To achieve our mission to educate students “to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society and global community,” our faculty is committed to healthy identity formation and intellectual development within each learner at Parker.
Within our classrooms, teachers intentionally foster identity development through robust curricula across all domains (e.g., reading, writing, mathematics, social studies, Social- Emotional Learning (SEL) and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB). Teachers collaborate to develop students’ academic skills while working to engage them based on the interests, experiences, goals and needs of their class community, fostering empathy, communication and collaboration across similarities and differences.
Each student’s unique experience provides a basis for valuing and understanding a new point of view, promoting greater understanding of all types of people, helping them see the value of being an ally and an upstander to those within their classrooms and beyond.
Consistent with our Diversity Statement, specifically our commitment to “teach students about diversity…so they may learn to treat others with respect and kindness and challenge behaviors that oppress, exclude or demean,” we continually reevaluate our academic and advisory curricula so that students (i) regularly see windows into different identities and cultures and mirrors of their own, (ii) meaningfully engage with others across differences (in thought, lived experience, etc.) and (iii) learn that the power to create a more just, inclusive and equitable society originates from the establishment of diverse communities where all members feel a deep sense of belonging.