Nepotism Has Benefits for Teachers, Students, and Families
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I’m in my 18th year of teaching. But I don’t know if I would be here without nepotism. It’s given me advantages in my educational career that I am so thankful for. I have spent my entire teaching career in the same district that hired me right out of college, and I am proud to work in the district that employed my mother for all 25 years of her teaching career. However, she set some very high expectations and standards within that district, and I feel obligated to work hard to live up to those expectations.
In 2022, nepotism took on a new label, “nepo babies,” which New York Magazine then popularized in their December 19, 2022, cover story. The article “She Has Her Mother’s Eyes. And Agent.” discussed the “love-hate obsession” with actors and actresses who have had successful Hollywood careers like their parents. This article went viral and got Americans buzzing about nepotism not just in Hollywood but in all industries – including education.
Can Nepotism Benefit Education?
Being a nepo baby myself, I have a pretty strong opinion on the pros and cons of nepotism in education. Does it exist? Absolutely. Can districts and teachers use it to their advantage? 100% yes.
In my experience, the pros outweigh the cons. I have been afforded the opportunity to work in one of the most sought-after school districts in Mississippi. Our district currently ranks #2 in the entire state, and teachers continually move here to vie for a job. My mother, who worked for the same district all twenty-five years of her teaching career, paved the way for me to work here. She did the same thing for my younger brother; we have been teaching in the same district for almost 20 years. My brother and I were hired by principals our mother was “friends” with and a superintendent who knew my entire family very well. Do I look at this as a “pro” of nepotism? Yes, I do.
Pros of Nepo Babies in Education
In the education industry, we seek out the best of the best. The future of our students is crucial, and we want their education to be top-notch. An ideal teacher would be hard-working, compassionate, and intelligent. As the children of a successful teacher, my mother passed down all of these traits to my brother and me. We learned from her how to apply these traits in the teaching careers we both hold today.
It also helped that we live in a tiny town with a population of only about 20,000 people and that we attended school grades K-12 here ourselves. Today, we both hold positions at the upper elementary and high schools we attended as kids. Because we grew up with such close ties to the schools we teach at, we work hard to make sure our schools and students are successful; the well-being of the district holds a special place in our hearts. Because of this, the district we work for gained two loyal, dedicated educators when they hired us.
Because our mother was a teacher, we both learned the ins and outs of the district before we even began working there, making us ideal candidates. We also knew prior what life would be like with a career in teaching, and we are now better at balancing work/family life and avoiding burnout. Oddly enough, our spouses are both teachers – in the same school district we work in. That is nepotism at its finest.
Additionally, districts hiring teachers whose parents taught for them are more likely to retain those teachers due to their close familial ties to the district. A certain level of loyalty goes hand-in-hand with teachers born and raised in the district they work for, and school districts can use this to their advantage. In this case, the pros of nepotism can benefit both parties. Teachers are proud to follow their parent’s steps, and districts have an employee who is less likely to transfer out of the district. This can be extremely helpful, or even necessary, in districts that struggle to retain or recruit teachers.
Cons of Nepo Babies in Education
One of the biggest cons of nepotism in school districts is the complex feelings and unfairness employees can feel when nepotism is prevalent within a district. Signs of nepotism may be a turnoff to potential new teacher hires. Districts may also lose strong, capable teaching candidates by hiring friends or family members instead. Nepotism can also drive away current teachers who may feel there is no hope for advancement or growth within their current district. School districts are definitely not free of workplace gossip, and talk of nepotism can be a huge turnoff for some employees; they leave the district looking for a more peaceful workplace.
Another con is the lack of diversity nepotism can bring to a district’s teaching pool. Continually hiring with a nepotistic approach can limit diversity not only racially and culturally but academically as well. Districts can push away highly qualified teachers in certain subject areas in favor of hiring a friend or family member who is less qualified or may even need to obtain an endorsement to be able to teach a particular subject. Nepotism does not strengthen racial or gender diversity within a district, which can cause problems in communication for current employees and look distasteful to new hires.
In spite of these drawbacks, I believe nepotism can be a benefit to both districts and employees, especially in smaller cities. When districts hire people the city is familiar with in a positive light, parents trust their judgment. Teachers reap the benefits of positive relationships with parents, and districts get the advantage of hiring familiar faces.
Nepotism will always be a topic that turns heads, and New York Magazine’s December article is a prime example. The article went viral in just a few days, with people validly supporting both sides of the argument. However, due to the infamous article, the two words “nepo baby” have become a term that has sparked much controversy. Whether you think nepotism has positive benefits or not, the education industry has its fair share of nepo babies holding important, worthy teaching positions. We are a hard-working, loyal group of educators who are proud to represent our school districts. Even though hiring a “nepo baby” can be viewed as controversial, we bring a lot to the table and are here to stay in the education industry.
Ashley Chennault is currently a freelance writer and 4th-grade teacher in the small coastal town of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. Ashley is in her 18th year of teaching and holds a master of arts degree in elementary education. In addition, she became Nationally Board Certified in 2020. In her free time, she enjoys her second job as a contract grant writer for philanthropy corporations, boating, beaching, cooking, watching her teenage sons play sports, and spending time with her three adopted wiener dogs, Georgie, Henry, and Tripp.
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