IDENTIFYING ORGANIZATIONAL CONTAINMENT AND ITS EFFECT ON THE CAREER PATHS OF BLACK EDUCATORS

• Main Author: Berry, Risha
• Format: Others
• Published: VCU Scholars Compass 2014
• Subjects: Educational Leadership; Nontraditional Leadership; Concepts for Social Justice; Career Patterns and Black Principals; Containment; Race and Systems Theory; Education
• Online Access: http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/etd/3362; http://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=4361&context=etd

The racial composition of the school workforce is the product of a complex interaction of social forces. School constituencies such as parents, students, and teachers impact new leader preferences. Their ideas influence decisions regarding who fits into school administration and who doesn't (Williams & Loeb, 2012). These "fit" preferences can shape school district ethos, which then influences access to social networks (Tooms, 2010). Limited entry to these networks may produce multiple disadvantages, particularly for Black educators. One way to think of this access is through the concept of containment. Restricted data from the 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) will be used to detect containment trends: The set of systemic barriers organizational members encounter in pursuit of access to organizational resources critical to job effectiveness and career advancement. Left unchallenged, glass barriers in employment may reinforce pejorative judgments of minorities, isolating them in high stress, and low autonomy positions (Feagin, 2006).