What Can You Do When You Don’t “Fit the Mold”? Dismantling White Privilege Affecting Career Advancement in the Education System

Authors

  • Anonymous Author *The author has chosen to conceal her identity because she has been advised by her teacher’s union that “your employer views you as the ‘public’ face of the organization, and it has been accepted in law that school boards are employers that have reputations to protect. If you are commenting in a public manner on an issue that could be viewed to negatively tarnish the reputation of the board there could be disciplinary action laid against you.”

Keywords:

Career advancement, Chinese, Education sector

Abstract

This paper describes the barriers to career advancement in the education system faced by a Chinese Canadian male. He receives suggestions to “Whiten” his name on his resume to increase his chances of being called for an interview for teaching positions. Later in his career it is suggested that he become a principal, he may need to change his manner of speaking to better reflect White norms. He resists both suggestions, instead opting to stay true to his personal identity and not conceal his ethnicity. By doing so he acts as an inspiration to others who may be faced with the same suggestions to hide who they are. Those who seek to better understand how White privilege impacts career advancement for minorities would be interested in reading this article.

Author Biography

Anonymous Author, *The author has chosen to conceal her identity because she has been advised by her teacher’s union that “your employer views you as the ‘public’ face of the organization, and it has been accepted in law that school boards are employers that have reputations to protect. If you are commenting in a public manner on an issue that could be viewed to negatively tarnish the reputation of the board there could be disciplinary action laid against you.”

The author is a certified teacher with over 15 years of experience in educating middle school age students in the Greater Toronto Area. One of his passions is exploring issues of equity, and encouraging his students to think critically about the world around them. He is also the proud parent of two young children whose constant curiosity serves as an inspiration to him.

 

Published

2017-12-23

How to Cite

Author, A. (2017). What Can You Do When You Don’t “Fit the Mold”? Dismantling White Privilege Affecting Career Advancement in the Education System. Understanding and Dismantling Privilege, 7(2), 66–74. Retrieved from https://wpcjournal.com/article/view/17391

Issue

Vol. 7 No. 2 (2017): Understanding & Dismantling Privilege, Special Issue: Academics & Activists Advocating for Equity, Justice and Action

Section

Tools & Strategies

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A new model, the Creative Commons approach, with split copyright is rapidly evolving and worth considering.

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