Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
At Brooklyn Arbor, our goal is to provide an inclusive, positive environment and culture where all adults and children feel safe, welcomed and celebrated. Some examples of Brooklyn Arbor’s inclusive practices include:
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The use of gender neutral lines and groupings (e.g. no girls line/boys line).
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Addressing the whole class or groups of students as “mathematicians, artists, readers” etc. as opposed to “boys and girls”, “ladies and gentlemen”, etc.
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Not assuming everyone has the same family structure.
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Challenging and responding to casual pejoratives, slurs, bigoted jokes and bias. Monitoring students’ language and encouraging sensitivity, tolerance and acceptance.
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Having a buddy bench for students who may have trouble making friends or feel alienated.
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Teachers monitoring grouping and choice activity times to ensure that students are not separating themselves.
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Having an Equity Team to address issues that come up and work to create a tolerant, safe school community and climate or all.
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Using examples, math problems, scenarios, etc. that involve a variety of family structures, cultural references, gender-expressions, etc.
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Not having a separate dress code for boys/girls.
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Not offering boy/girl specific graduation garb, gifts or choices.
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Making a gender neutral bathroom available.
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Being mindful to avoid hetero-normative or gender normative terms, viewpoints or images.
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Expanding students’ knowledge of diversity by exposing them to varied literature or engaging in supportive classroom conversations.
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Addressing students by the name and pronoun that corresponds to their gender identity.
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Staff attending regular training around implicit bias, Culturally Responsive Teaching, disproportionality, etc.
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Stocking our school library and Guidance Department with a variety of books that include topics such as diversity, exploring non-traditional gender roles, bullying, empathy, etc.
