From the director:

Many thanks to the more than 40 people who spent last Sunday here at PHS working on the strategic plan. You will hear more about progress on the plan in the board’s Friday Letter column next week, but suffice it to say that Sunday was a powerful example of the PHS community working together for the future of the school. Teachers, administrators, current parents, past parents, all contributed to a lively and productive day.

We began with an exercise called “Picture the Graduate,” which the staff used in our similar work day in November. Small groups developed lists of the knowledge, skills, and attitudes they hope that every PHS graduate possesses—everything from algebra to the color wheel to reading to public speaking to love of learning. The challenge became to narrow these lists down, drastically. The purpose of this exercise was twofold: 1)to remind us all of the central focus of our collective energy, which is the children who are learning here every day; and 2)to practice the most difficult part of strategic planning, which is prioritizing.

The rest of the day included exercises and conversations designed to elicit a broad base of ideas, and then begin the task of organizing and winnowing them. In Shaping Strategy for Independent Schools, Susan Stone says: “Planning inevitably raises expectations—for additions to the curriculum (deletions are much harder for people to envision), for leading edge technology, for facilities, for increased faculty and staff compensation, for augmented library holdings, for lower student-teacher ratios, for enhanced financial aid . . . the list is endless. At the same time, there is a sincere desire to keep tuitions affordable within the local or peer group market, concern about repeatedly going to parents for philanthropic support, pressure from competitive schools . . . and the knowledge that a school cannot be all things to all people. A successful planning process will lead people to make choices, to set priorities, and to recognize that planning is indeed for the long term. . . what is not realistic within the next three or five years may be quite possible in six years or ten if the foundation is solid. Shaping a strategic plan requires creativity, discipline, and clarity within the school community about institutional priorities, the various costs of trade-offs, and who will bear the burdens. The best way to manage expectations is to illuminate all of these issues clearly.”

Next Monday, the nation honors the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Like many schools across the country, we use the weeks surrounding his birthday to learn more about his life and work in age-appropriate ways. At PHS, we also teach that the struggle for civil rights never ends—there is always injustice in the world, from Santiago to San Francisco. Part of our school’s mission is to encourage active citizenship, to demonstrate that just caring about something is not enough. Action is what counts, whether it be writing letters, supporting a cause financially, building houses, doing research, collecting warm coats, etc. The possibilities for active involvement are limitless.

Certainly this country is in a very different place as a result of Dr. King’s leadership and the efforts of many, but the work is not over. As he said in 1963, “the time is always ripe to do right.”

From the deans:

“That’s what this [affinity circle] helped me to figure out—I know I’m half white, but my identity is black, African-American.” - High School Junior

“ We don’t have a problem attracting students of color, we have a difficult time keeping them. ” - Head of School

“ How do I deal with my own guilt around teaching privileged white kids? I got my education to help kids that came up hard, like me.” - Chicano Educator

“ I wanted to join you in the middle of the circle, but I was scared. I haven’t really figured out my sexuality.” - High School Senior

Voices from the 2003 National Association of Independent Schools’ (NAIS) People of Color Conference (PoCC) find daily audience in my conscious mind. The reiteration of sayings, ideas, suggestions, advice, arguments, and articulations play over and again in my psyche like the audio of a three-year-old’s favorite video. During the loudest moments in this soup of sound, I realize that the beauty, depth, and raw necessity of this conference, most especially for the staff of color, is the latitude/longitude to dialogue freely.

When I returned from PoCC to a PHS fully engulfed by the magic of Follies, many of my colleagues asked me about the conference. I found myself rambling on about the various affinity groups and professional development workshops. But as I write this Friday letter, my most vivid, active memories are of the smiles and laughter, the sheer and unrefined joy on the faces and in the bodies of those gathered, the energetic fervency with which these assorted educators absorbed the vast amount of materials presented.

For example, in a workshop entitled Models for Implementing Diversity: A Work In Progress, a man seated near me suddenly sprung up out of his seat like popcorn and exclaimed, “That’s right! That’s what I’ve been trying to tell everyone at my school! We need a diversity rubric!” Surprised, the entire audience stared at him before laughing appreciatively at his unrestrained exuberance. He joined the group, laughing at himself, and added, “You know? That’s what we need!” Audience members nodded in honest affirmation.

When I look back on this “voila” moment, the space where this man’s spirit, thoughts, and ideas were being freely expressed and earnestly validated, it makes me think about PHS. I don’t know what support systems exist for him at his school, whether anybody sees eye to eye with him on diversity issues, or whether there is even anyone willing to dialogue. While the PoCC is a revitalizing gathering, it’s also a barometer for the diversity/multicultural climate of each school. The conference helped me to see that, while we’ve accomplished at great deal in regard to diversity/multiculturalism at PHS—more than at many schools—we, too, will always be a work in progress. I am humbled and set afire, each day, by our journey towards beauty and equity.

Mohammed Soriano-Bilal
Dean of Multi-cultural Programs and Services