THE BOOK
Andrew James Applicant, a dark-skinned, African American, born in Haiti and raised in Florida possesses a slight accent. He graduated first in his class from Columbia University and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Andy Applicant was trying to break into the profession of pedagogy. He was applying for an initial position. It cannot be disputed that entry into a time-honored and noble profession such as education is not easy. This is appropriate because only the brightest, best, and most motivated should be allowed to take their place in the classroom and mentor the most valuable entity our society possesses: its children. This does not mean, however, that ancillary, irrelevant, and inequitable forces can be brought to bear to stifle and/ or deny an otherwise-qualified candidate.
This book will also provide guidance for any educator who seeks higher and more responsible positions but because of some of the issues hereinbefore delineated was disallowed and not selected for the positions notwithstanding his or her qualifications. To expound on the issue of an already-employed educator who seeks higher and more responsible positions and opportunities, you will meet Amy Maria Ambitious, a proud Latina who wants to improve her school district and students by moving into greater positions of authority.
The following pages will reveal Andy’s and Amy’s ordeals and how they dealt with them. It will be a primer showing how you might deal with blatant unfairness in the face of your attempt to secure a teaching job or to move to higher and more responsible positions in your school district. Andy and Amy discuss the items they drafted and used to obtain fairness, including filings, grievances, letters, complaints, briefs, memoranda of law, filings with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), and many other items. They discuss these items related to their actions and will discuss courses of action you might pursue in the attempt to realize fairness, equity, and propriety when seeking recognition of your background, experience, credentials, and plain hard work.
