In the beginning of January, it was announced that Fieldston would be working with an organization called Anthem of Us, which is, according to its website, “a strategic advisory and consulting firm that promotes dignity and justice, and centers equity and belonging, in workplaces, schools, and communities.”
I sat down with the Head of School, Kyle Wilkie-Glass, to learn more about how the organization will work with Fieldston in the coming years. “Anthem of Us will aim to champion a school environment that promotes safety and well-being”, according to Wilke-Glass.
The Anthem of Us partnership comes out of the work that SOCM has been doing since 2019. There are two “layers” to this partnership– in other words, there are two organizations that Fieldston will be working with. Along with Anthem of Us, Fieldston will be working with the Perception Institute, which is a partner organization of Anthem of Us. The Perception Institute aims to target bias through conversations and research. It is a well-known DEI organization in the New York City area, which is important because it has a different approach to working with NYC schools than other schools in different parts of the country.
The approach that Anthem of Us and the Perception Institute are taking with Fieldston is highly specialized, as both teams are steeped in independent school work. “It takes experience to understand the dynamics of independent schools– both school culture and the faculty and student experiences– and they already know a lot about their starting point, which ensures success”, said Wilkie-Glass.
The first step of Anthem of Us’s work at Fieldston is assessment. “The team will come to campus, introduce themselves, and be in dialogue with members of the Fieldston community… there will be opportunities to speak with them”, said Wilkie-Glass. Additionally, the team wants to connect with the SOCM leaders to know their top priorities and how they can continue their legacy. Once the team has a sense of what Fieldston is like, they will give recommendations, which is the second step.
Fieldston will welcome the new Head of School, Joel Algrant, in the fall, and having Anthem of Us already set up at Fieldston will ensure we are ready for a new start. The tangible planning process will really kick off under Algrant. But for now, Fieldston will be better equipped to figure out where we currently stand with DEI work, what a DEI and justice-oriented future looks like, and how we can get there.
“Things are constantly changing in the independent school landscape, and I am looking forward to [Anthem of Us’] leadership on understanding where we are now and how we can prioritize having a better student experience”, said Wilkie-Glass.
