Online

LeValley, Andrew M.

Leadership and Developmental Sciences

2020

M. Ed.

This thesis bridges the effects of society--meaning politics, policies, norms, and values--and school on LGBTQ+ students. Paramount educational philosophers, namely Dewey, Freire, Berliner, and Illich, understood that schools are a reflection of the communities they serve. I apply this common philosophy to the LGBTQ+ community to uncover the systems of inequalities that have negative effects on LGBTQ+ youth in order to promote better systems that include both LGBTQ+ youth and the larger LGBTQ+ community. To illustrate the effects of society and school on the LGBTQ+ community and youth, I use traditional peer reviewed researched data, current events that showcase Americas debate over values, and anecdotes from my own life experience as a homosexual high school English teacher. I have chosen to insert myself into this research because I believe it is academically irresponsible to ignore both my bias and insider knowledge on the topic. To best insert myself into my research, I present my work through the Scholarly Personal Narrative writing style. The findings of my research show that there are systems of oppression within society that serve the LGBTQ+ community, which both mirror and effect the systems that LGBTQ+ students experience within public schools. My research also reveals a lack of data on LGBTQ+ students' academic achievements to determine what supports are needed to aid this population. This thesis provides some suggestions to better support LGBTQ+ students, but it primarily focuses on uncovering systems of oppression, which negatively affect the LGBTQ+ community, that exist within our society and are transferred onto our education system.