Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Teacher and DEI Coordinator Kelley Howells leads Tower's faculty and administration's Diversity, Equity and Inclusivity Group. The group works to advance the understanding of topics such as identity, race, unconscious bias, and equity.

Conferences for Educators, Administrators and Board of Trustee Members

Our teachers and administrators attend conferences and workshops that engage in important discussions of identity, equity, and belonging and explore ways to support diversity in our classrooms and curriculum as well as within our community.  

Recent opportunities have included conferences through the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE), and Dr. Sandra Chapman.

Readings for School Leadership and Faculty

In 2020, the Board of Trustees advanced their individual understandings of racial identity and the ways this impacts each of our daily lives, by reading Waking Up White by Debby Irving, a racial justice educator. Faculty members engaged in similar reflection by reading White Fragility by Robin DiAngelo, an academic and lecturer whose work has influenced our national dialogue on race.

In February 2021 and May of 2022, students of color in grades 5-8 attended the Association of Independent Schools of New England's Middle School Students of Color Conference with students from member schools across New England. 

Tower School students plan to participate in the AISNE Middle School Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Conference in April 2023.

• A school climate assessment which will inform strategic initiatives related to DEI and the creation of a committee to address the needs of students, families, and faculty 
• We will assess our curriculum to better incorporate best practices of multicultural pedagogy, asking ourselves questions such as, "Whose stories are we telling?" and “Are there enough windows and mirrors in our curriculum so students see themselves reflected (mirror) and learn about others (windows)?”  
• Our commitment to further diversifying our community extends throughout the admission process, in the hiring and retention of faculty, and in representation on our Board of Trustees. 

Tower School does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, handicapped status, sexual orientation, nationality, or ethnicity in administration of its educational policies, admission policies, tuition assistance programs, or athletic and other school-administered programs.