News

Dear Friends,

Diversity. Equity. Inclusion. I wish to abbreviate neither the words nor our thinking about them.

This spring, the Board of Trustees reaffirmed our commitment to action under these community principles. A committee comprised of faculty, staff, administrators, and trustees has worked hard to update Springmont’s DEI Statement to clarify and commit to the work ahead, and the board approved the statement in May. Further, the Board of Trustees has centered Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion as one pillar of our new Strategic Plan framework.

You can read the statement here. My favorite sentence follows: “By becoming part of our community, you embrace these values and actively contribute to bringing this shared vision to life.” I love it because the active clause begins with “you.”  As Springmonters, you and I will take real action to foster a community of dignity and belonging, built upon these three cornerstone values.

Springmont is well-suited to develop children to become peacemakers and changemakers for a pluralistic world. While we share core values, we are a school community that will always think, worship, vote, and live in diverse ways. This statement affirms that we find strength in those differences. Our shared commitment is to honor the dignity of each other and teach our children that we all belong together, in this community and in this world.

By reaffirming our commitments and sharpening our focus on actionable plans, we are standing for accountability. Over time, words and slogans may change, and ideas and plans will be debated. But the dignity and worth of you, me, your child, my child, and any other community member is not up for debate, ever. Montessori education provides a rich toolkit for educating minds to live in diversity, to stand up for equity and fairness, and to do hard things inclusively. At Springmont, we expect nothing less for our children and from each other.

The Board would like to thank the DEIJB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Justice, and Belonging) Committee for their efforts to update and reaffirm our statement of commitment. And thanks to each of you for being part of advancing that commitment.

Sincerely,

Will Johnson

Chair, Board of Trustees