Necessary but Not Sufficient: The Continuing Inequality between Men and Women in Educational Leadership, Findings from the American Association of School Administrators Mid-Decade Survey

Abstract

The gender of school leaders makes a difference in career paths, personal life, and characteristics of workplace. There is additional evidence that men and women are appointed or elected to lead different kinds of educational jurisdictions. Even if those differences did not exist, equitable access to leadership positions for people of different backgrounds would make this an important issue. This article reports gender-related findings from the American Association of School Administrators 2015 Mid-Decade Survey. Findings confirm many of the trends in research on the superintendency over the past 15 years. The profiles of women superintendents are becoming more like their male counterparts. Both men and women appear to be less mobile than in the past. Men and women are spending about the same time as teachers before becoming superintendents, women and men appear to experience stress similarly, and women are receiving mentoring much more than in the past. There are few data to support the beliefs that women superintendents, more than men, are limited by family circumstance although this survey sheds no light on perspectives of women aspirants. This survey also confirms that there are a variety of paths to the position providing opportunities for women who have not necessarily had the typical teacher/principal/central office administrator trajectory. Nevertheless, significant differences still exist. Most important is that men are still four times more likely than women to serve in the most powerful position in education, and both women and men of color are still grossly underrepresented.

Women in Education Management in Kosovo: A Hard Road Less Travelled

“…Although this brief study cannot achieve conclusions that are generalisable, it provides some evidence-based indicators for a broader research study of the perceived barriers to female representation in school leadership in Kosovo. The results obtained through the semi-structured interviews in this study strongly resonate with the findings of other researchers who have studied and analysed the reasons for underrepresentation of women in management positions (Blackmore, 1999(Blackmore, , 2016Celikten, 2005;Coleman, 2007Coleman, , 2011Fuller, 2014;Kaparou & Bush, 2007;Krüger, 1996;Moorosi, 2010;Robinson, Shakeshaft, Grogan, & Newcomb, 2017;Stromquist et al 2013). Although it has demonstrated common links to the experience of female education professionals in other parts of the world, it also hints at what might well prove to be dominant factors that are more specific to the context of Kosovo.…”

The Critical Importance of Support Systems for Women Educational CEOs

“…This living arrangement often proved challenging since this meant the superintendent was living apart from a major support system (Brunner & Grogan, 2007;Robinson, 2013). These struggles at home are among the reasons that female superintendents tend to have higher divorce rates than their male counterparts (Funk, Pankake, & Schroth, 2002;Grogan & Brunner, 2005b;Gupton & Appelt-Slick, 1996;Kowalski, et al, 2011;Olsen, 2007;Robinson, Shakeshaft, Grogan, Newcomb, 2017;Terranova, et al, 2009).…”

The US School Superintendent Gender Research Gap Continues: Content Analysis of 2014-2016 Dissertations

“…The hiring of women for the superintendent position has showed discrepancies of practices by school boards and search firms [24]. As women superintendents reflected on the reasons for their hiring, it was usually based on the perception of their expertise in curriculum and instruction.…”

“…Additionally, since there are fewer women superintendents, there are fewer women to serve as role models for upcoming women administrators [17]. Further, some women superintendents are not willing to serve as mentors, and some women administrators are not willing to seek mentors [24] [28]. Other reasons for the lagging numbers of women superintendents are barriers experienced by women attempting to enter the superintendency.…”