I have been on the waiting list for a coop for a long time. I finally got in, but they are completely re-structuring.
We had to email our information and what classes we were willing to teach. I have my degree taught in the public schools and my area is math. So I emailed back my history and that I love math and would love to teach high school math. I never heard back but was told everything would be discussed at a meeting we were having. I got to the meeting and apparently, they had the list of classes being offered. There was no math on the list. I raised my hand to mention that. I never was called on. I know they did not outwardly mean to ignore me, they are not "rude" BUT, as soon as a man, one of only two who were there, wanted to say something, he simply started to blurt out that he wanted to present to the group. Then he stood up and said he is an accountant or something like that and wanted to know any of us were interested in high school math. A lot of the women just fell all over him. Then, after the meeting, women were crowding around him and telling him how wonderful it is for him to come to the meeting (only 1 other dad was there) and how they love to have men involved and so on and so forth. I went to the person in charge and told her that I had emailed her weeks ago. She said, apathetically, oh yes, I got your email, I just never got around to reading it. Yet, this man says something and they fall all over him.
OK, so you were not there. BUT, if you were, you would see how it was a guy thing. He was very "coach like" and basically the center of attention frequently. He talked through half the meeting and the women seemed happy to all take second place to him and comments were made about how wonderful it is to have a man involved. This is a Christian group.
I decided not to join. Then later, it has been more than a month, I ran in to one of the women from the coop. She did not know I had decided to not go and at the time, I guess I had a mind blurp and forgot. After I got home, I called the person in charge to ask if they still had openings. She said yes, oh, and by the way, she adds, you will be so excited, we have a dad who is going to teach high school math! Isn't that great! Won't it be so nice to have him there?
I nicely finished up the conversation and she told me who to email to let her know that I wanted to be in afterall. I said thank you. But, after getting off the phone, I decided not to email. It is not just over the math, not THAT specifically. It is the fact that the women see themselves of lessor value because they are women and it offends me. I am "less than" because I am a woman. I cannot believe this man is still such a topic of conversation.
Anyway, I figure it maybe is a religious thing, but maybe it would happen elsewhere too. But I am not comfortable going in to a place where I am expected to just accept my role of being beneath someone over gender. On the same token, I respect their right to their religious beliefs and such so I am not interested in going back and arguing.
Ok, so I am maybe just venting, but how would you feel?
We had to email our information and what classes we were willing to teach. I have my degree taught in the public schools and my area is math. So I emailed back my history and that I love math and would love to teach high school math. I never heard back but was told everything would be discussed at a meeting we were having. I got to the meeting and apparently, they had the list of classes being offered. There was no math on the list. I raised my hand to mention that. I never was called on. I know they did not outwardly mean to ignore me, they are not "rude" BUT, as soon as a man, one of only two who were there, wanted to say something, he simply started to blurt out that he wanted to present to the group. Then he stood up and said he is an accountant or something like that and wanted to know any of us were interested in high school math. A lot of the women just fell all over him. Then, after the meeting, women were crowding around him and telling him how wonderful it is for him to come to the meeting (only 1 other dad was there) and how they love to have men involved and so on and so forth. I went to the person in charge and told her that I had emailed her weeks ago. She said, apathetically, oh yes, I got your email, I just never got around to reading it. Yet, this man says something and they fall all over him.
OK, so you were not there. BUT, if you were, you would see how it was a guy thing. He was very "coach like" and basically the center of attention frequently. He talked through half the meeting and the women seemed happy to all take second place to him and comments were made about how wonderful it is to have a man involved. This is a Christian group.
I decided not to join. Then later, it has been more than a month, I ran in to one of the women from the coop. She did not know I had decided to not go and at the time, I guess I had a mind blurp and forgot. After I got home, I called the person in charge to ask if they still had openings. She said yes, oh, and by the way, she adds, you will be so excited, we have a dad who is going to teach high school math! Isn't that great! Won't it be so nice to have him there?
I nicely finished up the conversation and she told me who to email to let her know that I wanted to be in afterall. I said thank you. But, after getting off the phone, I decided not to email. It is not just over the math, not THAT specifically. It is the fact that the women see themselves of lessor value because they are women and it offends me. I am "less than" because I am a woman. I cannot believe this man is still such a topic of conversation.
Anyway, I figure it maybe is a religious thing, but maybe it would happen elsewhere too. But I am not comfortable going in to a place where I am expected to just accept my role of being beneath someone over gender. On the same token, I respect their right to their religious beliefs and such so I am not interested in going back and arguing.
Ok, so I am maybe just venting, but how would you feel?
you out by just not including you.
