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Troubling the Teacher Diversity Gap: the Perpetuation of Whiteness Through Practices of Bias Free Hiring in Ontario School Boards

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Troubling the Teacher Diversity Gap: the Perpetuation of Whiteness Through Practices of Bias Free Hiring in Ontario School Boards TROUBLING THE TEACHER DIVERSITY GAP: THE PERPETUATION OF WHITENESS THROUGH PRACTICES OF BIAS FREE HIRING IN ONTARIO SCHOOL BOARDS by Zuhra Elizabeth Abawi A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education Graduate Department of Social Justice Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto © Copyright by Zuhra Elizabeth Abawi 2018 Troubling the Teacher Diversity Gap: The Perpetuation of Whiteness Through Practices of Bias Free Hiring in Ontario School Boards Zuhra Elizabeth Abawi Doctor of Education Graduate Department of Social Justice Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education University of Toronto 2018 Abstract Teaching staff in Ontario schools do not reflect the increasing diversity of the students who occupy Ontario classrooms today. School boards across Ontario have come under considerable scrutiny regarding the lack of diverse teacher representation that adequately reflects Ontario’s demographic composition (Childs et al., 2010; Ryan, et al., 2009; Turner, 2015). This thesis addresses the Ontario teacher diversity gap (James & Turner, 2017; Turner 2015; Turner, 2014; Ryan, et al., 2009) in relation to provincial equity and inclusive educational policies, which have been created to address the dominance of white teachers in publicly-funded education in Ontario. However, findings from the research indicate that these policies have not had the desired results, and in some ways have contributed to perpetuating the status quo, and the ongoing overrepresentation of white teachers in schools. The thesis furthermore addressed the notion of bias-free hiring (Fine & Handlesman, 2012; Hassouneh, 2013) practices through narratives of Ontario teachers themselves. The predominant assumption of bias-free hiring is that one can divorce themselves from their unconscious biases and preconceptions of groups who are dissimilar to them in order to recruit the so-called “most qualified applicant”. The narrative of the “most qualified applicant” is a term invoked when racialized people seek access to employment opportunities. School administrators have great influence on who is hired; therefore it is important for administrators to interrogate their own social locations and positions of power, ii and unconscious bias in terms of how they recruit teachers. Findings from the research indicate that teachers from racialized groups have different experiences when seeking employment as teachers in publicly-funded school boards in Ontario. In response to this the EHT Equity Hiring Toolkit for Ontario School Administrators has been developed to support school administrators to recruit more diverse teachers. The EHT provides a framework for school administrators to engage in antiracist praxis and action, by examining their social location, and ways that their positionality impacts the hiring decisions they make. School administrators can use the creation of the Toolkit based on the findings of the data that emerged from the research as a Creative Professional Activity (CPA). I consider this to be my contribution to the field of social justice education and leadership. iii Acknowledgments My experience as a student in the Department of Social Justice Education has been that of an empowering, moving, and transformative journey. I have discovered so much about myself, the power of alternative epistemologies and spiritualties, as well as the power of my ancestors in influencing my scholarship. As Dr. Wane (2008) reminds us, decolonization is not a single event or experience, rather it is an ongoing process across space, time, and land. This process does not entail a starting or ending point, and one must always be conscious that although the mind may be colonized, the spirit cannot be. I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to my nana and Supervisor, Dr. Njoki Wane, who has stood by me and supported me through this journey in all of its forms, whether academic or personal. Dr. Wane, your ongoing encouragement, warmth, and open heart have allowed me to flourish and become the best scholar I can be. I shall be forever in your debt for inviting me into your home in Kenya, for sharing your infinite knowledge and wisdom with me and for always being there for me as a mother. You have taught me so much about myself and about life, and you have brought out the best in me. Thank you, nana, for your kindness, your grace, and your warmth. I look forward to the ongoing discussions, travels and work we shall carry on engaging in Asante Sana. I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Linda Muzzin and Dr. Ann Lopez. I have been so fortunate to work with both of you and share a great deal of ideas, thoughts, and questions in your presence. I thank you both for always being supportive and for guiding me with my research and goals for the future through your excellent advice. Dr. Muzzin, thank you for your guidance, advice, encouragement, and warmth as I navigated my first year as a doctoral student. Dr. Lopez, I am so very grateful for your invaluable contribution to my work through your extensive expertise, knowledge, experience and time dedicated to encouraging me to be the iv best scholar I can be. Dr. Lopez, you have been invaluable to this work and I have been fortunate to work under the supervision and direction of academics such as yourself. I would like to thank my mother and father (Baba) Linda and Tariq Abawi for their endless dedication, commitment, and devotion to helping me realize my dreams and earn my doctorate degree. Thank you, Baba, for your strength, for your stories of childhood in a peaceful Afghanistan, thank you for keeping me humbled and being my greatest ally in times of happiness and adversity. I have drawn my strength during times of hardship from your imagination; from the risks you took to realize your own dreams, from all that you have sacrificed for our entire family. I love hearing your stories of when you were a student in India, working so hard to learn English; Baba, you worked so hard that you would not turn out your light until every other student in the dormitory had turned their lights out and gone to bed. Baba, you were so competitive and could not rest until you were the last student to sleep. I have thought of this on several long days at Robarts Library—you are my inspiration. Thank you mum for your listening ear when I am in need, for your help in all aspects of my life, for your compassion, for your cups of tea and for strength of character. Thank you for your love of history, of poetry, and philosophy, thank you for animated stories of your ancestors in the Scottish highlands. Thank you mum for sacrificing your time and energy to ensure that I can reach my goals, for encouraging me to take advantage of the opportunities that you were not afforded in life. I am forever thankful and blessed to have such loving and wonderful parents. I love you both deeply. Thank you to my daughters, Nadia and Ava, for your smiles; you are both the noor of my heart. Without your unconditional love to motivate me and keep me strong, this journey would not have been possible. I would like to acknowledge and thank my husband and best friend, Adil, for your positive attitude each and everyday, for your support and for always having my best v interest at heart. Also, to my long-lost brother, Jamie, finding you after 32 years has been a beautiful blessing in my life. Finally, I would like to thank my dear friend Janelle Baptiste-Brady. I was blessed with Janelle’s friendship during our time together as Masters’ students at York University. From our very first class together, we became inseparable friends and shared our dreams of going on to complete doctoral work. Since those days, we have traveled to many places together, and shared so many stories of our hopes, dreams, and aspirations. Thank you, Janelle, for always supporting me, for looking out for my best interests and for the beauty of your presence in my life. “Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.” ― Jalaluddin Rumi vi Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my two lovely daughters: Nadia Abawi-Shemranifar and Ava Abawi-Shemranifar. Your smile, hugs, kisses, and love is my heart, my passion and my light. I hope to set the best example for you, be the best mother possible and I will do all that I can to help you reach all of your goals and dreams in this life. This thesis is also dedicated to my ancestors, particularly in memory of my late grandmother Bobo Jan; I will never forget your smile and your kind eyes. Although I could not understand your Pashto and Farsi and you could not understand my English I shall always cherish the memories of playing in the garden in your loving presence. I often dream of you; I was young when you were taken from me, but you will never know the impact you have had on my life. I reflect on all that you went through to be educated, to attend Kabul University, and to become a nurse in the early half of the 20th Century in Afghanistan. I admire your strength as a mother, for sacrificing so much to ensure your sons could prosper, for the pain you endured losing your daughters. I dedicate this work to the daughters of Afghanistan; there is not a day that goes by that you are not in my heart. It is by chance that I have the privilege to have been born in the West—a privilege that haunts me, as the West is the culprit of your unending and devastating wars, misery, and destruction.
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