For two days, over 80 administrators from independent schools across the United States visited Parker, many for the first time, to participate in the Administrators of Color in Independent Schools conference, organized and held for a second year by Parker administrators and staff.

The Administrators of Color in Independent Schools (ACIS) conference was held for the first time last year. According to its website, the conference is meant for “senior administrators of color in independent schools,” and provides opportunities for “connection, mentoring and sharing.” This year, the two-day ACIS conference began the night of October 25, with participants hearing from keynote speaker Dr. Anthony A. Jack, Harvard Assistant Professor of Education, before getting to know each other at a dinner hosted in the Kovler Library. 

The second day of the conference included keynote speeches from author and sociologist Dr. Eve L. Ewing and author Anand Giridharadas, both of whom appeared on “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.” Attendees also participated in workshops both in Parker and across the street at the Parker Development Office, one of which was facilitated by Parker counselor Binita Donahue and Upper School English teacher Stacey Gibson. Participants also had a chance to network and meet other administrators during a luncheon hosted in the school. 

First held in 2018, the Administrators of Color in Independent Schools conference was the brainchild of Head of the Upper School Justin Brandon and Assistant Principal Ruth Jurgensen. They began thinking about the need for a conference directed at administrators of color in independent schools after Jurgensen attended a leadership and education conference in Pennsylvania and noted its lack of diversity.

“Coming back, I said to Dan [Frank], ‘I’m not going to any more conferences, because of those very reasons,’ and he said, ‘Well, that’s fine. You don’t have to go to any conferences. Why don’t you do something about it?’,” Jurgensen said.

Brandon and Jurgensen discussed both the possibility of a conference geared towards administrators of color, as well as their shared experience of being administrators of color. “When Ms. Jurgensen returned, we kind of debriefed that experience, and we shared that kind of common story of as an administrator of color, there are very few –– we are very few and far between,” said Brandon. According to the National Association of Independent Schools, only about 8% of administrators in independent schools are people of color.

So Jurgensen and Brandon, with the support of a few others, began to brainstorm ideas for a possible conference for administrators of color to connect and share experiences, ideas, and knowledge as members of a small community and minority. 

“This work as an administrator, regardless of who you are, what you are, can be isolating and lonely at times, because of the kind of work that we have to do,” Brandon said. “And then when you add your, in this sense, racial-ethnic identity to this work, it’s even more so from my experiences kind of being part of that 8%. So it’s great to see other people that are doing the same kind of work.”

The conference has grown in size from last year when it was first held — attendance nearly doubled, with almost 90 attendees and representation from 23 states and the Virgin Islands. Brandon credits this growth to a few factors. “I think we had a little bit of an educational celebrity factor — two of the three keynote speakers were actually on The Daily Show,” Brandon said. “So that notoriety always helps.” In addition, the conference is now sponsored by an educational search firm, which Brandon says has boosted the conference’s credibility and made possible attendees more willing to attend.

Within the conference, Brandon and Jurgensen both work towards making the conference a better and more valuable experience for all attendees. Jurgensen does the majority of outreach for the conference, which includes finding keynote speakers, contacting administrators of color, and brainstorming possible workshops for attendees. “We want to make sure that it’s worth the time to travel to be away from your schools, and that it allows for affinity and community, and mentoring opportunities and connection,” Jurgensen said.

One attendee, Eric Jones, Head of School at an independent Pre-K through Fifth Grade school in Philadelphia and a personal friend of Brandon, has attended the conference the past two years. Jones said that he found last year’s conference to be a worthwhile and valuable experience and returned for this year’s.

When Brandon first shared the idea of a conference specifically for administrators of color in independent schools with Jones, Jones found the idea compelling, as he was unaware of any such conference. “I don’t think that there is, that I’m aware of, a gathering set aside specifically to address administrators and independent schools around the country who are people of color, and to talk about what the experience is like,” said Jones. “There aren’t a lot of us, frankly, not just in a Head of School role, but in lead administrative roles in independent schools around the country.”

Jones felt that this year’s conference was a beneficial experience, giving him both practical knowledge to take back to his school, as well as emotional knowledge and support from other administrators. “When the conference was done, I felt like I was walking on cloud nine,” said Jones. “It was such an uplifting experience to connect with ideas that are really meaningful for me … and to connect to do that with a network of people who have a shared experience.”

For Jurgensen, this connection is one of the most important goals of the conference — building a sense of community between administrators of color in independent schools all around the United States. “The connection is everything — connecting with colleagues from around the country, people I haven’t met,” Jurgensen said. Jurgensen says that the conference is not only a valuable experience for its attendees, but for her as well, as the conference gives many opportunities for learning and connection.

Discussions have begun between Jurgensen and Brandon on what the third Administrators of Color in Independent Schools conference might look like. “We’re already brainstorming ideas for speakers and different panel or workshop presentations for next year,” Brandon said. “There seems to be some success and a sense of affinity this conference has generated that has created a very strong reputation for the conference.” Brandon hopes that this reputation will help the growth of the conference in the future.

Parker has the opportunity to host such a conference is due in part to, according to Jurgensen, the fact that Parker has an unusual number of administrators of color, deviating from the national average. “The school can do it because we have many administrators of color. That makes a huge difference,” Jurgensen said. “And we have the support of the head and the board chair. We’re lucky to be able to host it.”

Jones also appreciates that Parker is willing to host such a conference and says it is a willingness that is not mirrored everywhere. “I do appreciate that Francis Parker is hosting this—a school, not a regional or national association. It speaks, I think, to values that are worth celebrating about Francis Parker, so kudos to the school for doing this.”