Examining the Impact of School Climate on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teachers in K-12 Public Schools in the State of New Jersey
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Examining the Impact of School Climate on Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teachers in K-12 Public Schools in the State of New Jersey by Lori B. Burns Dissertation Committee Robert Andrews, Ed.D, Mentor Sally Millaway, Ed.D. Andrew Orefice, Ed.D. A Dissertation Proposal Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Saint Peter’s University 2017 i ABSTRACT According to the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), 1.6% of Americans identify as gay or lesbian and 0.7% identify as bisexual (Somashekhar, 2014). Applying these statistics to the number of public school teachers in New Jersey indicates that of the more than 114,000 teachers, over 1,800 teachers would identify as gay or lesbian and almost 800 teachers would identify as bisexual (New Jersey Department of Education [NJDOE], 2016). The findings of this study provide insight to the school climate of LGB teachers and offer guidance to boards of education, administration, and pre-service teacher training programs. This study used qualitative research methods and was divided into two phases. The first phase of the study consisted of participants completing an online survey. Potential participants were notified of the survey through emails, social media, advertisements, flyers/posters, letters, and in-person requests. The survey was accessible to all current public school teachers in New Jersey. Participants were asked to answer questions pertaining to their school environment based on homophobic remarks, harassment, school characteristics, and personal characteristics. The results of this survey were used to create a cohort faction of four teachers. Of the four teachers chosen to continue with the study, two scored the lowest on the survey, indicating a high prevalence of homophobic issues in their schools, and two scored the highest on the survey, indicating a low prevalence of homophobic issues in their schools. The second phase of the study included face-to-face interviews in a semi-structured format. Participants answered open- ended questions. The purpose of the face-to-face interviews was to examine the indicators of school climate as well as the overall school climate for LGB teachers. ii This study represents an important contribution to the lack of relevant literature regarding the impact of school climate as it pertains to LGB teachers. The results of this study provide a framework for pre-service teacher training programs, boards of education, and administrations. iii Acknowledgments I am indebted to my family and friends for their support in this process. Your words of encouragement pushed me to finish this project, especially when it was most difficult. Mom, thank you building my confidence, it has helped me to have a strong sense of ambition. Erica, you are my best friend, wife, and biggest cheerleader. You supported me on this mission from the very beginning and stood by my side the entire time. Thank you for enabling me to realize my dreams and encouraging me to persevere when things were difficult. I would like to thank my current and past colleagues, especially Mr. David Mooij and Dr. Sally Millaway. Mr. Mooij, you truly embody the characteristics of servant leadership and I am an example of your legacy of pushing others to better themselves. Sally, you supported me as a new principal, as a committee member, and as a friend. You are the best “bucket filler” that I know. I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my mentor, Dr. Robert Andrews. When I approached you with the idea of changing my dissertation topic, I was more than halfway done with my coursework. Regardless of the poor timing, you were on board with my new topic because you are as passionate about social justice as I am. Thank you for knowing when to push me and when to support me. I am fortunate to call you my mentor and my friend. A very special thank you to my fellow cohort members. We watched each other’s lives change throughout this program. You pulled me out of my shell and encouraged me to “lean in.” I am truly grateful for the fun that we had and the bonds that we formed. I thank God for the blessings that He has bestowed upon me. All things are possible with Him by my side. “But the lord is with me like a mighty warrior” (Jeremiah 20:11). iv Dedication To my daughters, Lyla Jean and Eden Marie, you already possess everything you need to accomplish anything you set out to do in life. Be courageous, be adventurous, be bold, and most importantly, be the best versions of yourselves. v Table of Contents ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. ii Acknowledgments ...................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ......................................................................................................................................v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................ vi CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND Introduction .......................................................................................................................1 Background .......................................................................................................................2 Purpose Statement and Research Questions ..................................................................5 Significance of the Study ..................................................................................................5 Limitations .........................................................................................................................6 Delimitations ......................................................................................................................7 Definition of Terms ...........................................................................................................7 Organization of the Study ................................................................................................9 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Overview .......................................................................................................................... 11 Climate of Successful Organizations ............................................................................. 11 Ten Characteristics of Servant Leadership ............................................................. 12 The Educational Leader’s Role ..................................................................................... 15 LGB History and Public Education .............................................................................. 17 1850s to the Turn of the Century.............................................................................. 18 Early 20th Century Through World War II ........................................................... 19 Post-World War II to the Mid-1970s ....................................................................... 20 1980s Through the Millennium................................................................................. 25 Experiences of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Teachers in the United States ................................................................................................................................ 26 Fears of LGB Teachers-Professional Relationships ............................................... 26 Fears of LGB Teachers-Perceptions of LGB Teachers as Child Predators ......... 27 Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Legislation in the United States ...................................... 27 Policy and Law: Colonial Law Through the 1930s ...................................................... 28 Policy and Law: Post-World War II to the Mid-1970s ............................................... 28 The Gay Rights Movement ............................................................................................ 30 Policy and Law: the 1980s Through the End of the 20th Century ............................. 32 Anti-Discrimination Legislation and the LGB Community: Federal Law ..................................................................................................................... 34 Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Legislation in New Jersey ............................................... 34 Conclusion ....................................................................................................................... 39 vi CHAPTER III: METHODOLOGY Overview .......................................................................................................................... 41 Research Design .............................................................................................................. 41 Sampling .......................................................................................................................... 42 Instrumentation............................................................................................................... 43 Data Analysis ................................................................................................................... 43 CHAPTER IV: DATA ANALYSIS AND RESULTS Introduction ..................................................................................................................... 45 Study Participants ........................................................................................................... 46