Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice

Dear NSA Community, 

We are excited to announce that NSA has engaged the services of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) to launch the Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) climate survey and school self-assessment. This comprehensive survey and self-assessment is designed to evaluate diversity, multiculturalism, equity and justice within our school as well as how individuals experience our school as it is today. The survey and self-assessment are also designed to assist in strategic planning initiatives to build and sustain an inclusive school community that addresses our diversity, equity and inclusion goals. 

For more than 10 years, the National Association of Independent School’s Assessment of Inclusivity and Multiculturalism (AIM) has provided more than 200 independent schools with a deep understanding of the climate of inclusion on their campuses, from current and past students to faculty, staff, administrators and trustees. 

As in many organizations, the benefits of diversity, equity and inclusion are viewed as intangibles, good things to have, to do and to profess but not necessarily the grounds of structured processes and accountability. The quantitative and qualitative data gathered from the AIM climate survey and school self-assessment can convert thoughts, ideas and assumed best practices into benchmarked numbers for concrete goal setting. The results NSA receives from the AIM study will help shine a light on topics that include:

• our success in meeting existing diversity and multicultural programs and initiatives;
• our current level of inclusivity as perceived by multiple constituencies;
• our areas of need, whether in curriculum, infrastructure, governance or services; and
• patterns, multiple perspectives and opportunities for improvement that are revealed from discovery committee group conversations. 

We will be inviting all current faculty, staff, administrators, parents, trustees, students in grades 4 - 12 and alumni, who have graduated since 2016, to participate in the AIM climate survey. As recommended by NAIS, only the most recent alumni are invited to participate in the survey,   because the survey and self-assessment are designed to evaluate how individuals experience our school as it is today. Our focus is on improving how individuals will experience the school in the future and moving forward with our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.

This anonymous survey is supposed to take approximately 15 to 20 minutes to complete. Students in grades 4-5 will receive a “younger student climate survey,” which is shorter and designed specifically for younger children. All data will be collected by NAIS, and NAIS will gather and submit the results to NSA in a final report. All who participate in the AIM climate survey are assured that their responses will be held in strict confidence. The raw survey data (individual records) will not be provided to NSA for that reason. NSA intends to launch the survey beginning on February 16, 2021.

Your participation in this survey is greatly appreciated and will assist NSA leadership with our diversity, equity and inclusion efforts as well as with future strategic planning initiatives. While we encourage participation, parents may opt-out of their student’s participation in this survey if they choose. If you do not wish for your student to participate, please contact the office manager in your student’s division prior to the launch of the survey on February 16, 2021. The survey will remain open until March 12, 2021.

• Lower School, Main Campus: Kimberly Brinkley, kbrinkley@nsacademy.org or ext. 3323
• Middle School: Wendy Blausey ’89, wblausey@nsacademy.org or ext. 3351
• Upper School: Pauline Warren, pwarren@nsacademy.org or ext. 3301

For clarification when completing the survey, we have included the various constituent categories/definitions below for participants. When completing the survey, participants should select the first applicable constituent category and answer the survey based on that category. Later in the survey, participants will also have the opportunity to indicate all applicable constituent groups. If you have questions about your specific constituent category, please contact Amy Morrell, executive administrator for the Office of the Head of School, at amorrell@nsacademy.org for further guidance prior to taking the survey. 

Constituent Category Definitions (select the first applicable constituent category):

• Students: A child currently attending NSA in grades 4-12.
• Trustees: An individual currently serving on NSA’s board of trustees.
• Administrators: An individual serving in a supervisory and/or leadership role, rarely if ever directly teaching students. Examples: head of school, division or department director, dean of faculty, chief financial officer, communications director, technology director, guidance and college counselors, assistant directors of athletics and advancement.
• Faculty/Teacher: An individual who spends the majority of their time teaching students. Examples: teacher, teaching assistant, substitute teacher, STEM and CAE staff, library/media specialists.
• Staff: An NSA employee who is not a member of the faculty or administration. Example: admissions/advancement/business office staff, division office managers, nurses, registrar, transportation director and bus drivers, extended care staff, housekeeping staff, FLIK staff, groundskeeping and maintenance staff.
• Parent/Guardian: The mother, father, legal guardian and/or primary caretaker of an NSA student.
• Alumni: An individual who has graduated from NSA in the Class of 2016 or later.

Thank you in advance for your participation and for your valuable feedback. We look forward to sharing more information on how we will utilize the climate survey and school self-assessment data to advance our diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. If you have any questions about this survey and self-assessment, please feel free to contact me at drussell@nsacademy.org. 

With gratitude,

Debbie Russell
Head of School

Dear NSA Students, Families, Alumni, Faculty and Staff, 

As a result of a heartfelt letter we recently received that was signed by alumni and others in the community, we have been actively listening and engaging in conversations with alumni, parents, faculty, staff, students as well as current and past trustees regarding diversity, equity and inclusion. I want to sincerely thank everyone who has shared insights, thoughts and suggestions with the goal of making Nansemond-Suffolk Academy a leader, not only in secondary education but also ensuring that we continue working to build and maintain a warm, safe environment where all students feel valued, appreciated and challenged.

All across America, independent and public schools, including NSA, are being challenged to move beyond their historical boundaries to ensure an atmosphere of justice and inclusion that is free of any form of racism or discrimination. While we cannot ignore our history, the NSA of today and tomorrow will be decidedly different than that of yesteryear.

Although we have made progress toward diversity, equity and inclusion, we realized that we have not communicated some of this progress with our community. In the last 10 years, our students of color have nearly doubled, increasing to 23% (or 206 students), with 24% of the Class of 2020 being students of color. During the same time period, the percent of faculty members of color has also increased from 2% to 8%, and our Trustees of color have also increased from 7% to 17%. While we have made progress, we realize there is still much work to be done to further attract students, faculty and trustees of color and to make them feel welcomed, valued and supported.  

In order to develop a plan of action versus simply words, the Board of Trustees has established a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee, led by Trustee Dr. Dimi Barot ’93. In addition, the school has appointed Mrs. Serena Bush as the director of diversity, equity and inclusion. Along with her new responsibilities, Mrs. Bush will continue to serve as the head of lower school at the Harbour View Campus with additional support from faculty members. Furthermore, NSA is exploring partnerships with various resources to develop a process that will continue to lead to meaningful dialogue, engagement and action, including assessing our curriculum through the lens of diversity, equity and inclusion as well as providing training for our students and professional development for the faculty and staff. As we move forward with our work, we will communicate our progress to the NSA community.

This is an institutional priority for NSA that will be measured in years, not weeks, and we must be prepared to engage in critical and courageous conversations to move forward in a positive manner for justice and human dignity for all.

With deepest respect,

Debbie Russell
Head of School
and the NSA Board of Trustees

Dear NSA Alumni,

Last week, I wrote an email to our NSA parents, students, faculty and staff expressing our heartfelt concern over the death of George Floyd, the injustice he experienced and the lack of progress our society has made as it relates to social justice and equality for all. In that letter, we shared that NSA would resolve to further our commitment to improve our school, our community and our world through further education and action so every individual, regardless of the color of their skin or differences, feels safe, respected, valued and connected to those around them. 

During this time, we have remained connected to students, parents, trustees, alumni, faculty and staff to understand their unique perspectives as we work together to continue to move forward. For an update on our progress and an opportunity to join the conversation as well as to offer additional insights as to how we can best advance this critical work, please join us for the next virtual meeting of our Equity and Inclusion Committee at one of the times below: 

• Monday, June 15, 2020, 12:00 p.m.

• Monday, June 15, 2020, 5:00 p.m.

If you are not able to join the conversation during the times above and would like to share your thoughts, please email Maggie Prince, director of admissions and chair of the Equity and Inclusion Committee, at mprince@nsacademy.org. Thank you in advance for your insight and involvement. It is important that we open the dialogue, have conversations and listen in order to move forward in a positive manner for justice and human dignity for all.

All my best,

Debbie Russell
Head of School

Dear NSA Families,

One only has to watch the news or what is happening in communities locally and nationwide to realize that people across the country and in our NSA community,  particularly our African American families, are hurting, anxious, afraid and saddened by the recent events. The death of George Floyd and the injustice he experienced have reminded us of what little progress our society has made as it relates to social justice and equality for all.

While we strive at NSA to build a community in which our commitment to equity and inclusion for all individuals is evidenced not only by our core values, but also by our everyday actions and our interactions with one another, we realize there is more work to be done. And while we cannot ignore our history or mistakes we may have made in the past, it is important that we look forward together. At NSA, we resolve to further our commitment to improve our school, our community and our world through further education and action so every individual, regardless of the color of their skin or differences, feels safe, respected, valued and connected to those around them. 

As educators, we are here to support all families who are struggling with how to engage in conversations, particularly with our children, around race, tolerance, prejudice and the recent events. It is important that we open the dialogue, have conversations and listen in order to move forward in a positive manner for justice and human dignity for all. Below you will find a list of resources to promote conversations at home and within our communities. Our counselors are also listed below and are available to support our students and families.

• Explaining the News to Our Kids
• Understanding Race and Privilege (National Association of School Psychologists) 
• Talking to Children After Racial Incidents (Penn GSE)
• “George Floyd. Ahmaud Arbery. Breonna Taylor. What do we tell our children?” (USA Today) 
• Beyond the Golden Rule: A Parent’s Guide to Preventing and Responding to Prejudice (Teaching Tolerance) 
• Carol Johnson, Lower School Counselor, cjohnson@nsacademy.org
• Tracy Grady, Middle School Counselor, tgrady@nsacademy.org
• Pannill Titus, Director of Student Support Services and Upper School Counselor, ptitus@nsacademy.org

If we can assist in any way, please do not hesitate to let us know.

All my best,

Debbie Russell
Head of School