Study from UW–Madison’s McQuillan examines workplace culture in schools for gender expansive adults


By Laurel White 

A new study from a School of Education faculty member outlines the measures needed to help transgender and other gender expansive school employees feel safe and supported at work. 

The study, published in Teachers College Record, found a multifaceted approach is necessary to ensure trans and other gender expansive staff feel adequately supported, including school policies that protect their rights and safety, organizational supports, and school leaders who affirm their identity. For the purposes of the study, “trans” was defined as people who think of themselves as two-spirit, trans, genderqueer, transgender, non-binary, winkte, transsexual, bakla, third gender, and/or agender.

McQuillan

Mollie McQuillan, an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis, was the lead author of the study. According to McQuillan, the analysis aimed to fill a void in scholarship about trans school workers’ experiences.

“As political attacks on trans people, and especially trans people in PK–12 schools, continue to increase, there is an urgent need for evidence about the well-being of trans workers in schools,” McQuillan says. 

Some of the supportive policies and practices outlined in the study include:

  • Gender-inclusive anti-discrimination policies 
  • Gender-inclusive anti-bullying policies
  • Access to trans-inclusive health care
  • Administrative guidance concerning trans students or staff
  • Access to affinity groups
  • Changed name/marker on employee records
  • Access to bathrooms (students and staff)
  • Inclusive professional development

McQuillan co-authored the study with Lee Iskander and Harper B. Keenan of University of British Columbia and Mario I. Suárez of Utah State University. For the study, the researchers analyzed cross-sectional, online survey data from 341 transgender school workers in Canada and the United States. 

Federal law bars discrimination against trans employees, but McQuillan argues school leaders should commit to advancing policies and practices that actively support the population. McQuillan contends trans employees are an essential source of support for students, and that adequately supporting them will benefit the entire student body.

“Evidence suggests that increased representation of marginalized teachers benefits students in numerous ways,” McQuillan says. “Additionally, when trans workers feel safe, meaningfully supported, and valued in their workplace, they may feel empowered to bring their unique perspectives and experiences to bear on their pedagogical practices.”

Two other recent publications from the team of researchers expanded upon these themes. One article, published in Equity & Excellence in Education, found union membership positively affects feelings of safety and job retention for trans educators of color. Mario I. Suárez of Utah State University was the lead author of that article. Another article, published in Discourse: Studies in the Cultural Politics of Education, described how trans school workers challenge and reshape dominant narratives about being trans. Lee Iskander of the University of British Columbia was the lead author of that article.      

Broadly, McQuillan’s research examines the intersection of educational policy, social relationships, and health of LGBTQ+ students and educators. Another recent publication found transgender students are more likely to seek support from school staff and less likely to seek support from their parents when compared to their cisgender peers.

Read the full study, “‘Establishing Policy Is Just Step One of Twenty’: How Educational Policy Protections, District Practices, and Leadership Matter to Trans PK–12 School Workers,” here

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