, and faculty but, of equal importance, affirming and engaging the perspectives and backgrounds within our community. Our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion work therefore aims for every child and adult to be heard. These efforts are at the heart of our mission.
As a thriving, inclusive school community for over 100 years, we are proud of our ongoing commitment to equity and inclusion. We also acknowledge our need to continue our learning, to strengthen this commitment and our practices, every day. This statement therefore reflects not only who we are but also who we seek to become as a diverse, inclusive, and equitable school community. Please join us in this essential, shared work.
~Douglas Brophy, Head of School
The Town School Statement on Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity
Celebrate diversity. Cultivate inclusion. Prepare to change the world.
At The Town School, we believe a diverse, inclusive, and equitable school community is critical for preparing students to participate in a complex, pluralistic, and interconnected society. We challenge ourselves to regularly evaluate and refine curricula, policies, and practices, and to commit the appropriate resources to ensure we embody these beliefs every day.
Guided by a commitment to Town’s ethical motto of Self, Others, and Surroundings, we seek to engage all community members around our multiple identities: among them race, age, gender identity and expression, ethnicity, family composition, ability/disability, learning styles, religion, sexuality, and socio-economic status. By engaging in this exploration of identity, culture, and systems that advantage some and disadvantage others, Town aspires for all members of our community – students, parents, caregivers, faculty, staff, alumni/ae, and Trustees – to develop a sense of belonging and for our graduates to bring about positive change in the world.
In support of diversity, inclusion, and equity at Town, all members of our community commit to:
- Respect all
- Trust each other to engage in difficult conversations
- Share our unique stories and listen to others’
- Learn from different perspectives and experiences
- Examine our biases and endeavor to overcome them
- Foster belonging, connectedness, and safety
- Invest in the personal growth of children and adults alike
Bringing our statement to life.
Below are some examples of how we are working to embody our community commitments around diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Themes in Our Curriculum
Exploring students’ own and others’ identities.
Examining what it means to be part of a community.
Recognizing that social groups are complex, varied, and organized around different systems.
Learning about how systems advantage some and disadvantage others.
Preparing to be agents of change.
Some Examples of Structures and Programming in Support of Our Commitment to Equity
Office of Equity and Community
Board of Trustees Equity Committee
LGBT, White, and People of Color Faculty Affinity Groups
ALANA Parent Group (a long-running affinity group for parents of children with African, Latino/a/x, Asian, or Native American heritage)
Student Affinity Groups: Children of Color and Banana Splits
Teaching Teams Augmented by Learning Specialists and School Psychologists
Non-gendered Dress Code
Regular Community Programming Around Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Racial Equity Training for all Faculty and Staff
Tuition Inclusive of All Supplies, Technology, and Fees
Personalized Financial Aid Packages
Regular All-Employee DEI Professional Development
Partner Organizations
A Few Representative Samples of Town's Diverse Community
- 38% students of color*
- 34% faculty and staff of color*
- 10% blended families, solo parents, or same-gender parents
- 80% of bathrooms are gender-neutral
- 1:1 gender balance
- 19% students receive financial aid
- 50+ metro-area zip codes that we call home
- 25+ different languages spoken at home
- 100% of families value Town’s diverse community
* Town adheres to the race/ethnicity identities as defined by the National Association of Independent Schools: Middle Eastern, Asian/Asian American, Black or African American, Hispanic/Latino, Multiracial, Native American or Alaska Native, White or Caucasian, Pacific Islander American.
If you have questions about diversity at Town, please contact us: info@townschool.org.