Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging

Established in 1689 by William Penn and members of the Religious Society of Friends, William Penn Charter School (Penn Charter) is a community guided by Quaker values and the central belief that there is "that of God" in every person. Today, Penn Charter is a leading, all-gender, independent day school offering a vigorous pre-K through 12 program in academics, arts, and athletics, all within the context of the Quaker values that have guided the school for more than three centuries.We invite nominations and applications for the position of Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) from seasoned, action-oriented, and strategic leaders with the ability to create a professional infrastructure and to lead change within a large, complex organization.

ABOUT WILLIAM PENN CHARTER SCHOOL

Established in 1689, Penn Charter is the fifth-oldest school in America and the oldest Quaker school in the world. Over three centuries, even as the school has honored tradition, it has advocated for change. The Penn Charter curriculum embraces a plurality of cultures and celebrates an array of voices, instilling in us a deeper understanding and empathy for individuals in this community and the world.The Penn Charter educational program exposes students to a breadth of content and ideas as well as opportunities for deep exploration in the pursuit of personal passion. Guided by research and best practices, faculty collaborate across divisions and disciplines to design and deliver engaging and relevant learning experiences. We provide students with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in a complex and changing world.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING

Penn Charter seeks to build a community representing diversity in race, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, gender, sexual orientation—as well as learning style, opinion, and hometown. When you walk through Penn Charter's red doors, there is a reason our formal-looking school suddenly feels down to earth: the people. Penn Charter was founded not for some people but for all people. That is as true today as it was in 1689. Penn Charter was one of the first schools to open to children of all religions and races, and among the first to educate girls and to offer financial aid. Despite that history, our community is not immune from the racism, sexism, homophobia, and intolerance that challenge this city and nation. Our diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) work is ongoing, and unfinished.In July 2020, Penn Charter formed two DEI task forces–one on Race & Equity and a second on Gender Equity, Sexuality, & Consent–with the goal of identifying and addressing the policies, procedures and practices that uphold systemic racism, sexism and other oppressive and discriminatory attitudes and beliefs. Each task force was made up of Penn Charter board members, senior administration, faculty, staff, students, OPCs and parents. Each task force was 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. An early outcome of this work was the hiring of a new Health, Wellness, and Sexuality educator who teaches comprehensive sex education and is leading a review of the school’s pre-K to 12 health education curriculum. Two additional health, wellness, and sexuality educators were hired in 2022-2023 and the Health, Wellness, and Sexuality department has been hard at work to ensure a comprehensive approach on these topics across all divisions.

THE ROLE OF THE DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION, AND BELONGING

Penn Charter, in part through this role, demonstrates its ongoing commitment toward building a more inclusive environment where all community members feel a sense of belonging and are respected, regardless of their race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status, as well as other aspects of identity. Identifying and addressing issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion involves overcoming both micro- and macro-level challenges and requires a schoolwide commitment. It will be the specific charge of the Director to be in conversation with students, parents, faculty, staff, and alumni in honest and crucial dialogues on issues the school embraces.As a senior campus leader, the Director of DEIB is charged with strategic leadership to ensure a welcoming and inclusive campus for all Penn Charter community members. Reporting to the Head of School, Karen Warren Coleman, the Director of DEIB will create and execute the vision for a positive campus climate which fosters a sense of belonging for all community members. Through purposeful and effective servant leadership, the Director of DEIB will work collaboratively with academic departments, advancement, human resources, and other internal stakeholders to advance these efforts.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• Divisional DEIB coordinators in Lower School (2), Middle School (2), and Upper School (2)
• Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity (SEED) group facilitators (multi-school administrators; faculty and staff SEED group; Parent and Caregiver SEED group
• Divisional School Inclusion Committees for work with the Bias Response Protocol
• Assistant Head of School and Director of Human Resources for employee-related Bias Response Protocol incidents
• Holistic and Restorative Coordinator (Guides the Bias Response Protocol process in the Upper School)
• Leadership Team
• Faculty & Staff
• Parent and Caregiver Community
• Board of Trustees
• Board Education Committee

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and build capacity within the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, which is comprised of six divisional DEIB coordinators, five SEED facilitators, divisional school inclusion committees supporting the bias response protocol process, and the DEIJ certificate program.
• As a member of the senior leadership team, provide insight about the overall campus climate (with specific emphasis on the student and family experiences) and advisement regarding the potential implications for these groups as it relates to the school’s mission and institutional policies and practices.
• Leverage pedagogical content knowledge of multicultural and social justice education theory and culturally responsive teaching to craft meaningful learning experiences for students, faculty, staff, and parents.
• Oversee student, parent, and employee affinity groups, diversity advocacy groups and cultural alliances.
• Champion multicultural programming across all academic divisions via collaborative partnerships with Lower, Middle, and Upper School leadership. This includes multicultural training and other activities which foster productive dialogues among students and others in the school community.
• Partner across the School to attract and retain diverse students, faculty, and staff by serving on the admissions committees and supporting the hiring process.
• Connect the School’s equity and justice initiatives with the wider Philadelphia and national communities by building community partnerships and attending and presenting at local and national conferences, including planning attendance at the annual NAIS People of Color Conference and Student Diversity Leadership Conference and the Penn Charter BIPOC Leadership Dinner.
• In collaboration with the Department Chairs Group (DCG), review new course proposals and assist with the overall curriculum review process through the lens of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Contribute to school life in one or more of the following areas: teaching, coaching, or advisory.
• Specific duties and expectations may be adjusted as assigned by the Head of School or her designee.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field. Master’s degree in education, social work, or related field preferred.
• A minimum of ten years of classroom teaching and DEI practitioner experience at an independent school or in higher education.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES

• Demonstrated knowledge of best practices in diversity, equity, belonging, and social justice work.
• Familiarity with the principles and practices of Quakerism and Quaker education, including the embrace and practice of decision-making in the Quaker tradition of consensus.
• Effective communication with all constituents.
• Appreciation of independent school culture.
• Listen empathetically.
• Honor confidentiality.
• Demonstrated, genuine enthusiasm for working with high-achieving students and their families.
• Reflect a team-oriented attitude of service with the ability to respectfully challenge and inspire others.
• Engage with others as a patient and relational collaborator
• Strong organizational and interpersonal skills with the ability to analyze needs and set priorities.
• Demonstrated capacity to work with students, families, faculty, and staff to accomplish goals and objectives.
• Perform work with a constant awareness of improving processes necessary for positive growth.

Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience, and the position must be performed on site, in Pennsylvania. Penn Charter offers a generous benefits package as well, including 90% tuition remission for up to two children at a time for grades K-12 and a 20% discount for Pre-K.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The search committee for Penn Charter’s Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging is now accepting applications and nominations and will begin reviewing materials immediately. Requested application materials include a letter of interest and current resume. Interested candidates should apply using the following Talent Profile link:https://talent-profile.diversifiedsearchgroup.com/search/v2/20672Inquiries and nominations may be sent in confidence to: [email protected].