Maturing Our DEI Policies and Practices: Strengthening Belonging for Faculty and Staff

Breck is strengthening belonging for faculty and staff through research-backed practices, community input, and aligned systems that support adults across all divisions. Belonging grows when people feel seen, supported, and connected, and our work reflects that belief. We’ve responded to what research tells us about social and academic belonging by prioritizing the cultural awareness of teachers in the Breck Instructional Framework and by supporting faculty through the Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI). Our work with students - including affinity groups across all divisions - also pushes us to create similar structures for adults by evaluating our practices and building systems that help faculty and staff feel connected and supported.
Key full-time hires in the Melrose Center - Dr. Chéleah Googe, Jordan Zickermann, and Justin Toliver - have helped align LS, MS, and US around a shared restorative ethos focused on community building and restorative conversations. Their work strengthens the student experience while also centering equity and belonging in faculty professional development. The collaboration between the Melrose Center and the Peter Clark Center reflects our belief that teaching and belonging go hand in hand. Cultural awareness, embedded in the Breck Instructional Framework, is one driver helping to shape how faculty are coached, supported, and evaluated. The IDI, and the reflective conversations supporting it adds another shared tool for shared understanding and growing interculturally.
This work builds on years of community effort. In 2020, Breck partnered with Design Impact for a comprehensive DEI audit that elevated voices across the school and highlighted clear priorities. Those recommendations refined our commitments and helped clarify the path forward. One message came through clearly: while students benefited from structures like affinity groups, adults had fewer spaces for reflection and support. In 2025, the first faculty affinity group launched with about 15 participants. As one member shared, “Having a space where I can connect with colleagues around shared experiences has made me feel more seen and supported than ever before.” This early step shows Breck’s commitment to ensuring that adults have the same intentional opportunities for connection and growth that we create for students - all rooted in the Episcopal values that have guided the school for generations.
Looking ahead, this work will become even more integrated into the experience of all faculty and staff. The IDI will expand to the Upper School in 2026-27, completing implementation across all divisions. Cultural awareness will continue to guide professional learning, coaching, evaluation, and daily practice through the Breck Instructional Framework. Next steps include expanding affinity spaces for adults, uplifting the 2022 Position Statement on Pronouns and Gender Inclusion, and responding to themes emerging from YouthTruth data and community conversations about identity, income, and access. These efforts focus on strengthening systems so that commitments to equity and belonging are shared and lived across the entire school. Through Future Focus, Breck is building durable structures that support adult growth and model the inclusive, connected community where faculty and staff can thrive.