Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

At the elementary level, the Academic Team, moving authentically and in phases, is engaged in a deliberate review of curriculum and texts. An audit of themed books in cycle 1 has begun. Teachers are gradually discovering exciting new books in which student well-being is at the center, and all students can encounter mirrors of themselves. The broader aim is to begin revision of the LILA core literature list. The Academic Team is working to integrate our existing moral and civic education progression – which places a priority in cycle 1 (preschool, pre-K, and K) on kindness and student well-being and in cycles 2 (1st – 3rd grade) and 3 (4th – 6th grade) on moral and civic education – with other areas of study and to make it more explicit in our DEI efforts.

In parallel, in the English curriculum, through the study of literature, students are exposed to many voices and experiences. Authors and texts representing different countries and cultures, regions and religions, time periods, and genres are introduced in middle school and studied in greater depth in high school. In middle school, students study life in Afghanistan, the Civil Rights Movement, and the effects of censorship. Students learn to engage with sensitive topics, communicate their ideas respectfully, and listen with empathy. They go on in high school to study American voices, such as James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and Joan Didion. Students analyze the politics of race, gender, culture, and identity. Also included are voices from Africa, the Middle East, and Asia as represented by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, Marjane Satrapi, and Arundhati Roy. Their stories of migration and marginalization, assimilation and discrimination, and the lasting effects of colonization promote a deeper engagement and understanding of issues relating to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion around the world. Authors that represent the canon are also studied, however. Students analyze the works of William Shakespeare, George Orwell, and Mary Shelley through the lens of racial equality, representations of the other, and social class mobility. As a result, students learn to evaluate movements that instigate social change and navigate a dynamic, divided, and uncertain world. Indeed, the best way to promote Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is to learn to appreciate a myriad of voices and analyze how they are manifested through literature.

LILA is dedicated to providing as many educational opportunities as possible in the area of DEI. Farzana Nayani and Professor Camille Gear Rich have been featured speakers during school-wide in-service days. For the 2021-22 school year, we engaged Rosetta Lee as a consultant to our Campus Directors in a ‘training the trainer’ format and to work with each of our elementary campuses regularly and in rotation in small group settings. This 2022-2023 school year, we are delighted to be welcoming Monique Marshall. She will be able to build on this work, visiting each campus, continuing to mentor and to help the teachers toward greater awareness and sensitivity. This training is offered onsite and is compulsory. Faculty and staff, however, are additionally encouraged to attend the many relevant conferences available through the School’s membership in MLF, NAIS and others.

As a French-accredited school and like most schools in France, the International School of Los Angeles is guided by the Charte de la laïcité. This lays out the French directive that ethnic background, overt religious affiliation, and religious practice belong to the private sphere and should be avoided in a public setting, including or particularly in schools. It does not however preclude exposure to, in an educational context, religions, their history, evolution, or the understanding of how religions fit into the cultural life of different communities.  

Approved by the Board of Trustees, the School’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Charter was published and rolled out to the community in early 2021. The International School of Los Angeles is proud to hold diversity, respect, and excellence as its core values and recognizes that an intentional celebration of key cultural moments can be seen as the very basis of creating inclusion and honoring different groups from within a school community. It is important to respect the principle that instruction should not spill into religious indoctrination or proselytizing, these cultural celebrations should be encouraged and can only benefit our diverse communities and the whole of the school population in general.  

Given the diversity of our community, our multiple campus structure, and our focus on student learning, cultural celebrations will respect the following principles:

• Be planned collaboratively by our campus directors
• Be distributed across campuses so as to maximize the celebration of diversity
• Be planned a year in advance and communicated at the start of each academic year
• Take place in the context of student assemblies on each campus
• Where capacity permits, parents and caregivers will be invited to attend cultural celebrations

In order to complement the work on curriculum and in the classroom, employees have established Faculty and Staff for an Inclusive LILA, a school-wide group. This reading and inquiry series offers LILA employees a platform for discussion, for learning, introspection, and action related to issues of racism. The emphasis is on reflection. The group meets every month.

Our Dialogues on Diversity series was established as a response to the groundswell of support for the Black Lives Matter movement all around the world after the murder of George Floyd. Dialogues on Diversity comprises school-sponsored presentations from experts in the field. Speakers have included Dr. Derrick Gay, Professor Camille Gear Rich, Teresa Williams León, and Mason Funk.