Gender Bias in the K–12 Superintendency: How Female Leaders Navigate Male-Dominated Sectors

• In Event: AERA Graduate Student Research-in-Progress Roundtable Session 1
  In Roundtable Session: National, Local, and Institutional Leadership Models: Gender, Sexuality, and Social Justice (Table 1)

Abstract

The K-12 public school superintendency remains a male-dominated profession, despite education being a female-dominated field. Surveys of superintendents by various organizations demonstrate that the "old boys network" is still active and influential within the field, contributing to bias in decisions to enter the superintendency, hiring practices, and interactions with school board members. I seek to study the stories of female superintendents to see if their stories match these dominant narratives.
Keywords: superintendency, women leaders, female leaders, leadership styles, old boys network, mentors, mentoring, sponsorship, gender bias, dominant narrative, hegemonic narrative, storytelling

Author

• Theresa Bartholomew, Warrior Run School District