Moses Brown School, a Friends day school for 789 boys and girls N-12 in Providence, RI, seeks an innovative, creative and dynamic leader to serve as its Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DoDEI) beginning August 15, 2021.  This is a full-time, exempt, 10-month administrative position.

Context and History  

Moses Brown’s mission is to nurture the inner promise of each student and instill the utmost care for learning, people, and place. Since its founding in 1784, the school has honored and upheld Quaker practices and values while also embracing students of every faith and background.

At Moses Brown, diversity, equity and inclusion are considered foundational to educational excellence.  In its academic programs, the school includes activities and discussions that promote multicultural understanding and respect.  And in its admissions and hiring practices, MB seeks to maximize the diversity of the school (in terms of class, gender, ethnicity, race, religion, sexual orientation, abilities/disabilities and language).  With 22% faculty of color, 28% students of color and a range of programs focused on DEI, MB strives to help community members understand their own identity and appreciate the cultures, worldviews and life experiences of others. 

The Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will join a strong, well-resourced, dynamic community.  The school’s strategic plan and capital campaign---MB Believes---demonstrates a spirit of innovation as well as a commitment to timeless Quaker values such as peace, equality, integrity and community.  Those values inform all aspects of life at the school, guiding decision making, informing curriculum and shaping community-wide conversation, including issues of anti-racism and social justice.  The DoDEI should be an educational leader who feels a sense of calling toward the school’s mission and values and who has a successful track record leading change within a diverse community. 

The Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion will have an opportunity to elevate and lead work that is strongly established across the school.  DEI efforts currently are led by three All-School Diversity clerks (chairs) and six divisional clerks (two in each division), supported by the Director of Friends Education and the Director of Global Education and Social Innovation.  The All-School Diversity Committee (including the Head, Assistant Heads, administrators, faculty, staff, parents, and trustees) meets monthly and works to understand and address DEI issues across the school and participate in trainings that build capacity and strengthen practices.  DEI efforts also are supported by an active Parent Diversity Committee. 

In the 2020-21 school year, Moses Brown has used a process of self-assessment to better understand how issues of diversity, equity and inclusion are impacting the culture of the school.  Workshops with students, parents, staff, faculty, administrators and trustees helped to identify priorities and actionable goals in six primary areas:  Leadership, Demographics, Wellness & Dignity, Cultural Competency, Equity & Inclusion, and Ongoing Assessment.  The Director will have an opportunity to help refine these priorities and play a lead role in their implementation.

The Position

A member of the Administrative Council reporting to the Head of School, the Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is responsible for leading DEI initiatives across the school.  Working with other senior administrators, DEI Clerks and committees, the Director monitors and stewards the many factors -- demographics, policies, programs, structures, curriculum, traditions -- that shape the culture of Moses Brown, making sure that the school is appropriately serving and supporting all members of the community.

The Director is an educator first and foremost.  The role is aimed primarily at strengthening the experience and education of MB students, in part by teaching and supporting them directly, in part by helping adults in the community become more culturally competent and more adept at culturally responsive pedagogy.

Culturally expert and adept at cross-cultural conflict management, the Director will be called upon at times to help members of the community resolve conflict involving identity, or navigate harm caused by bias.  Especially in today’s difficult cultural climate, such ‘reactive’ work is part of working in a diverse community, and the Director will need patience and resilience in this work.  But the role is intended primarily to be proactive in nature, focused on thinking ahead, implementing strategic change and regularly assessing progress. 

The Director has responsibility and authority to: 

• Refine, prioritize and carry out the initiatives identified in MB’s DEI Action Plan.
• Communicate MB’s institutional vision for DEI through regular public presentations, workshops and writing.
• Organize and facilitate the work of DEI Clerks, the All-School Diversity Committee and other practitioners.
• Support and advise on curriculum development and culturally responsive pedagogy.
• Teach DEI-focused classes, lessons and units across the three divisions.
• Lead the school’s response to diversity- and equity-related issues in the community as they arise.
• Advise and assist with the recruitment of faculty, staff and administrators.

• Help to recruit, welcome, orient and support new employees, students and parents from diverse backgrounds.

• Strengthen student engagement, advocacy and leadership for DEI.
• Develop and lead training for employees on cultural competency as well as anti-bias and anti-racist practices.
• Collaborate with the Parent Diversity Committee to engage the school community by means of public programs that enhance awareness and commitment to DEI work.
• Devise effective ways to assess ongoing growth and learning.