From Assimilation to Inclusion is a companion piece to two earlier diversity publications — The AISNE Guide to Hiring and Retaining Teachers of Color and Thriving in Independent Schools: A Guide for Educators of Color — produced by the Association of Independent Schools of New England (AISNE). The goal of this publication is to help independent schools gain greater clarity about their diversity goals and how they can best achieve these goals. The genesis of this project is the conviction that unless schools and individual educators address and work through the twinned issues of white identity and white privilege, our institutions will not be able to get beyond the assimilation model (“Outsiders are included, but only if they behave like insiders.”) and become truly inclusive.
As Michael Brosnan writes, “If we want real racial equality, we need to look at race honestly from all perspectives — including the perspective of whiteness. The fact that the conversation may be difficult for white educators, especially those considering the topic for the first time, should not discourage schools from pushing ahead with a sense of urgency.”
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