Back to School 2018 Checklist
This week, many of us are back in school. You’ve printed the schedules and planned the lessons. It may be an exciting time for you – full of new students, new school supplies, or new studies. For others of you, this time of year may be ridden with anxiety and questions – will you get along with your colleagues? Are you up to the tasks ahead of you? In order to get organized for the school year, I usually start with a massive to do list but just writing that list is not nearly as satisfying as checking off the individual items.
I’ve assembled a back to school checklist of a different kind to share with you today. This one has some suggestions for ways to combat gender inequities in schools and universities. If you have anything to add, feel free to leave us a comment.
Assist: Amplify opportunities for girls and women to get involved in STEM fields. You can do this without even spending a whole lot of time outside of the school or work day. You might encourage advisees or students in your classes to try STEM-related courses and clubs, serve as a club’s faculty advisor, host a hackathon or coding event, or invite women who work in STEM careers to speak to your classes. Consider partnering with other faculty in order to distribute administrative tasks. You can’t be what you can’t see so the goal is to provide women and girls with examples, role models, and visible representations of their potential.
Resist: Resist secrecy regarding job descriptions, informal service assignments, and salaries. Women are overwhelmingly likely to take on (or be assigned to) professional service, which may include things like additional committee work or bringing paper goods to a company event. While we’re all for the extra mile and professional courtesy, additional service often incurs additional professional costs among women when it comes to applying for new positions or promotions. If this is happening to you, don’t keep it a secret. Find out who among your male and female colleagues shares a similar workload and, if you notice a systematic tendency in the distribution of service work, talk to your supervisors. Similarly, while money is still a taboo subject, talking about salaries is the best way to make sure that men and women are paid equally for equal work.
Assist: Get involved in a search or hiring committee. We know there are plenty of service opportunities vying for your attention right now, but the bottom line is that women get hired and promoted when women do the hiring. You bring to the committee not only a unique perspective, but the ability to interrogate the coded language and expectations often built into job postings and interview questions.
Resist: Resist language that suggests women are constitutionally unable to assume or carry out leadership roles. You might hear things like, “I’m just not sure she can handle the demands of the job,” “Who will watch the kids when she has to stay for evening commitments?,” or “She seems too young to be in this role right now.” All of these examples contain language coded to suggest that women should be kept out of leadership or are incapable of doing it well simply because they are women. When you hear this, contradict it. You might use data and suggest that, “She has more education and experience than the male candidate.” You might pose a corollary and ask, “Would you ask the same question if this candidate were a man?” Whatever you choose, this is a meaningful and powerful way to interrupt the typical narratives about women in educational leadership.
Assist: Serve as a signal boost to other women in meetings. Women are more likely than men to be interrupted, talked over, or disregarded in meetings with professional peers. One way to counteract that is to highlight the voices of other women. Has a female colleague been interrupted? Redirect the conversation by saying, for example, “Susan, what were you just saying before you were cut off?” In a case where a man repeats an idea previously stated by a female colleague, you might try, “That’s a good idea, but when Alisha said it earlier, she also mentioned…” Attending to and amplifying the voices of women, especially in meetings, is an effective way to ensure equitable representation in decision-making.
Gender inequity in schools, and especially in school leadership, is attributable to many large and small factors. Still, we think that individual commitment to small, consistent, intentional actions are integral to reducing the obstacles women face in their workplaces. If you want more of this kind of work in your school, let us know and we’d be happy to design a plan for you.
- Lauren