Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice at Madeira

Madeira is guided by a deep institutional and professional understanding that a diverse, inclusive environment is directly linked to scholastic excellence, community wellness, and it is vital to living the School’s mission. Madeira is an intentionally diverse community and collective empathy drives our learning community. We recognize it is not enough to be diverse; and Madeira fosters a healthy and connected community where students feel they belong.

Madeira’s mission is to launch women who change the world and to lead innovation in girls’ education. Madeira was founded in a time when young women, particularly young women of color and young women from marginalized groups, did not have consistent access to challenging and robust curricula at the high school level.  Madeira has long been a haven for young women and girls to acquire that strong academic and social-emotional underpinning during the all-important teenage years. And while that intention was well-guided, Madeira was not an integrated school until the early 70’s.

We recognize that celebrating diversity and multiculturalism are not the same as building a community around anti-bias and anti-oppressive principles and practices. Madeira faculty empower and guide students to understand power and antiracist principles as important elements of the curriculum.  Madeira centers student community life on active listening, courageous conversations, and compassionate leadership. We create intentional spaces, facilitate learning opportunities, and dedicate resources to make possible our diverse, equitable, and inclusive learning environment.

We are committed to ensuring every student feels seen, known, valued, and that she knows she belongs at Madeira.

What now?

We turn to on our mission, vision, and community values as we launch a multi-year strategic planning process. As we look to a plan of action and process for sustainable change, we know this plan will include metrics to measure effectiveness, will guide us, and keep us accountable.

We are committed to fostering a strong sense of identity and belonging in each student.

Madeira Student Affinity, Alliance, and Activism Groups

Asian Pacific Islander Association
Best Buddies
Black Student Union
Chinese Culture Club
FOCUS

French Club
Girl Up!
Global Politics & Culture Club
Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA)
Hands United

Interfaith Club
Jews at Madeira
Make-A-Wish
Middle Eastern Students Association
MAD Health

Sexual Assault & Consent Awareness Club
South Asian Student Association
Spanish Club
Student Diversity Board
Student Diversity Leadership Council Conference
WEARTH

Spring 2021 Actions & Updates

Faculty & Staff Professional Development

A community where the adults are learning is a community where the students are learning. DEIJ and equity literacy learning must first be done by the adults in a learning community to affect positive change and learning in the student community. To that end, Madeira will continue to offer and amplify internal and external opportunities for growth, learning, and practice. Supporting students and fostering learning in the community requires the adult community to support one another- reflecting on and developing cultural fluency and building community. In April and May 2021, all students, faculty, and staff will engage in workshops and learning with an external DEIJ practitioner. The adult sessions will focus on recognizing and addressing microaggressions, subtle acts of inclusion, harmful intent in the classroom, and understanding and supporting student activism and engagement. The student session will focus on creating a sense of belonging for each student, while providing students with agency, voice and choice as they think about belonging.

Equity Team

Through increased cultural competence and responsiveness of all faculty and staff, significant improvement in 1) policies, procedures, decision-making processes, 2) allocation and use of resources, 3) community engagement, and 4) other important areas related to Madeira’s mission to Launch Women Who Change the World, will be made -- particularly for those community members that have historically been marginalized, discriminated against, or underserved.

We have launched the school's inaugural Equity Team for the coming school year. The team, comprised of faculty and staff, will focus their first-year efforts on identifying, delivering, and developing appropriate follow-up professional learning for all faculty, staff, and students in the 2021-22 school year.

Academic Curriculum Review

Madeira's academic leadership team has read Zaretta Hammond's Culturally Responsive Teaching & the Brain and has begun work to implement strategies across departments.

Accountability & Communication of Progress

We are in the process of developing measures for accountability through community climate surveys, NERCHE assessments, and similar metrics. We are partnering with Panorama Education and will administer the first social emotional learning and climate surveys in Fall 2021.

What’s the Difference?

Equality vs. Equity vs. Justice

The words ‘equality,’ ‘equity,’ and ‘justice’ are sometimes mistakenly used interchangeably, as they all have to do with fairness and access. A closer look, as Madeira has done using the Equity Spotlight Method, reveals they differ in significant ways. Here is a diagram we use to help illustrate the differences and build understanding about the difference in these important terms.

At Madeira, we strive to create justice for all students.