#MeToo, too?

After reading the article from CNN by Kelly Wallace Will #MeToo be a turning point for younger girls, too? I did some thinking. It's an interesting piece on how the #MeToo could trickle down to school aged students. Wallace makes some good points and it made me reflect on my teaching career. In my classes, is there a change in middle school? I've taught both middle school and high school now and, even in my own growing up, can see how there's a definite change in attitude of female students.

It's not only the students who face issues either. For anyone, it is difficult to try to gain respect, power, and authority. Female teachers, especially young ones, are often seen as fluffy or "puppy". They're too young to know what the education world is all about. While it does take time to build up respect and standing, it seems harder to do it as a female. There are also "boys clubs" among teachers. I've yet to see an influx of female administrators except in the CSE chair position. In addition, at some school meetings, the treatment of female coworkers has often shocked me. While not directed at myself, these female coworkers have learned to either ignore it, accept it, or fire back. But should they have to deal with it in the first place? I've also been in situations where it was not so subtly suggested that female teachers are better suited to teaching elementary students.  How does this change? How do you get equality?

Furthermore, there's the common thought that when a female gets mad or has a spine, they're a bitch. A male does the same thing and he's considered assertive.

Another good news bit that also gets the brain thinking was an interview given on PBS Newshour  How #MeToo power dynamics affect economists. It points out things like peak earnings for female workers and language used to describe different candidates for job positions.

Unfortunately, what all this does show, is that the mindset and social norms are certainly not anywhere near equality. How we describe individuals, how we treat different candidates, how we interact with others is deeply ingrained. A start to change has been made, but will it ever go far enough? Will we be able to become a better society without passing out more labels and more mandates?