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Gender Inequity in the Representation of Women as Superintendents in Mississippi Public Schools

Author : Deidre Joy Seale Smith

Publisher :

Page : 281 pages

File Size : 12,5 MB

Release : 2015

Category : Public schools

ISBN :

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Book Description

This qualitative study investigated the phenomenon of continuing underrepresentation of female superintendents in Mississippi K-12 public schools. The study was conducted during the 2014-2015 school year. At the time of the study, women represented 23% of the overall population of superintendents in Mississippi public schools. Fourteen women who were serving as superintendents in Mississippi during the 2014-2015 school year participated. Interviews were conducted, and the qualitative data were analyzed using the constant comparative method. The data were analyzed using constructs associated with feminist theory, feminist poststructuralist and feminist standpoint theoretical frameworks. Two primary themes emerged as a result of this research study. First, gender discrimination represented the primary factor impacting every area of the female superintendents' lives -- both professionally and personally; and second, the women often denied the existence of or failed to recognize any existence of challenges associated with gender. The findings resulted in specific implications that guided the development of recommendations for policy, practice, and future research. Recommendations for policy and practice included initiating dialogue associated with gender bias between women and men, specifically in the field of education, and the inclusion of gender consciousness as required components in undergraduate education and graduate educational leadership programs. Finally, a number of recommendations for future research were provided, including replicating the current study utilizing a case study methodology, exploring the intersection of gender and race relative to the superintendency, and analyzing current education and educational leadership graduate and undergraduate degree programs of study in colleges throughout Mississippi for inclusion (or exclusion) of gender consciousness. --Page ii.



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

Author : LaKeyshure Washington-Marzell

Publisher :

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 19,9 MB

Release : 2023

Category : Women school superintendents

ISBN :

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Book Description

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



Women Superintendents in the Rural Midwest

Author : Anne R. Strothman

Publisher :

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 42,21 MB

Release : 2023

Category :

ISBN :

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Book Description

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.



The Underrepresentation of African American Female Public School Superintendents

Author : Joylynn LaGrace Pruitt

Publisher :

Page : 46 pages

File Size : 27,33 MB

Release : 2015

Category : African American women

ISBN :

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Book Description

Abstract Women, particularly African American women, have been underrepresented in educational administrative leadership at the level of public school district superintendent. Because so few women currently hold the position of public school district superintendent, studies on the characteristics of individuals who become public school district superintendents have almost exclusively been focused on men; therefore the role of school district superintendent has continued to elude very qualified women particularly African American women and other women of color who seek the position of superintendent. This study addressed the perceptions, barriers, and challenges which impede the advancement of African American females who aspire to the position of public school district superintendency. This study was limited to a sample size of six African American female superintendents. A narrative inquiry methodology utilized the semi-standardized interview which identified reoccurring themes. Reflections of successful African American female superintendents are revealed to encourage more African American female aspirants to seek the public school superintendency and thereby shattering the glass ceiling impacted by race and gender. The study provided implications for African American females who aspire to the superintendency, relative to preparation, practice, and policy.



Activist Educators

Author : Catherine Marshall

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 233 pages

File Size : 20,14 MB

Release : 2008-10

Category : Education

ISBN : 1135910448

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Book Description

Activist Educators offers a view of assertive idealistic professionals’ lives by presenting rich qualitative data on the impetus behind their activism and the strategies they used to push limits in fighting for a cause.



Handbook for Achieving Gender Equity Through Education

Author : Susan S. Klein

Publisher : Routledge

Page : 763 pages

File Size : 32,23 MB

Release : 2014-05-22

Category : Education

ISBN : 1317639618

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Book Description

First published in 1985, the Handbook for Achieving Gender Equity Through Education quickly established itself as the essential reference work concerning gender equity in education. This new, expanded edition provides a 20-year retrospective of the field, one that has the great advantage of documenting U.S. national data on the gains and losses in the efforts to advance gender equality through policies such as Title IX, the landmark federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education, equity programs and research. Key features include: Expertise – Like its predecessor, over 200 expert authors and reviewers provide accurate, consensus, research-based information on the nature of gender equity challenges and what is needed to meet them at all levels of education. Content Area Focus – The analysis of gender equity within specific curriculum areas has been expanded from 6 to 10 chapters including mathematics, science, and engineering. Global/Diversity Focus – Global gender equity is addressed in a separate chapter as well as in numerous other chapters. The expanded section on gender equity strategies for diverse populations contains seven chapters on African Americans, Latina/os, Asian and Pacific Island Americans, American Indians, gifted students, students with disabilities, and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students. Action Oriented – All chapters contain practical recommendations for making education activities and outcomes more gender equitable. A final chapter consolidates individual chapter recommendations for educators, policymakers, and researchers to achieve gender equity in and through education. New Material – Expanded from 25 to 31 chapters, this new edition includes: *more emphasis on male gender equity and on sexuality issues; *special within population gender equity challenges (race, ability and disability, etc); *coeducation and single sex education; *increased use of rigorous research strategies such as meta-analysis showing more sex similarities and fewer sex differences and of evaluations of implementation programs; *technology and gender equity is now treated in three chapters; *women’s and gender studies; *communication skills relating to English, bilingual, and foreign language learning; and *history and implementation of Title IX and other federal and state policies. Since there is so much misleading information about gender equity and education, this Handbook will be essential for anyone who wants accurate, research-based information on controversial gender equity issues—journalists, policy makers, teachers, Title IX coordinators, equity trainers, women’s and gender study faculty, students, and parents.



African-American Women Superintendents

Author : Shelly Geneen Goines-Harris

Publisher :

Page : 280 pages

File Size : 32,94 MB

Release : 2020

Category : African American women educators

ISBN :

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Book Description

This research study was designed to add to the existing but limited literature that explores perceived barriers and challenges African-American women superintendents experienced while ascending and serving in the superintendency. According to the literature, African-American women are underrepresented in the role of public school superintendents. This study examined the impact of gender and racial discrimination on African-American women superintendent aspirants and those currently serving in the role. This study surveyed and interviewed African-American women superintendents serving in public school districts in North Carolina and South Carolina, examining their perceptions of barriers and challenges experienced while ascending and serving in the superintendency. Race and gender were the two identified themes found in the analysis of survey and interview data. This study determined that race and gender have an impact on African-American women public school superintendents while ascending and serving in the role. All subthemes supported racial and gender biases. Choice of dress, working in a male-dominated field, isolation and exclusion from “good old boy networks,” dispelling the belief that African-American women do not make good administrators, and the lack of acceptance by male and non-African-American administrators and staff were all subthemes of the impact of race and gender. The findings of this study will serve to better prepare African-American women who aspire to and serve in the superintendency when faced with barriers and challenges rooted in racial and gender biases. The findings can be used to better inform school boards, hiring personnel, educational leadership programs, and public school districts of the barriers and challenges African-American women public school superintendents experience and how race and gender impact them in the role of superintendent.



Gender Employment Equity Power Status Among Missouri Superintendents of Public Schools

Author : Kristina Ann Alexander

Publisher :

Page : 164 pages

File Size : 38,69 MB

Release : 2002

Category : Feminism and education

ISBN :

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Book Description

Purpose of the study . The purpose of this quantitative research study was to determine if a dominator culture existed and affected negotiation and access power gender inequities between male and female superintendents in the public school system in the state of Missouri. In addition, this study investigated 435 public school districts and their distinctive characteristics when compared by superintendents' gender. The characteristics studied were: equity among men's and women's salaries and mileage reimbursement (negotiation power); number of sick, personal, and vacation days given (negotiation power); monetary allowance, health, life, and dental insurance, car usage, and professional dues compensation (negotiation power); district assessed valuation among men and women superintendents (access power); school enrollment (access power); and school accreditation (access power); and which negotiation and access power variables best discriminated between male and female superintendents. This information should contribute to the knowledge of what women superintendents must face and overcome in a male dominated profession. Conclusions . After inspection and reflection of the findings documented in this study, several conclusions were warranted. Male "insider" domination of the superintendency remains strong in public schools in the state of Missouri. Women have low negotiation power compared to men as demonstrated by significantly lower salaries. Access power for women when compared to men shows large differences in accessibility to larger, wealthier school districts. Male domination has been perpetuated because of men's past access to the superintendency positional power. For this male domination to be broken, female superintendents must gain access to larger, wealthier districts and increase the number of women employed in the superintendency. Recommendations . Future investigation could reveal why negotiation and access power variables are so significantly different between men and women superintendents. Future studies could be conducted to investigate if the variables differ because of gender discrimination, lack of women in the superintendency, due to the difficulty of being hired in districts as a female, lack of women in the superintendency due to other reasons unknown, or other factors that create this discrimination. Finally, a comparison of variables in five to ten years would assist in analyzing the lack of women superintendents as compared to men to reveal if the discrimination has subsided or is still prevalent.



Female School Superintendents in Tennessee

Author : Vicki Cameron Violette

Publisher :

Page : 0 pages

File Size : 34,51 MB

Release : 2006

Category : Feminism and education

ISBN :

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Book Description

The school superintendency is the most gender stratified executive position in the United States, with men 20 times more likely than women to advance from the level of teacher to the top leadership role in a school district (Skrla, 1999). Although the majority of teachers in public schools are women, the majority of superintendents are men (Bell & Chase, 1993; Blount, 1998; Brunner, 1999; Grogan, 1996; Mertz, 1991; Shakeshaft, 1989; Skrla, 1999; Young, 1999). Though women have made slight progress in moving into superintendent positions during the past few years, there is still a disproportionate under representation of females nationwide in these top-level positions (Bell & Chase, 1993; Grogan, 1999; Shakeshaft, 1989). Of the 136 school systems in 2003 in the state of Tennessee, 19 systems were led by women (Tennessee State Department of Education, 2004). The purpose of this study was to examine what barriers to the superintendency exist and how some females in the state of Tennessee have overcome these obstacles in achieving the position of superintendent of school systems. This phenomenon was investigated using the theory of "Gatekeeping" (Lewin, 1947, 1951; Shoemaker, 1991) as a theoretical framework and focused on the 19 female superintendents in the state of Tennessee. Furthermore, this qualitative study utilized a multiple case study design, with questionnaires, interviews, and field notes as sources of data. When investigating the barriers that women face, the findings included: a lack of aspiration and motivation; personal beliefs, attitudes and self-image; gender discrimination; and family responsibilities and expectations. When researching how barriers were overcome, the findings included: experience and education; sponsorship and mentors; preparation; family support; leadership style; right fit; and personal characteristics. There were two major conclusions from this study of perceived barriers and how women overcome these barriers associated with seeking a superintendent position. First, it appears that women continue to faces barriers in reaching the level of superintendency. Second, mentors and supporters appear to make a difference for women in successfully reaching the level of superintendent.



Women and Educational Leadership

Author : Margaret Grogan

Publisher : John Wiley & Sons

Page : 144 pages

File Size : 19,28 MB

Release : 2010-11-11

Category : Education

ISBN : 0470933496

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Book Description

This groundbreaking book presents a new way of looking at leadership that is anchored in research on women leaders in education. The authors examine how successful women in education lead and offer suggestions and ideas for developing and honing these exemplary leadership practices. Women and Educational Leadership shows how the qualities that characterize women's approaches to leadership differ from traditional approaches?whether the traditional leader is a woman or a man. The authors reveal that women leaders are more collaborative by nature and demonstrate a commitment to social justice. They tend to bring an instructional focus to leadership, include spiritual dimensions in their work, and strive for balance between the personal and professional. This important book offers a new model of leadership that shifts away from the traditional heroic notion of leadership to the collective account of leadership that focuses on leadership for a specific purpose—like social justice. The authors include illustrative examples of leaders who have brought diverse groups to work toward common ground. They also show how leadership is a way to facilitate and support the work of organizational members. The ideas and suggestions presented throughout the book can help the next generation fulfill the promise of a new tradition of leadership. Women and Educational Leadership is part of the Jossey-Bass Leadership Library in Education series.