Women and girls in the RE community

Yesterday I spoke to upper school students in morning assembly about the remarkable Alice Carter Ransom, who helped build our school and document its history after the death of her husband and our founder, Paul Ransom, in 1907. Paul Ransom died not quite five years after the founding of the Adirondack-Florida School, yet Alice remained at the helm until 1930. Much of what we read about the early days of Ransom Everglades is about a headmaster and his school: his idealism, his love of the outdoors, his belief in self-reliance, academic excellence, and his categorical devotion to educating the whole child. What we don't read a lot about is Mrs. Ransom's life of unselfish purpose and her absolute loyalty to her husband's dreams – which became her dreams upon his death.
During that talk, which coincided with the first day of Women’s History Month, I was joined by Head of the Upper School Patricia C.A. Sasser, Chief Technology Officer Linda Lawrence and Student Government Association President Georgia Crosby ’21 – three notable female leaders at our school.

I formulated my talk Sunday as I walked the newly unveiled and beautiful Underline on Brickell Avenue. The magnificent construction – created for all Miami to enjoy – is a testament to the dedication of a team of individuals, many with ties to Ransom Everglades. At the center of the effort has been RE alumna Meg Daly ’78, who conceived of this project and shepherded it for years. She clearly inhabits that third class of people to which Paul Ransom insisted we all belong and which Alice Ransom carried forth as the school continued on without her husband.

As we begin a month of celebrating great women in U.S. history, we will also celebrate those in our school’s history. And we are not forgetting the girls and women on our campuses today. At the end of my remarks yesterday, I took a bit of a verbal detour to address a topic I know has been on the minds of many members of our community, especially our students, for several weeks. Yesterday was our first day on campus with the students since I received a petition signed by some 200 students and alumni on the topics of sexual harassment, assault and discrimination. 

I shared with our upper school students that we have been hard at work on these issues. I hope that I assured them that, while we cannot respond to anonymous posts on social media, we do welcome their input on the matters laid out in the petition. Last Friday, I met virtually with 10 seniors, including Georgia. They addressed a number of issues on their minds related to sex education, consent and sexual misconduct. I listened, took notes, and we will meet again. 

This Friday, our advisors will review with their advisees our Student Handbook, focusing particularly on sections related to sexual discrimination, harassment and assault. Our handbook has been reworked to ensure that we have age-appropriate language for middle schoolers and that the channels through which to report issues of harassment and discrimination are clear. We also met twice as a faculty last week to discuss our responsibilities as adults to ensure the safety of all our students. We are making plans for Shafia Zaloom, the author of Sex, Teens, and Everything in Between, to work with our seniors this spring before they head off to college. Dr. Deborah Offner, whom many of you met virtually on a virtual gathering earlier in the year, will be joining our staff as a consulting psychologist.

As a school we have been reviewing all our policies and procedures since last summer, when our board of trustees created a diversity, equity and inclusion committee and an anti-racism task force. We know that ensuring the health and safety of our students is not something we can say we did yesterday. Our approaches and policies must be constantly evolving. 

I finished my remarks yesterday by letting our upper school students know how much I appreciate their concern for their school and their classmates. It is my hope that they will join me and their teachers to make our school a better, stronger and more inclusive community where all members are seen, heard and valued.
 
Penny Townsend
Head of School
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Middle School

2045 South Bayshore Drive, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 250 6850

Upper School

3575 Main Highway, Coconut Grove, FL 33133
Phone: 305 460 8800
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.