FAQs
What do you mean by “inclusion?”
‣All students belong, are valued, and have access to all of our academic, athletic, and artistic opportunities
‣By ALL students, we mean ALL students - all races, all gender identities, all sexual orientations, all socioeconomic statuses, all disabilities and neurodivergence, and all neurotypical students, etc.
‣Expression, competence, and participation comes in many forms
‣We intend to remove barriers so that all students have meaningful access to athletic, academic, and artistic courses and activities for the love and joy of participation. We also value and encourage productive competition for all and teach our students and community how to develop their competitive potential while maintaining self-love, dignity, comradery, and humility.
‣We intend to remove barriers so that all students have meaningful access to athletic, academic, and artistic opportunities by providing them with individualized supports, training, accommodations, and modifications (including, but not limited to, Universal Design for Learning and differentiated instruction)
‣Students will develop resilience through their individualized paths of development
‣Students will see themselves in the curriculum and staff
‣No segregation or pull-out classes for students with or without disabilities
What do you mean by “fully inclusive sports?”
We intend to provide fully inclusive academics, arts, and sports to all students. To us this means that we will do everything we can to remove the barriers that are preventing a student from fully accessing and succeeding in academics, sports, and/or arts.
First, we observe and collaborate with the student and their family to identify their individual barriers and needs. Then, we provide supports, accommodations, and modifications to facilitate their engagement, participation, and success. For example, if a student can’t participate because they can’t afford a uniform, we do what we can to remove that financial barrier. If a student can’t fully participate because they have mental health struggles, we work with them to remove any stigma of their struggles, understand the neurological and physiological systems at play in an age-appropriate manner, and develop tools and practices that reduce the impact of their struggles on their lives. If a student has a disability, we work with them to remove any stigma of their disability and determine what supports, accommodations, or modifications we can implement to facilitate the student’s access to the sport or content. We always presume competency, and it is our job to stay curious and find creative ways to maximize the engagement and potential of all students. We also educate our community - students, staff, coaches, and our families - on the infinite spectrum of normal human development and diversity to ensure all students feel safe, accepted, and valued.
Is this a school for Black students? Black children have never received what they need in school. What sets Keyes apart?
This is a school for all students. Our purpose and values are based on principles of antiracism, inclusion, liberation, and freedom for all of our students. We value all of our students as well as their families and communities, and we encourage and facilitate collaboration and insights from our students and their families and communities. We are not convinced that any students have ever received what they truly need in school. Our curricula are designed to be student-led and student-driven. We are informed by leading BIPOC and Disabled academicians and educators. Our teachers and staff will mirror the cultures and communities represented in our students. We are aware of a lot of what does not work in schools for all students, and we draw a hard line against using any of those standards, methods, and gimmicks in our schools.
For example, BIPOC and Disabled students are particularly victimized by oppressive discipline systems that are rooted in white supremacy and power and control. These systems disregard the humanity, cultures, and innate value of our students. We refuse to continue that harm. Our school is founded on the liberation of each and every student.
For students who typically struggle with behavioral issues in other schools, we have many ways to remove that barrier in our school including, but not limited to, the following:
We will create authentic relationships with all of our students and understand what they deal with and have struggled with in the past
We will put the humanity and dignity of that student first and use an asset-based approach to collaboratively problem solve with the student (and their family/ community)
We will have curricula that are authentically relevant and engaging to our students and offer students meaningful choice based on their interests, talents, assets, and passions
We will take responsibility for making changes to content and teaching methods as many of the behavioral struggles occur when students do not find the content or methods engaging
We will help students understand their brains and behaviors and how they can disrupt habits and conditioning that has not worked for them in the classroom
We will utilize student-driven “elementals” to assist students in real-time to disrupt brain patterns that do not serve them (e.g., if Student A keeps interrupting class with comments that are not productive, the teacher might point to the student-developed list on the wall of activities - yoga, meditation, walking around the room, push-ups, sit-ups, etc - they can engage in to interrupt the conditioned brain pathway of impulsivity and reset their attention)