Supporting Diversity at Burke's

In 2008, Burke’s adopted the following diversity commitment:
 
To prepare all of our students for participation in an increasingly global community, Katherine Delmar Burke School is dedicated to building and sustaining a diverse and inclusive community with a strong and comprehensive multicultural curriculum. We value diversity as essential for educational excellence. We strive to create a community in which learning from and with others who bring different backgrounds and experiences to our campus, and building critical thinking skills by considering information from a variety of perspectives, are the cornerstones for academic success. We emphasize the value of both similarities and differences as central for helping our girls grow beyond their natural tendencies toward conformity, underscoring our conviction that there are “400 ways to be a Burke’s Girl.”
 
 
This commitment reflects the recognition that participating in a diverse and inclusive school community is critical to preparing students for the realities of the diverse and ever-changing world. Diversity not only expands worldliness, enhances students’ knowledge base, and enriches their education through exposure to multiple perspectives, but it also promotes creative problem solving and enhances self-awareness.
 
As part of Burke’s 2014 Strategic Plan, the School made a commitment to “create a diversity task force to research and develop a three-pronged approach of recruitment, enrollment, and inclusion to ensure that the school continues to reflect the rich diversity of the Bay area in the student body, faculty and staff.” On April 23, 2015, Burke’s Diversity Task Force (DTF) convened for its first meeting. There were numerous directions that the Task Force could go, but in an effort to stay focused and attend to some immediate needs, the DTF chose three areas to address: transportation, gender inclusion, and tuition models. Through months of research, collaboration, and conscientious conversation, the Task Force recently delivered its preliminary recommendations to the Board of Trustees and will be continuing to work with a board committee over the next year to refine the recommendations and turn them into action. Burke’s families can expect to hear about new initiatives in the 2016-2017 school year.
 
We want to thank the members of the DTF for their diligent, critical and compassionate effort to help Burke’s fulfill its commitment to diversity and inclusivity. This team worked incredibly hard this year, dedicating significant time and energy and many have agreed to continue their involvement with the Task Force in the 2016-2017 school year.  Thank you to all!
 
 
Burke’s Diversity Task Force Members| 2015-2016

•       Sheika Luc (Chair): Director of Admissions
•       Alison Park (Consultant): Founder of Blink Consulting
•       Meeta Arcuri: Parent, 8th Grade
•       Ambi Bowo: Trustee; Parent, 1st, 6th, and 7th Grades
•       Nayo Brooks: Faculty, 4th Grade
•       Chris Chang: Business Office Associate
•       Dana Goldberg '90: Former Trustee and Alumna
•       Seneca Gupta: Faculty, 1st Grade
•       Emily Khan: Learning Specialist, K-2
•       Rondall Lane: Parent, 7th Grade
•       Vyji Mankani: Parent, 6th & 8th Grades
•       Howard McCoy: Director of Community Building and Inclusion
•       Jennifer McClanahan-Flint: Parent, 3rd Grade
•       Maxine Moerman: Parent, 1st Grade
•       Jennifer Riedy: Parent, 3rd Grade
•       Lisa Spengler: Assistant Director of the Upper School for Student Life and Leadership; High School Counselor
•       Michele Williams: Head of School
 
Diversity Task Force Support Members | 2015-2016
 
•       Ambi Bowo (lead): Trustee; Parent, 1st, 6th, and 7th Grades
•       Michele Bell: Parents’ Association President; Parent, 3rd Grade
•       Anna Banks '83: Trustee and Alumna
•       Sheika Luc: Director of Admissions
•       Nancy Mayeda P'83: Trustee; Past Parent
•       Howard McCoy: Director of Community Building and Inclusion 
Back
Burke's mission is to educate, encourage and empower girls. Our school combines academic excellence with an appreciation for childhood so that students thrive as learners, develop a strong sense of self, contribute to community, and fulfill their potential, now and throughout life.
Burke's admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.