Our Community: A Commitment to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

Our Commitment

The Museum School is committed to the creation and sustainability of a community in which all members feel they belong, are respected and valued. We are striving to cultivate a community in which diversity in all of its forms is embraced, appreciated and celebrated. We believe that this is the best way forward to ensure that we are living up to our mission, our core values, and providing the most equitable environment that will educate and serve the whole child, our parents, staff and community members.

“The Museum School’s mission and core values are around real-world success and cooperation, responsibility, respect and kindness,” said Executive Director Katherine Kelbaugh. “We feel responsible as adults to identify areas where we don’t feel there is equity within the school and to address it.”

Protect Students First Act
Please complete this form if you believe The Museum School has violated the Protect Students First Act.
Learn more about The Museum School’s Policy on HB 1084 – PROTECT STUDENTS FIRST ACT.

Strategic Goals

The Museum School’s charter includes three organizational goals and over 20 strategic actions specific to diversity.
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View the full strategic action plan for increased diversity at The Museum School

Increasing Student Diversity

We are committed to having a student body that is reflective of the communities we serve. The Museum School has implemented three weighted lotteries, contributing to the school’s increase of free/reduced lunch eligibility from 16% to 30%. LEARN MORE

Recruiting and Sustaining Diversity on the Board of Directors

We are committed to having a Board of Directors that reflects the community in policy and practice. All Museum School Board Members participate in annual diversity training. LEARN MORE

Increasing Faculty/Staff Diversity

We are committed to recruiting educators and faculty members who are reflective of our school community. 100% of Museum School staff members participate in equity and diversity training throughout each school year. LEARN MORE

Our TMS Community

Current Progress

To learn more about the specific progress we’re making as a school, please click one of the boxes below

Measuring Progress

TMS has three core goals built into its current charter to increase diversity within the student population, staff and Governing Board. To accomplish these goals, TMS has outlined 28 strategic actions that range from pursuing partnerships with various community groups to analyzing student recruitment efforts. The Diversity Committee has developed a tracker to ensure that TMS is measuring this progress and provides an update twice yearly to the Board. Click here to view the latest update to the tracker (October 2021).

TMS partnered with the Georgia Conservancy on an analysis of student recruitment and enrollment. Under a confidential agreement, TMS provided address information that was used along with U.S. Census Bureau data to conduct the analysis, which identified clusters of interested applicants outside of the school’s primary attendance zone. This information is being used to help inform and target our student recruitment efforts and identify opportunities for future growth. Click here to view the report.

Organizations We Engage in this Work

MEMBER: Diverse Charter Schools Coalition

Museum School is honored and grateful to be a member of the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition. After an intense application process, The Museum School was invited to join the Diverse Charter Schools Coalition in May 2020. With only 57 members nationwide (and just 2 members in the state of Georgia), the coalition is dedicated to creating excellent, inclusive, and equitable schools for all children. Check out more about the Coalition at diversecharters.org!

2020 AMLE Presentation

Museum School staff members presented at the Association of Middle Level Educators’ National Conference in October 2020 to share our EDI journey. We have lots more to learn and many more areas in which to grow but we are so proud of the work we’ve accomplished so far! To view our presentation detailing our progress with this work, please click here.