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Jennifer Mary McKenzie Ed.D., is a 2025 graduate of the Ed.D. program in Educational and Professional Practice at Antioch University.

Dissertation Committee:

Christie Kaaland, Ed.D., Committee Chair

Emiliano Gonzalez, Ph.D., Committee Member

Debra Kachel, M.L.S., Committee Member

Keywords

teacher-librarians, school librarianship, qualitative research, status-based microaggressions, hierarchical microaggressions, virtual focus groups, consciousness-raising groups (CRGs), professional devaluation, misunderstandings and invisibilities of the role of teacher-librarian, working conditions, Oregon education, educational equity

Document Type

Dissertation

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

This qualitative dissertation explores the lived experiences of Oregon certified teacher-librarians and examines how status-based microaggressions impact their professional roles, working conditions, and advocacy efforts. Drawing from focus group methodology, consciousness-raising groups, and microaggression theory, particularly Dr. Derald Wing Sue’s Five Phase Microaggression Process Model, this study analyzes data from nine virtual focus groups with 20 participants representing 14 Oregon school districts. Oregon teacher-librarians are among the most understaffed in the nation and often experience professional marginalization. This study introduces participants to the term “status-based microaggression,” instances rooted in perceived organizational hierarchies. This study finds that all participants were unfamiliar with the term but quickly identified with it once explained. The virtual focus groups became consciousness-raising groups (CRGs), offering validation, emotional support, and resulted in collaborative advocacy brainstorming among frequently isolated professionals. Emergent themes included professional devaluation, misunderstandings and invisibilities of the role of teacher-librarians, working conditions and contract violations, hostile environments, advocacy as emotional labor, financial impact, instructional hierarchy, staffing cuts and job insecurity, intersection with classified devaluation, isolation, and library space marginalization. In response, participants discussed local-level and state-level advocacy strategies for healing and resistance. This research contributes to a limited body of literature on school librarianship and status-based microaggressions by drawing attention to the impact of systemic underfunding and the resulting hierarchical mistreatment of teacher-librarians. Ultimately, this study uplifts the voices of Oregon teacher-librarians, amplifies their professional dignity, and proposes pathways for equitable treatment and advocacy. This dissertation is available in open access at AURA (https://aura.antioch.edu) and OhioLINK ETD Center (https://etd.ohiolink.edu).

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ORCID No. 0009-0001-7036-8041

Bio: Dr. Jennifer McKenzie is a Fulbrighter, K12 Teacher-Librarian, ELA Teacher, Techie Gal, Art Journaler, Nature Lover & Army Veteran. She is an education researcher and advocate whose work centers on equity, professional identity, and advocacy within the field of school librarianship. Her qualitative dissertation, Status-Based Microaggressions Experienced by Teacher-Librarians and Advocacy Strategies to Address Them, explores the lived experiences of Oregon certified teacher-librarians through the lens of microaggression theory and consciousness-raising practices. Using virtual focus groups, the study sheds light on the often-overlooked professional marginalization of teacher-librarians and introduces the concept of status-based microaggressions—mistreatment rooted in perceived organizational hierarchies. Her work contributes to a growing body of literature on educational leadership, equity, and the essential—but frequently misunderstood—role of teacher-librarians in K–12 education.

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