Supporting Transgender Workers in Pre-K–12 Schools: Lessons From Research and Practice

Session Type: Symposium

Abstract

Schools are often difficult spaces for people who transgress gender norms (Keenan, 2017; Meyer, Tilland-Stafford & Airton, 2016; Pascoe, 2007). We know that gay and lesbian teachers, in particular, can feel tremendous pressure to conform to normative gender expression and often face a range of negative consequences when they don’t, up to and including loss of employment (Connell, 2014; Kahn & Gorski, 2016; Quinn & Meiners, 2009). Yet, we know very little about the experiences of transgender people who work in PK-12 schools. Each paper in this session presents a rich analysis of a particular dimension of school life for trans school workers. Together, they offer a comprehensive portrait of the characteristics and concerns of this group.

Sub Unit

• Division A - Administration / Division A - Section 1: Leadership

Chair

• Harper B. Keenan, University of British Columbia

Papers

• What Works for Trans Workers? A Community-Driven Interview Study of Trans Workers in Pre-K–12 Schools - Harper B. Keenan, University of British Columbia; Lee Iskander, University of British Columbia

• A Snapshot of the 2020 Trans Workers in Schools Project: Descriptive Results - Mario I Suárez, Utah State University

• The Potential of Inclusive Policies, Practices, and Leaders: How Structural Supports Influence the Safety, Satisfaction, and Health of Trans Workers in Pre-K–12 Schools - Mollie McQuillan, University of Wisconsin - Madison

• Nonbinary Beginning Teachers: Gender, Power, and Professionalism in Teacher Education - Lee Iskander, University of British Columbia

Discussant

• Liz Meyer, University of Colorado - Boulder