JEDI - University School of Milwaukee

While USM has a PK-12 Director of Equity and Student Success, Dr. Gina Haughton, our work in justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion (JEDI) is a shared responsibility by everyone in our community. We believe cultural competency is a requirement for every administrator, faculty, and staff member, and our JEDI work is reflected throughout our USM guiding principles.

University School of Milwaukee believes that, in order to develop students as learners, leaders, and citizens, we must foster an equitable and inclusive community for students, their families, and our administration, faculty, and staff. USM embraces diversity in all of these various forms, including race, ethnicity, national origin, socioeconomic status, religion, sexual orientation, ability, gender, and age.

Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion

USM Guiding Principles

To learn more about our guiding principles, please visit our mission and values page.

Community

A young boy smiles with his mom after having his face painted at a school carnival.

As a part of our JEDI work, building community and authentic relationships in our school community is imperative. Belonging is at the core. We intentionally create meaningful connections by engaging in strategic, targeted, and ongoing professional development. We also commit to the tenets of belonging through acclimation programming for new families through an annual new family carnival.

Inclusion

Preschool students smile for a photo while on a field trip to the beach.

Recognition of, and respect for, diverse backgrounds and experiences is fundamental to building a learning community where students learn to think broadly, critically, and independently. We strive to ensure that the uniqueness of every individual is welcomed and celebrated. We believe all members of this community should feel empowered as they live and work equitably together. The intention of JEDI is to create well-prepared students that will become leaders in our diverse world.

Students and Faculty

Dr. Gina Haughton gives a presentation on belonging.

Our faculty is committed to ongoing, targeted JEDI professional development. Our adult learning experiences will be applied in a developmentally appropriate manner to our practices in the classroom, which will help students become independent life-long learners, who are able to make personal and meaningful academic, social, and personal connections.

Curriculum and Instruction

A teacher wears a JEDI shirt during a pep rally.

It is our responsibility to teach students how to think critically, and this can be accomplished through our commitment to enriching our JEDI pedagogy and curriculum through both local and global connections in an effort to prepare and inspire students to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow. Social Emotional Learning (SEL) is incorporated to help develop empathy and real-world events into our school community.

For questions about JEDI work at USM, please contact Dr. Gina Haughton, director of equity and student success, at 414.540.3413 or ghaughton@usm.org.

"JEDI is all about belonging. Acknowledging and celebrating the fact that everyone brings their own lens and experiences to our school community only makes us a strong USM. Our students will become the global leaders of the future, and our commitment to preparing them for that work begins now."

Dr. Gina Haughton
Director of Equity and Student Success

Meet the JEDI Team

Brita Willis, Dr. Gina Haughton, Erica Melick, Joshua Miller

Dr. Gina Haughton

Dr. Gina Haughton is the director of equity and student success, in which she serves the school in a PK-12 role. In addition to supporting the classrooms, the role also allows her to support the many auxiliary departments including enrollment, alumni relations, athletics, parent groups, and more. She believes in fostering both community and a sense of belonging as she focuses on special programming in the areas of acclimation and retention. She believes whole-heartedly in serving others and building bridges so that all students are seen and valued.

Erica Melick

Erica Melick is a 1st grade teacher in the Lower School, where she focuses on making each child feel valued and able to express their authentic self. As the spouse of an alum, and a parent of two USM students, Melick enjoys cheering with other USM families at hockey and football games. She is a Lower School robotics coach and a member of the Lower School social studies committee. She has also served as a Middle School volleyball and lacrosse coach.

Joshua Miller

Joshua Miller is the technical director for the Performing Arts Department, where he serves as the designer for all theatrical productions. He is a teacher of both technical theatre and filmmaking. He also serves our students as a coach for varsity football, and an advisor in the Upper School. He lives by the motto "it's all about the kids" and that's what guides his daily practices.

Brita Willis

Brita Willis is a 3rd grade teacher in the Lower School, where she serves as a member of the Lower School literacy committee. Outside the classroom, Willis has coached both Lower School and Middle School robotics and is assistant varsity track and field coach in the Upper School. During her time at USM, Willis has shown great interest in social-emotional learning, service learning, and innovative teaching. The question that guides her overall experience at USM is, "what's best for kids?"