The Dalton School

The school will also "Implement a mandatory parent orientation that is aligned with our mission, our values, and our commitment to anti-racism." The school said, "Dalton families make Dalton. Becoming anti-racist requires that our families are steeped in our values and understand their responsibility for creating an inclusive environment for our students. Educating and empowering our parents is key to enhancing Dalton’s culture."

Parents accuse the school of having "an obsessive focus on race and identity" in every class, according to City Journal. City Journal also reports, "The consultancy’s 'racial literacy' curriculum, the letter claimed, 'has already permeated Dalton classes from social studies to science' and contributed to 'some of the worst abuses this year.'"

The school will "Revise course content to be relevant and inclusive of a full range of experiences including those of people of color." The school stated, "While it is easy to teach what we have always taught, it does not serve our students today. We must evolve our curriculum to center the voices, experiences, and perspectives of those often left out. In every academic subject and discipline there are multiple ways to be inclusive and achieve diverse representation."

The school will also "Establish a clear system for reporting incidents of bias, discrimination, or racism." The school stated, "The Dalton community must have an immediate and accessible way to share their experiences. Becoming anti-racist necessitates accounting for and responding systematically to experiences of bias, discrimination, and racism."

Faculty and Staff met for a "Spring Affinity/Identity/Accountability Session" to "enable faculty and staff to engage in community conversation and action, as well as receive one-on-one support from colleagues and peers. The development of cultural competency for all faculty and staff helps propel our commitment to becoming an anti-racist community. It also reaffirms our commitment to creating a school where equity and inclusion for all community members is paramount."

As a member school of the Association of College Counselors in Independent Schools, the school posted a job listing for a "Director of College Counseling," which requires candidates to have "the skills and knowledge to advance and integrate Dalton’s ongoing work in the area of DEI."

The school has a resources page, which contains links to the anti-racism goals and library resources.

The school recommended "Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You" for summer reading.

The school had a "five part training seminar...to equip parents with the tools and language to navigate conversations around race, diversity, equity, and inclusion; to help parents connect with their children on this topic, and to learn how to integrate and reinforce the values taught at Dalton through meaningful dialogue at home."

The school hosted a "What is Racial Identity Development" Parent Workshop to "share some information about racial identity development and offer Dalton parents an opportunity to engage one another about the topic while building community."

The school hosted a Parent Workshop "How to (Further) Engage Our Children in Conversations About Race and Racism: Connecting the Classroom to Home" to "inform parents of Pollyanna's K-8 Racial Literacy Curriculum, help parents understand why racial literacy is important, and how it can be infused into the classroom through the use of the Racial Literacy Curriculum."

The school hosted a "How Do I Talk About _____?" Parent Workshop to "provide a basic understanding of the ladder of inference to help set and manage compassionate conversations with your child about identity and difference."

The school hosted a "Unconscious Bias...Starts at Home" Parent Workshop to learn "about how their choices impact their child's identity, perception of others, and development of unconscious biases."

The school posted "electronic resources compiled by MS and HS librarians to help understand and process recent events."

A keynote speaker at the school's diversity and inclusion conference in May 2021 "likened some parents to 'white supremacists,' and compared private schools to Capitol police officers who let rioters storm the gates," the Daily Beast reported.

On August 27, 2020, Dalton announced on Facebook, “This week, new Dalton Faculty & Staff joined other NYC peer schools at Beyond Diversity, a two-day seminar that explores race and racism candidly while dismantling learning practices that negatively affect Black students and students of color. ⁣As the nation continues to speak out against police violence against Black people and social injustices, it's vital that how we teach addresses the specific needs and experiences of our community to affect lasting change.” This post was also featured on its Instagram and Twitter accounts.

On August 25, 2020, Dalton announced on Facebook, “We invite alumni to hear from current students and the Dalton Administration about initiatives and plans to help Dalton become an anti-racist institution at these upcoming Alumni Information Update Sessions.⁣” This post was also featured on its Instagram and Twitter accounts.

On August 9, 2020, Dalton tweeted, “Last week, courageous Dalton students and alumni began sharing their experiences with racism on the Instagram accounts @blackatdalton and @dalton_anonymous.”

On July 21, 2020, Dalton announced on Facebook, “Dalton's Offices of Alumni and Advancement; Community and Global Partnerships; and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion invite BIPOC Alumni to an Alumni Forum this Thursday for a space to share experiences with race and racism at Dalton and grow as a community.” This post was also featured on its Instagram and Twitter accounts.

On July 16, 2020, Dalton posted insights from Dalton’s Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on Instagram.

On July 14, 2020, Dalton posted on Instagram that its Summer Explorations program will involve “reading Ibram X. Kendi,” the author of “How to Be an Anti-Racist.”

On June 26, 2020, Dalton posted “next steps to address systemic racism and advance DEI work” on Facebook. This post was also featured on its Instagram account.

On June 19, 2020, Dalton announced on Facebook,“We take our community’s criticisms and suggestions seriously and are committed to making ongoing, lasting changes to ensure that Dalton is a safe and equitable place for our Black students and students of color,” and that Dalton would release further action steps soon. This post was also featured on its Instagram account.

On June 17, 2020, Dalton announced on Facebook, “After devoting the last three days of the school year to workshops and affinity spaces for faculty, staff, and students to speak safely and explore experiences with race, we’re now dedicating two weeks to faculty & staff professional development; during this time we’ll continue to develop anti-racist curriculum.⁣” This post was also featured on its Instagram account.

On June 7, 2020, Dalton announced on Facebook, “Calling on Dalton to be an anti-racist institution is about far more than race. It's about advocating for justice, equality, and freedom. It's about understanding and changing unjust systems—economic, environmental, social—that disproportionately affect communities of color. It's about working toward and enacting new social structures, new ways of operating as a school, a community, a city, a country.” This post was also featured on its Instagram account.

On June 6, 2020, Dalton sent a letter on Facebook saying, “We recognize and stand together with individuals, communities, and organizations who are actively addressing the deep, systemic inequalities in our city and our nation. We commit to being a visibly, vocally, structurally anti-racist institution.” This post was also featured on its Instagram account.

The school announced that it will be launching a Racial Equity Working Group, Listening Sessions, Faculty Work: Curriculum & Personal Development, and a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Plan.

The school announced, "In addition to the school’s stated commitment to anti-racism, each academic department and High School House has been working on its own anti-racism statements. These statements are intended to provide specified accountability to each group as they center anti-racism in their respective area of the school. The departments have developed their pedagogical and curricular goals, and the HS Houses have discussed what it means to be anti-racist and how each individual will contribute to creating an anti-racist community within their House."