July 6

Dear Parents, Faculty and Staff:

As many of you know, the Diversity Committee and the Board of Trustees have selected the theme "Equity and Justice: People Making a Difference" for the 2009-10 school year. The term "equity and justice" is not new to the independent school environment or to Topeka Collegiate School.

In 2002, the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) adopted "equity and justice" as a major theme and formed an entire team within the NAIS, called the Leadership Education and Diversity Team, to focus on all aspects of this timely topic.

According to the NAIS, which Topeka Collegiate School has been a member of since 1983, "Creating and sustaining an inclusive, equitable, and just independent school community requires commitment, reflection, conscious and deliberate action, as well as constant vigilance based on the overarching principles of inclusivity, diversity, and multiculturalism."

The NAIS has established eleven "Principles of Good Practice for Equity and Justice" which provide the foundation for an inclusive, equitable independent school community. And, in fact, an independent school's membership in NAIS is contingent upon the school's agreement to abide by "the spirit" of the Principles of Good Practice. These Principles, which may be found on the NAIS website (www.nais.org), are:

1.       The school establishes the foundation for its commitment to equity and justice in its    mission statement and strategic planning.
2.       The school respects, affirms, and protects the dignity and worth of each member of the school community.
3.       The school establishes, publishes, implements, and reviews policies that promote equity and justice in the life of the school.
4.       The school supports the ongoing education of the board, parents, students, and all school personnel as part of the process of creating and sustaining an equitable and just community.
5.       The school ensures an anti-bias environment by assessing school culture and addressing issues of equity and justice in pedagogy, assessment, curriculum, programs, admissions, and hiring.
6.       The school values each and every child, recognizing and teaching to varied learning styles, abilities, and life experiences.
7.       The school uses inclusive, anti-bias language in written and oral communication.
8.       The school complies with local, state and federal laws and regulations that promote diversity.
9.       The school provides appropriate opportunities for leadership and participation in decision making to all members of the school community.
10.   The school includes all families and guardians as partners in the process of creating and sustaining an equitable and just community.
11.   The school expects from its students and all members of the community an appreciation of and responsibility for the principles of equity and justice.

These Principles of Good Practice for Equity and Justice will form the basis of our theme for the 2009-10 school year.

Since its founding more than 25 years ago, Topeka Collegiate has actively embraced and celebrated equity, justice and diversity. Equity, justice and diversity are not only an integral part of Collegiate's culture, they are the fabric of our Mission Statement, Our Philosophy and Who We Are.

Our Mission Statement says: "We prepare students for advanced education, successful careers and responsible citizenship through commitment to academic excellence and humanitarian ideals."

Our Philosophy, addressing the Next Generation of Leadership, says: "To be competitive in a global society, students today need the skills of tomorrow. Topeka Collegiate School cultivates the next generation of leaders through character development, a commitment to equity and justice, social engagement and global citizenry."

And, finally, "Students at Topeka Collegiate School come from a variety of backgrounds and communities throughout the Topeka and Lawrence areas. While they are culturally, economically, racially and religiously diverse, all share an eagerness to learn."

Now let's talk about how the theme of Equity and Justice will be celebrated during the 2009-10 school year.

First, at the outset, it is important to note our theme, developed by the Diversity Committee and approved by the Board of Trustees, will be separate and distinct from the academic curriculum, which is developed by the administration and implemented by the faculty.

That is not to say faculty will not incorporate aspects of the Principles of Good Practice into their lesson plans. They may, just as they have done with previous themes in past years. But how faculty incorporate the Equity and Justice theme into their curricula, if they choose to do so, will be at their discretion and under the supervision of the administration. For example, a teacher may encourage a humanitarian service learning project at a non-profit organization or perhaps invite a Topeka Collegiate graduate who has experienced equity and justice issues firsthand in a foreign country to speak to our students.

Second, the Diversity Committee, the Multicultural Education Committee (MEC) and its Steering Committee will, together, develop programs and select speakers which who will enhance our Equity and Justice theme to achieve our School's ongoing commitment to building a school community enriched by social, cultural and economic diversity and preparing our students for successful lives, careers and leadership roles in a culturally diverse society and a global economy. MEC is open to the School community and I would encourage your participation.

Third, because our Equity and Justice theme will be a commitment to diversity in all its forms, that commitment will be seen in the recognition of the diversity of the ages of our student body through age-appropriate topics.

Finally, the goal of the Equity and Justice theme is simply to increase awareness. Its goal is not to advocate, to indoctrinate, to convert or to change the culture of our School. In fact, as one parent recently said to me, "Topeka Collegiate School exists now as a diverse community with the sharing of a common thread - excellence in education."

That parent hit the nail on the head. Our children attend Topeka Collegiate because of its reputation for academic excellence and also because of its understanding of diversity, equity and justice. And in today's global economy, where the Internet makes the world seem as small as a tennis ball - or smaller - these tenets of Topeka Collegiate are not mutually exclusive.

Please join me in embracing our history, our culture, our mission and our philosophy - and in helping us promote our theme for 2009-10: "Equity and Justice: People Making a Difference." And be assured that the Board of Trustees and the administration entrusted with educating your precious children will not fail you in this regard. You have my word. And you have my cell phone number: 633-3755.

Thank you for your continued support of Topeka Collegiate School. We need you more than ever in 2009-10!