Our Commitment
Our commitment to building a more inclusive international school community starts with us.
Search Associates serves a global community of educators and schools, and we believe that community is stronger when it reflects the full diversity of the world it serves.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are not an initiative at Search Associates. They are part of how we operate, how we hire, how we build relationships, and how we hold ourselves to a higher standard.
Bias and inequity have been persistent realities in the international school community. We know this because educators in our community have told us directly, through listening circles, through feedback, and through the experiences they have shared with us over the years. Those conversations changed us. They shaped the actions we have taken and continue to inform how we approach this work every day.
We cannot reshape an entire industry on our own, but we can take full responsibility for what falls within our scope. We can examine our own practices, change what needs to change, and set clear expectations for the community we serve.
Actions We Have Taken
Commitments mean very little without follow through. Here is what we have done:
Commissioned an Independent Audit
We commissioned a comprehensive audit of our policies, procedures, and recruitment practices, conducted by experienced DEI practitioners. The findings and recommendations from that audit continue to guide our work today.
Increased Transparency in School Practices
We have revised our school profiles to include information about each school’s DEI efforts, policies, and community, so that educators can make informed decisions about the environments they are choosing to join.
Formalized Our Commitment
We have developed and adopted a formal DEI Guiding Statement that shapes our organizational priorities and decision making.
Built an Inclusive and Diverse Team
We have intentionally built a team that reflects the global community we serve, with leadership and Associates who bring a range of cultural backgrounds, lived experiences, and perspectives from regions around the world.
Set DEI Standards for Membership
We have updated our school membership agreement to include expectations around diversity, equity, and inclusion as a guiding principle of partnership with Search Associates. We expect our member schools to share this commitment.
Established Safe Reporting
We have established a comprehensive safe reporting pathway that brings full transparency to how we handle concerns raised by members of our community. We have also developed a confidential reporting option for those who may not feel safe reporting directly, because creating space for honest feedback means removing the barriers that prevent it.
Improved Candidate Profiles
We have audited and updated our candidate profiles, removing language and requirements that could be discriminatory or exclusionary, because how we ask people to present themselves matters.
Invested in Ongoing Learning
We are engaged in ongoing DEI training across our organization, guided by DEI consultants and community partners, including professional development in intercultural competence and equitable hiring practices.
Working Together
No single organization can do this work alone, and we do not pretend otherwise. We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with other organizations, allies, and partners who are committed to equity and inclusion in international education. We believe that collective effort will always be more powerful than any one organization acting on its own, and we actively seek out those partnerships.
Our Accountability
We do not claim to have all the answers, but we show up for this work every day.
What we can promise is that we will continue to listen, learn, and take meaningful action. When we fall short, we will own it. When issues are brought to our attention, we will address them directly. We hold ourselves accountable not because it is expected, but because it is right.
If you have experienced or witnessed identity based harm within our community, we want to hear from you.