Six Kent School Keys to Inclusivity

In February 2023 Kent School Staff and Faculty voted on principles that they believed we should adopt to guide our interactions as colleagues and work to make the Kent School as inclusive a workplace as possible. We call these 6 principles the "Kent School Keys to Inclusivity."  We will be discussing these principles in future meetings. In the meantime, we hope reading the principles and their definitions will spark reflection and discussion as we work together to continue resisting oppression and promoting inclusivity and justice.

Kent School Keys to Inclusivity Principles* 

Transparency 

Being honest and open about our own values, priorities, intentions, actions, and ways we go about making decisions. 

Collaboration and Compromise 

Engage in joint and group brain-storming, decision-making, and implementation of solutions. Work toward areas of agreement. Seek middle-ground solutions that allow everyone to benefit or have some aspect of their preferred solution represented. 

Inclusion and Valuing of Diverse Perspectives 

Ensuring diverse identities and voices are represented, and that diverse lived experiences and multiple ways of knowing are respected and adopted. 

Power-Sharing 

Taking responsibility for equalizing power and creating a space where all are encouraged to actively engage, listen, speak and act with respect. Drawing attention to voices that are not present. Engaging in action to address the absence of those voices. Valuing the preferences and voices of all colleagues, regardless of how many years they have been at the School, their position, or their demographic and social identities. 

Personal Accountability 

Seeking out knowledge about the histories and struggles of minoritized and oppressed communities and other groups as told by them. Developing the tools within ourselves to address implicit biases and inequities in a constructive and action-oriented way. 

Valuing the Collective 

See the entire system/organization. Consider how decisions and actions affect the organization as a whole. Implement actions that have a positive impact on the organization as a whole, as well as on individuals and sub-groups/teams. 

*Definitions informed by and drawn from the Anti-Oppression Resource & Training Alliance (AORTA), Critically infused social work (CISW), and Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario