Leadership and Gender Equity: Lessons Learned that Cannot be Forgotten

Session Type: Invited Speaker Session

Abstract

In the current politically-charged environment where education has become a target, educational leaders at all levels are facing immense pressure and stress. Both challenges and expectations have shifted and continue to shift, requiring leaders to redefine themselves and leadership in general. From PK-12 public school campuses to district board rooms to university administration, leaders are facing evolving landscapes. Whether dictated by state legislative bodies or federal oversight, educational policies always serve particular interests, even when framed as reforms, and leadership plays a central role in either maintaining or disrupting those interests.This session highlights the challenges facing educational leaders such as funding cuts, threats to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and political pressure in an environment that is chaotic and turbulent.

Sub Unit

• Committee on Scholars and Advocates for Gender Equity in Education

Chair

• Margaret-Mary Sulentic Dowell, Louisiana State University

Session Organizer

• Francesca López, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Discussant

• Kevin Lawrence Henry, University of Wisconsin - Madison

Panelists

• Estela Zarate, Loyola Marymount University

• Henderson Lewis Jr., Louisiana State University