Our experience at Notre Dame Academy was deeply painful and rooted in racism and bias. From the…read morevery beginning, exactly our third month at the school, we received warnings from former parents about the school's issues with racism. Sadly, those warnings proved to be true. My daughter, who was in second grade, experienced repeated instances of discrimination--not just from peers, but from teachers and the administration.
In Kindergarten, she was told by another child that her "skin was not good" and was excluded from playing with other girls because of her skin color. In 2nd grade, she developed anxiety around lunchtime and was yelled at by her teacher in the cafeteria instead of being supported. When I emailed the teacher to explain her anxiety and ask for patience, I received a dismissive response claiming that my daughter's "behaviors are becoming intentional." Despite never having a history of behavioral issues, her anxiety was labeled as intentional misbehavior--something I firmly believe would not have happened if my daughter were white. A white child would have simply "had anxiety." My daughter was criminalized for hers. Our pediatrician even wrote a letter urging the school to support her with more understanding. Still, no empathy was shown.
After I addressed her anxiety and asked to be updated with any further issues during our teacher conference and offered support--as both a parent and an education professional--I was met with defensiveness. During our Zoom teacher conference, I professionally and calmly provided suggestions on how to create a more inclusive environment for all students. I was a former instructional coach and thought it would have been helpful for the teacher if I shared some strategies. Rather than take this in good faith, the teacher immediately made herself the victim--a pattern we've seen throughout Black history, where people of color advocating for themselves are painted as threats.
The teacher then went to the principal, Julie Derucki, cried, and claimed she felt "attacked." The principal sent an email to me requesting a meeting and expressed her concern that her teacher "felt attacked" by me in our conference. That word--"attacked"--is heavy, loaded, and racially coded, especially when used to describe a person of color. It was incredibly offensive and dehumanizing. I raised my concerns about this language, how it was offensive, and the dangerous implications it carries, but I received no apology or acknowledgment. I requested a meeting with the teacher and principal to understand how the teacher "felt attacked" in our Zoom call. Instead, I was asked if I needed help "finding another school."
The remaining few weeks of the school year became unbearable and extremely uncomfortable. The principal greeted us with sarcastic tones, rolled her eyes at me during mass when I asked where to sit, and the teacher who once greeted every car at pickup pointedly ignored ours. What little support was offered for my daughter's mental health turned out to be performative and disorganized, with no follow-through. Before departing the school, I did speak to a board member and the president of the school to express my concerns with racism. The president was very aware of this ongoing issue at the school that has caused a turnover of both staff and families throughout the years.
In my opinion, Notre Dame Academy is not a safe or supportive environment for students of color. The school is not inclusive (although it is promoted on the website), does not put all students first, and does not hold its staff accountable when clear bias and harm are at play. If I could give zero stars, I would. I share this review in hopes that no other child or family experiences what we did, especially those of color.