The Gender Equity Role of Educational Administration Programs: Where are We? Where do we want to Go?

Abstract

The percentage of educational administration graduates and students who are women has been increasing since the 1980s. The study reported in this article identified continuing barriers to the employment of women as secondary school prin cipals and superintendents. Strategies are discussed that were reported by educa tional administration departments in UCEA universities as a means to overcome deter rents to women in school administration. Changes in schools, the role of school councils, societal changes, and an anticipated shortage of personnel to fill vacancies for principal and superintendent positions offer a teachable moment for addressing gender inequities in the field.

Is Androcentric Bias in the Educational Workplace on the Wane? Perplexing Findings

“…Our results provide direction for future research. We concur with others (Anderson, 1991;Logan & Scollay, 1999) that the impending retirement of large numbers of principals coupled with recent calls for redesigning the role of the principal provide a window of opportunity for mitigating gender segregation in the educational workplace. This study was limited to an empirical examination of two variables-leadership style and time commitment-purported to influence the job search behaviors of men and women differently.…”

“…Thus, defining the work of principalship to accommodate the prevailing notions of masculine behaviors, separating management from leadership, and developing a salary scale to pay administrators more than teachers created an educational workplace founded on androcentrism. Logan and Scollay (1999) predict that changes in the schools of the 1990s, anticipated vacancies in the school administrative positions, and an increasing number of women graduates from educational administration programs will dismantle gender segregation in the educational workplace. Whether such optimism is warranted may hinge on whether the androcentric bias identified by earlier research (e.g., Adkison, 1981;Hanson, 1984;Shakeshaft, 1981) continues to be embedded in theories of educational administration.…”

Joining the Ranks: Opportunities and Obstacles in Obtaining Principal Positions

“…Conversely, another study offered that the supply of certified female candidates is not the problem and perhaps is reflected by the fact that 54% of new principals were female (Gates et al 2003, p. 19). Additional data indicate that female enrollment in educational administration preparation programs has grown, although the number of females in administrative roles remains disproportionate, particularly at the secondary school principal and superintendent levels (Logan & Scollay, 1999;Pounder & Merrill, 2001).…”

Examining the Satisfaction of Educational Leaders and Their Intent to Pursue Career Advancement in Public School Administration

“…Because of the small number of high school principals and superintendents who are women or members of an ethnic minority, these positions may seem unattainable to these groups, thereby resulting in an unwillingness to compete for open positions (Jones, 2001). Furthermore, overt or subtle discrimination in hiring practices has not been eliminated as a possible factor in the underrepresentation of these groups in educational administration (Jones, 2000;Logan & Scollay, 1999). It is imperative to discover and examine the components of the job that make it less desirable to candidates and to identify issues surrounding the underrepresentation of women and ethnic minority leaders.…”

“…Much of the previous research on administrators' professional and institutional worklife (i.e., context) issues have been frequently cited in the literature as concerns, barriers, and deterrents to achieve high levels of satisfaction, including long work hours, lack of resources, little compensation, and diverse roles and responsibilities (e.g., Brubaker & Thomas, 2000;DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2003;Eckman, 2004;Glass, 2000;Grogan & Brunner, 2005b;Houston, 2001;Kerrins, 2001;Roza et al, 2003;Shen & Crawford, 2003;Wendel, 1999). Moreover, what continues to be prevalent throughout the literature as factors that have an influence on administrators' satisfaction and their subsequent intentions to pursue career advancement or leave their careers and positions altogether are personal and family issues-including time demands of family and parenting, financial obligations, the fear of failure (e.g., DiPaola & Tschannen-Moran, 2003;Eckman, 2004;Glass et al, 2000)-as well as the barriers of the glass ceiling, sex role stereotypes, role conflict, and discrimination faced by women (e.g., Logan & Scollay, 1999;Tallerico & Blount, 2004;Young, 2003) and ethnic minorities (e.g., Glass et al, 2000;Grogan & Brunner, 2005a;Jones, 2001). If the nation is to avoid the anticipated shortfall of qualified administrators, an examination of these worklife experiences and personal and family issues among administrators who are in the pipeline to the principalship and superintendency is essential for identifying indicators that may influence such persons' intended advancement or departure.…”