Equity Matters

FSP’s mission to “challenge and empower students to develop their intellectual, physical, emotional, creative, and spiritual potential” begins with being a school community to which each member can bring their full humanity and to which each member belongs. Starting with the belief in the Light within, FSP is called to create and foster a school community that sees and celebrates the essential worth of each individual.  Our belief in the transformative power of love calls us to acknowledge and dismantle historic, current, and systemic injustice. 

Friends School of Portland’s foundation in Quaker testimonies requires that the work of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging work be held at the center of our life together each and every day. 

Diversity Statement

Guided by the Quaker belief in the Light within each person, we seek to cultivate an engaged and diverse community of people from different backgrounds, identities, orientations, beliefs, and circumstances.

We value the shared wisdom that individual and cultural differences and perspectives bring, and we strive to build a community in which each person belongs, is known, and is valued.

We believe that learning and playing in a diverse school community enriches our shared experience and prepares our students for lives of purpose in a diverse world.

Statement of Antiracism

How do our lives speak as educators, seekers, mentors, and colleagues in our work of responding to injustice? How do we transform reflection into the concrete action needed to dismantle systemic racism? How do we sustain an active and vigilant engagement with the work of antiracism, seeking to enable a community more open to all, more aware of its complicity in racism, and more equitable in its practices?   

The work of dismantling racism is ongoing and cannot be satisfied with statements of intent. Asking ourselves how the Friends School of Portland community is working to become an antiracist institution is a critical query that must guide real and daily change in ourselves, our policies, and our practices. As a Friends school dedicated to testimonies of equality, peace, and integrity, we are, at each moment, called to answer to injustice. As a predominantly white institution of privilege, the work of dismantling white supremacy is our work. We must shine a light on the systemic racial inequalities which exist in our world as well as on the biases we carry within ourselves.

We commit to an ongoing cycle of inquiry-reflection-action that will move us forward in our work toward diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, but also toward active antiracism — in our teaching and learning, in our policies and practices, and in our culture and community. We call on our community to join us in this difficult, necessary, transformative work.

Commitment to Equality for Gender-Nonconforming People 

As a Friends school founded on the Quaker principles of equality, community, and integrity, we affirm that Friends School of Portland is fully committed to creating a welcoming, supportive, and respectful community for all of our students and families.  We support our students and community members who are transgender, gender-nonconforming, or gender expansive/non-binary. As a community bound by love and a belief in the Light in each of us, we support each person’s right to be who they are, to express their identity, and to be treated always with dignity.

Ongoing and Current Work:

Equity Assessment

With the support of our community’s Strategic Plan, FSP’s board, and a grant from the Obadiah Brown Benevolent Fund, we took steps to hire Dustin Ward of It is Time Consulting.

So far this school year, Dustin Ward has met with students, faculty and staff, and board members. In December, Dustin spent two days on campus having one-on-one conversations with students and faculty.  Beginning in January, Dustin began meeting with parents, graduates, and friends. We look forward to hosting current families on Tuesday, March 4  for a Community Conversation with Dustin, as part of our Annual State of the School.

Still to come: we are planning a future community conversation, additional individual interviews, and an online survey. 

The Equity Assessment will wrap up this year in May and help guide and shape our next steps.    

Recent Newsletter Updates: 

October 2024 Newsletter

Racial Justice Accountability Group

This is a mixed-constituency, multi-racial group that meets with the head of school regularly throughout the school year. Clerked by the head of school, the mission of the R.J.A.G. is to keep channels of communication open between administration, parents, and teachers when it comes to areas of progress, areas of block, incidents or discouragements, signs of hope, need for further study, and ideas for change. Examples of topics discussed could include: ways of talking to your child about race in an age-appropriate way, or facing a moment where a racial microaggression happened with your child present and you didn't know what to do.

Parents interested in joining should reach out to Head of School, Sara Primo, directly.