Strategies for Recruiting and Retaining Teachers of Color in Independent Schools

Ara Brown has worked for over 20 years at the middle school, high school, and collegiate levels. He started his career in 2000 as the Program Coordinator at the Klingenstein Center at Teachers College, Columbia University. He then moved into independent schools and served in many positions including Director of Student Activities, Diversity Director, Associate Director of Admissions, Dean of Students, Head of Middle School, Head of Upper School, and Assistant Head of School. His career has brought him to boarding and day schools in western Massachusetts, southeast Michigan, southern California, and Washington D.C. where he helped found a K–12 private school. Ara has presented nationally on DEI issues, made a documentary on the experiences of people of color in independent schools, and has published articles on topics including pedagogy, recruitment practices, and pathways to headship for people of color. He served as a faculty member at the Kingswood-Oxford Leadership Institute for Educators of Color (KOLIEC) and the inaugural Building Opportunities for Leaders of Diversity (BOLD) Summit, both of which are dedicated to supporting educators of color advance their careers within independent schools. He also served as an editor for The Color of Excellence: Hiring and Keeping Teachers of Color in Independent Schools and as chair of the editorial board for Independent School magazine. Ara earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Sociology at Ursinus College, an M.A. in Organizational Psychology and an M.Ed. in Counseling Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

Orpheus has almost 35 years of experience working in and with independent schools across the country, and globally. His career has been devoted to helping independent schools work towards equity and inclusion, diversifying and training their personnel and boards, as well as cultivating and mentoring diverse educators for success and leadership. Orpheus’ experiences as a teacher, nonprofit administrator, trustee, parent of an independent school alumna, and as an entrepreneur give him a unique perspective on, and a deep understanding of, the needs of independent schools. He is presently serving on the Boys and Girls Clubs of San Francisco Board, and has served on six independent school boards, over thirty years. His network of teachers, administrators and school leaders is vast and relationships go deep. Orpheus has appeared on CNN, in the San Francisco Chronicle and on NPR for his work in attracting underrepresented groups to independent schools. He has a BA from UC Berkeley and “all but thesis” Master’s work in Nonprofit Administration from the University of San Francisco.