Race as the Starting Place: Equity Directors Addressing Gender and Sexual Diversity in K–12 Districts

• In Event: Schools Working to Support Gender and Sexual Diversities

Abstract

This project develops a deeper understanding of the roles that Equity Directors play in K-12 school districts. An Equity Director is defined as anyone employed by a K-12 public school district who is primarily responsible for leading district-wide initiatives on equity and diversity-related topics. The themes that emerged as important across the study that we focus on in this paper through an intersectional lens are: district climate, professional development, gender and sexual diversity, and challenges. This study focused on states that have explicit legal protections for sexual orientation and gender expression in k-12 schools to also learn if and how Equity Directors incorporate educational efforts about gender and sexual diversity in their work.

Authors

• Liz Meyer, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Mary Quantz, University of Colorado - Boulder

• Page Valentine Regan, University of Colorado - Boulder