Teaching While Under Attack: Educators Face Off with an Anti-Queer Bill

• In Event: Challenging Heteronormativity in School and Society

Abstract

As the charter school where I am board president transitioned to new policies to align with Senate Bill 49, North Carolina’s version of the “Don’t Say Gay Bill,” I wanted to learn about educators’ awareness and understanding of the law and the extent to which the law and related policies were informing their practice (McQuillen, 2023; Mattheis et al 2022). I was also interested in knowing the possible impact that having an openly trans and queer board president had on their awareness, understanding, and practices. To do this, I used a queer activist leadership framework to guide my individual interviews and a focus group with 10 educators at the charter school where I am board president. A purpose of this presentation is to share these findings and to offer support and guidance for other educators who may find themselves in a similar position.

Author

• Dana M. Stachowiak, University of North Carolina Wilmington