Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not new concepts at GUS. For me, the head search really made that clear.

So far this year, you’ve heard from a number of our faculty members about their journeys with this work, and I think it is important to also share a bit about my own. While these issues have always been important to me, talking about diversity and equity has never been within my comfort zone. As someone very aware of my privilege, I always wondered who am I to say what I think? 

As I was exploring how to really lead GUS forward, many things have become clear. First, I must have a voice. The biggest mistake is to be silent. While I am no expert, I am a dedicated learner committed to leading this community by listening, learning, growing, and taking action. As Paulo Coelho once wrote, “ When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” Spending time with my passionate colleagues, dedicated board members, inspired heads of school and outside professional experts have all helped me feel not only more knowledgeable, but also more motivated and empowered. I know I’ll make mistakes. I know I have, and I appreciate those who have called me out and called GUS out to be better. It will take all of us to really elevate this work and bring about real change. I have seen and felt the value of coming together to talk as a key part of this work, and I look forward to inviting GUS community members to be part of this conversation. 

While issues around diversity, equity, and inclusion have always been important to GUS, it is also clear that we must acknowledge the moment. After this summer and the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and too many others before them, the national spotlight shifted firmly on race in America, and I realized this work is so much more than my own personal journey. As a leader of an educational institution, especially one like GUS, there is a moral imperative to do whatever we can. I can not help but think, If not now, then when? There is an immediacy to our response that powers us forward and inspires action, not just today, but as long as it takes to bring about real change.

I am motivated by the moment, but I am also very much motivated by the GUS mission and those who shaped our school into all that it is today. GUS was a place that was ahead of its time in many ways, but in all ways, to advance our school, we must continuously evaluate our work and always ask ourselves: what can we do better? Knowing the work we are doing is in the spirit of those who came before us is particularly powerful. Those dedicated educators would no doubt agree that the work is never done, and it is a tribute to their passion and dedication that we pick up the mantle and carry on. 

Our governing bodies have also given us some important information on what schools should be doing. So as we talk about where GUS is, we do have information about best practice in order to give us direction. I was particularly moved by a call to action from AISNE diversity practitioners that came out this summer. Recently, inspired by this call to action, our faculty and staff participated in an activity where we were challenged to consider what a school with the following mission statement would look like:

Our institution will be active, bold, innovative, and strategic in our commitment to pursuing racial justice and equity. We will prepare the next generation of leaders with an education based in antiracism, inclusivity, and equity.

I loved this activity because while we talked about curriculum and policy, the activity also allowed us to discuss some of the smaller ways we can demonstrate our commitment. Instead of imagining a school different from GUS, our ideas helped imagine a more GUS-like GUS, a place where our mission came shining through in many authentic ways. I was inspired and excited by the exercise. 

Of course, we have a very long way to go and we are but a small bubble of a larger world, but that doesn’t diminish the sense of urgency or our sense of responsibility. In order to move forward, we need to take those first steps. With that in mind, we have added a professional development requirement as a part of our faculty evaluation and development program. Our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Professional Learning Group this year evolved into a Task Force with the explicit charge of bringing a focus within our community to the topics of antiracism and white privilege - and together, we have been taking action in a variety of ways on campus throughout the year. Additionally, the board has recently named a DEI committee charged with assisting the GUS administration in the development and review of strategic and measurable DEI goals. Here at GUS, we won’t just talk the talk, we will also walk the walk. We invite you to walk with us. If you also aren’t sure where to start, please check out our DEI resource page. Our team has done an amazing job putting together these resources to help families. We are also exploring ways to bring our community together to talk about these issues in the hopes that having the opportunity to connect, discuss, and share will bring comfort, along with skills and resources for learning and taking action.

During the harder moments, I take great comfort from our school community. Our gifted faculty and concrete and deliberate approach to community building make this a safe place for students to question, learn, and grow, despite what might be happening in the larger world. Our social-emotional curriculum, coupled with a child-centered philosophy and teaching pedagogy based on the ideals of progressive education, really allows our students a place to feel safe and comfortable, even as they engage in challenging and sometimes difficult conversations about racism and how we see it affecting communities near and far. A GUS education gives our students the tools to find their voices and make a difference in their communities and in our world. In short, our school and our students give me hope.

Now when the question of who am I to speak comes into my head, I am buoyed up by the GUS mission, by a passionate community of learners, and by an inspired group of change makers here at GUS and beyond. Knowing the path ahead may be long and tough, we trust and go forward together. Together we honor the moment and at the same time, we will bring GUS forward to a new day and see the school fully realize its mission, purpose, and place. I am so grateful for all I have learned this year and look forward to the work ahead. 

Trust and Go Forward,

Gretchen Forsyth
Head of School