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Exploring the Lived Experiences of Women Superintendents in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi

Author : LaKeyshure Washington-Marzell

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Page : 0 pages

File Size : 12,31 MB

Release : 2023

Category : Women school superintendents

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A qualitative phenomenological study examined the challenges and barriers women superintendents encountered in their quest for and service as superintendents in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Women make up most teaching positions today, but men dominate the superintendent’s office. A correlation should exist between the number of women teachers and the number of women leaders. However, women account for less than one-quarter of superintendents in the United States, while men occupy most positions. A qualitative research design was employed to gain a deeper understanding of the problem. After gathering information from research participants, I performed an interpretative phenomenological analysis to identify the commonalities among human experiences. A demographic information survey and semistructured interviews were used to collect data. Social role theory and role congruity theory provide the framework for explaining the barriers preventing women from ascending to supervisory positions and strategies to mitigate them. There were recurring themes revealed in the responses of these seven women, which provided answers to these two research questions. Themes discussed throughout this section were (a) agentic versus communal disposition, (b) stereotypical viewpoint stereotyping, (c) familial commitments, (d) gender socialization, (e) good ole boys’ network, (f) harassment and career assassination (backlash effect), (g) recruitment practices (glass ceiling), (h) school board relations, and (i) mentoring. Through sharing the perception of senior level leaders experiences, potential strategies for breaking through the glass ceiling may be developed. Keywords: career pathway, career preparation, educational leaders, gender disparity, gender equality, gender inequality, glass ceiling, glass cliff, internal and external barriers, lacking, mentors, missing, obstacles, women, superintendency, superintendent, strategies, recruitment, role model, selection, and underrepresentation



The Lived Experiences of Black Female Superintendents

Author : Tracie R. Washington

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Page : 290 pages

File Size : 36,98 MB

Release : 2021

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This transformative phenomenological study involved exploring how Black females serving as superintendents in the United States experienced the journey into their roles, the state of the school districts as they began their roles, and their lived experiences as superintendents. I used Black feminist thought as part of answering the following research questions: (a) How do Black female superintendents describe their personal and professional lived experiences while ascending to the position of school district superintendent? (b) How do Black females appointed to the role of school district superintendent describe their lived experiences with leading a school district? Black feminist thought is an evolution of standpoint theory, which challenges the exclusivity and chauvinism of the dominant culture. This study followed a phenomenological approach, the primary method involved conducting semi-structured interviews. This study was comprised of 11 Black female superintendents across the United States who participated in one-on-one Zoom-based interviews. This transformative phenomenological study captured the lived experience of the Black female superintendents that have successfully navigated the prevailing phenomena of glass ceiling, glass cliff, and gatekeeping provided a platform for aspiring Black female superintendents to glean from their predecessors’ experiences. The 11 participants’ responses to questions in their individual interviews revealed the following five themes that answered the first research as (a) preparation, (b) exceptionalism, (c) sponsorship, (d) spirituality, and (e) need to check every box. The five themes that emerged for answering the second research question and describing the 11 Black women’s superintendent experiences were (a) diverse school boards, (b) turnaround school districts, (c) equity warriors, (d) sacrifice, and (e) support system. The participants disclosed that the discriminatory practice that remains evident in the role as superintendent is the gender role expectations that continues to drive Black female superintendents from the profession. The participants were hopeful that their leadership could change American public education for the better as they promoted educational excellence among all students. Thus, the participants’ rich narratives led to implications for policy and practice as well as opportunities for further investigation



A Phenomenological Study

Author : Melissa Egri McCauley

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Page : 220 pages

File Size : 10,12 MB

Release : 2019

Category : Career development

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This research explored lived experiences of female superintendents to understand factors that supported or created barriers for women in their career advancement while becoming a superintendent. A phenomenological study design framework was applied to the research to explore the journey women faced including the successes, struggles, and level of support they experienced during their career paths. Background research examined leadership roles, which address gender bias, ratio of female to male principals and superintendents, and other gender specific issues. In this study, seven female superintendents in the state of Pennsylvania were interviewed using a semi-structured one-on-one interview process. From the data, four themes emerged including, (a) Challenges They Faced, (b) Finding Balance, (c) Supporting Factors, and (d) Positive Attributes of the Job . A few recommendations to help increase the number of females in leadership positions include the concept of networking with other females for support purposes and to create a mentoring program that could be implemented by any school district nationwide.



The Lived Experiences of Female Superintendents in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia

Author : Ruth Denette Odum

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Page : 176 pages

File Size : 34,3 MB

Release : 2010

Category : Electronic dissertations

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Author's abstract: Although women actively seek advancement and constitute the majority of teachers in American public schools, they do not occupy many of the decisionmaking, administrative, or superintendency positions in education. This paper presents a perspective on the problem of women's lack of progression from entrylevel positions of leadership through superintendency. A qualitative, phenomenological methodology is used to illuminate the lived experiences of 16 women who were active in the position of American public school superintendent during the 2008-2009 academic year. The superintendents were of varied age, race, and family/marital status. The researcher describes the voice of women superintendents and their personal experiences through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The purpose of this study was to understand the lived experiences of female superintendents who gave descriptions of their work lives, including their resilience and the obstacles they faced, in order to determine how female superintendents in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia were successful in obtaining their positions. This was accomplished through a series of interviews in three southeastern states with female superintendents who were either African American or Caucasian. Barriers to leadership opportunities for women and resilience factors were examined to help describe some of the reasons women continue to be underrepresented in the role of superintendent nationally and in these three southeastern states. Although gender discrimination affected most of the superintendents at some point, findings indicate that the most frequently stated barrier was conflicting career and family demands, and the most frequently stated strategy for success was networking. The interviews yielded insight into the actual experiences and commonalities of the females in superintendent positions. All female superintendents interviewed reported high job satisfaction, and all except one agreed they would make the decision to seek leadership and superintendency again. Each of the superintendents expressed having strong support systems; all 16 had mentors who encouraged them along the way, and they stated those relationships were vital for success at each stage of their career. Most stated that collaboration was the most effective style of leadership unless the situation required an authoritarian approach. Other important leadership characteristics included communication, vision, problemsolving, critical thinking and risk taking.





Superintendency Aspirations of Superintendent-qualified Women Administrators

Author : Holly E. Morris-Kuentz

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Page : 258 pages

File Size : 27,39 MB

Release : 2020

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A known gender gap exists in the rates of women attaining the superintendency. Research conducted on the gender disparity in the superintendency notes men aspire and persist to become superintendents with greater frequency than women (Muñoz, Pankake, Ramalho, Mills, & Simonsson, 2014). Women persist to achieve the superintendency with meaningful support, such as a mentor and strong professional networks that include gatekeepers (Brunner, 1998; Bynum, 2015; Howard et al., 2017; Key, Thomas, Hunter, Morote, & Tatum, 2015; Sherman, Muñoz, & Pankake, 2008; Skrla et al., 2000). However, most previous work focuses on the voices of women by including those who achieve the superintendency. As a result, a gap exists in understanding the voices of the women who do not aspire to the superintendency or who at one time may have aspired to the position but ultimately did not become a superintendent. This qualitative study uses a phenomenological approach to focus on the lived experiences of superintendent-qualified women candidates and explores the women’s aspirations to be superintendents in Texas public schools. This study intends to provide insight into the underrepresentation of women in the superintendency by exploring the influencing experiences and challenges that affect the aspirations of superintendent-qualified women administrators. Identifying the perceptions and aspirations of superintendent-qualified women candidates yet to achieve the position will support research on how to foster more women applicants. The findings may serve to inform multiple stakeholders, including superintendency preparation programs, hiring boards and search firms, and, most of all, women administrators



Super-mujeres

Author : Venus R. Vela

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Page : 227 pages

File Size : 50,36 MB

Release : 2015

Category : Achievement motivation in women

ISBN : 9781339309514

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The superintendent must create a vision at all levels of the organization (Black, 2007) so that internal and external players can work towards achieving common goals and outcomes (Bolman & Deal, 2003) that will ultimately equate to student success. Nevertheless, the lack of Latina superintendents remains a continuing professional concern. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of three Latina assistant superintendents in South Central Texas as they navigated their way through the process of obtaining a superintendent position through a narrative inquiry with the use of testimonios. This research study was grounded in Chicana feminist theory. Chicana feminist theory recognizes Latinas’ diverse ways of knowing and the importance of their experiential knowledge as well as how that knowledge can inform theory and practice (Elenes & Delgado Bernal, 2010). Data was collected via interviews with three participants. The interviews were transcribed then analyzed. The analysis revealed three overarching themes: 1.) mestiza consciousness, 2.) empowerment, and 3.) borderlander. As a result of the themes a three-pronged conceptual model was produced to represent a process of how the participants enacted mestiza consciousness, borderlander, and conocimiento resulting in a construction, deconstruction, and reconstruction of their experiences.



African American Women Serving as K-12 Superintendents

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Page : 259 pages

File Size : 16,14 MB

Release : 2022

Category : African American school superintendents

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While women comprise the majority of those employed in K-12 school districts, educational administrators who are women, especially African American women, are underrepresented in the superintendency position. Broadly, the position of superintendent is one of the most gender stratified occupations in K-12 school systems, and African American women who seek career advancement in these systems face challenges that are unique when compared to African American men and White men and women. In particular, African American women face social stigmas related to the challenges of sexism, racism, and classism in career advancement. The reality of intersectionality further complicates these barriers and can be experiential deterrents that impact African American women during their advancement to the position of K-12 public school superintendent. This study explored the lived experiences of seven African American women who have ascended to the position of K-12 public school superintendent. Findings obtained through this qualitative research revealed five themes: (1) spirituality, (2) dual bias status, (3) supportive relationships, (4) preparation, and (5) self-care. In sum, insights gained through these themes fills a gap in the literature by offering greater understanding on how to mitigate the underrepresentation of African American women in this position.



Women Superintendents in the Rural Midwest

Author : Anne R. Strothman

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Page : 0 pages

File Size : 38,91 MB

Release : 2023

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Women represent the majority of teachers in U. S. public schools; yet, only 26.7% of superintendents leading districts are women (Tienken, 2021, p.19). Although women have made gains in leading schools in larger districts, the same trend is not evident in smaller, rural school systems, which describe the majority of school districts in the United States (AASA: The School Superintendents Association, 2017). Scholars commonly attribute this disparity to gender bias prevalent in rural cultures (Agostine-Wilson, 2017; Quinlan, 2013; Keller, 2014). To help address gender inequalities in educational leadership, schools, districts, and educational leaders must develop an awareness of specific structural and sociocultural challenges to the superintendency faced by women in rural contexts and take proactive steps to understand and mitigate those challenges. This study focused on the narratives and lived experiences of 12 women superintendents in rural school districts. The purpose of this research was to explore, through the critical lens of intersectional feminist theory, the potential challenges to the public school district superintendency that women face in the rural Midwest. Critical narrative inquiry helped explore the challenges that women face when aspiring to the superintendency in the rural Midwest. Using intersectional feminist theory as outlined by Crenshaw (1989) and Hankivsky (2014) assisted with analyzing the stories of rural women superintendents' discussing obstacles that they encountered when reaching for positions of power in rural communities. This study also explored the effects that COVID-19 had on these women's experiences as rural superintendents, an important aspect of their experience since the pandemic has disproportionally affected women in the United States (AAUW, 2020; Donovan and Labonte, 2020; Hilferty et al., 2021; Karageorge, 2020). By exploring and exposing challenges to the superintendency of rural Midwestern school districts faced by women, this study can help those interested in pursuing careers as rural school district leaders to learn about those obstacles and thus prepare themselves better to overcome them. The findings can potentially help aspiring women educational leaders devise strategies to overcome those challenges, such as using allies, mentors, and networks, as well as means to address gender bias. Additionally, this study can help policymakers and professional organizations develop courses of action to assist aspirants and districts with overcoming or dismantling those obstacles. This study's findings offer insights to rural school district leadership and boards of education to help them advance gender equity in their districts, ensuring that they have the best leadership possible. This study's findings can also serve as a springboard for more research on overcoming specific challenges to the superintendency, help graduate programs to incorporate curricula that would assist rural districts with these barriers, and provide suggestions to prospective superintendents of all genders for navigating rural contexts while serving as educational leaders. This study also provided an avenue for rural women superintendents to celebrate their surmounting these challenges. Finally, this study aims to promote gender equity in rural K-12 systems to support women serving in district-level leadership roles with providing leadership models for all students, especially those who identify as female.



Becoming a Woman Superintendent in Oklahoma: a Phenomenological Inquiry

Author : Barbara Boone-Wooten

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Page : 466 pages

File Size : 20,76 MB

Release : 2003

Category : Women school superintendents

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"Even though superintendents come predominantly from the teaching ranks, there is an ongoing shortage of women in the highest office of a profession that is dominated by them (Keller, 1999; Brunner, 1997). Some women do become superintendents, but there exists a need for more research on those women who do (Grogan, 1996). The purpose of this study was to describe the meaning of the lived experiences of women in their journey to becoming superintendents. The primary question was 'What is the meaning of the lived experiences of women in their journeys to becoming superintendents?' This study reviewed theories of development, theories of women in workplace, socializing influences on development, as well as studies of women's experiences and careers in the organization, particularly school administration. A phenomenological qualitative approach was used in this research study. A purposeful sample of 10 women public school superintendents in Oklahoma's independent (K-12) public school districts was interviewed. Data collection consisted of in-depth, open-ended interviews with seven Caucasians, two Native Americans, and one African American. Data were analyzed using the phenomenological methodology of Colaizzi (1978). Several aggregated theme clusters were important in the women's journeys to the superintendency. Those themes included birth order, parental influences, positive and negative role models, schooling, college and university training, husband and children, advanced degrees, experience, career paths, on-the-job mentors, traditional gender stereotyping, and gender/racial/religious discrimination. Quality control was maintained by establishing credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. The journeys of the participants began in their childhood and extended until they reached the superintendency. Both personal and professional life experiences of the women were explored. The researcher determined that a mixture of certain sociological factors combined with their personal and professional influences were instrumental in determining the meaning of the lived experiences of these women in their journeys to becoming superintendents. This was noted in the exhaustive description of the results of the women's journeys to the superintendency. From the exhaustive description of the results of the data analysis emerged a fundamental structure of becoming a woman superintendent"--Abstract.