Black women who become school-based administrators are severely understudied in scholarly research (Lomotey, 2019). Studies suggest that Black women in the United States, who ascend into educational leadership positions, rely on professional training(s) associated with their employment and understandings accrued from inter/personal background…

This study explores the underrepresentation of women in the public school superintendency, a role historically dominated by men, and examines the barriers and opportunities that shape women's pathways to this senior leadership position in education, as well as strategies they credit with helping them in their role. Using a qualitative,…

It is widely known that gender bias persists in male-dominated fields. Gender bias is often defined as acts that position one prototypical social group over another (Begeny et al., 2020; Gloor et al., 2020; Roberts & Brown, 2019; Scheifele et al., 2021). It is unknown how male superintendents mentor women while established in their…

This study sought to examine the underlying issues and perceptions of sitting male and female superintendents in order to add to the current literature on feminism in the K-12 school setting. Specifically, this study sought to examine the perceptions of currently employed superintendents about how they experienced the intersection of gender and…

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of African American women serving as executive-level administrators (assistant, associate, deputy superintendents and/or superintendents) in Texas public school districts. Specifically, this study investigated how executive-level African American women in Texas public schools perceive…

The intent of this study was to understand the experiences of female superintendents, including those of color, serving in public school districts across California as they navigate the politics associated with culturally divisive conflict. The sample comprised 12 female superintendents serving various lengths of tenure in nine counties in…

African-American women face substantial career barriers when seeking ascension to educational leadership. Numerous factors contribute to career advancement barriers, such as systemic, institutional challenges, organizational factors, personality, and individual contributors. Various systemic and managerial aspects, directly and indirectly, were…

The problem addressed in this multiple case study was that female building principals in public schools were moving from principal to superintendent in small numbers, despite their large numbers in educational roles. The decrease in the number of available principals and the growing need for qualified applicants makes it essential to determine how…

Despite the progressive advance in the equality of rights and opportunities, a significant number of women who lead school organisations continue to encounter a series of obstacles when it comes to exercising school management. In this context, the article presents the experience of six women who lead educational establishments in the Araucanía…

This paper employs the feminist educational leadership perspective to analyse the ecological context and its influence on the leadership experiences of school head teachers within a patriarchal cultural setting. Methodology: This paper forms part of a mixed methods study that included a quantitative random survey during the first research phase to…

Women are underrepresented in a variety of fields, including educational leadership. Upon assuming leadership roles, women often struggle to effectively lead due to a pervasive context of sexism and genderism in the workplace. Schools are not immune to this phenomenon. Since women comprise approximately 50% of the population, it seems logical that…

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 article analyses the disaggregated data from the 2020 American Superintendent Decennial Study. The focus on superintendents of colour provides important insight into the ways individuals holding the highest rank in school districts govern the instructional, facilities, fiscal, personnel, and community relations matters as they comprehensively…

Though Massachusetts is viewed as a leader in K-12 education, our state grapples with significant racial and gender power gaps in education leadership. This report, developed in partnership with the Women's Power Gap Initiative of the Eos Foundation, delves into the inequities among superintendents and other leadership roles in Massachusetts…

Despite advances in political movements and societal awareness, there is still an obvious gender discrepancy among U.S. public education secondary school and superintendent positions plaguing our nation. Data indicates that most middle and high school classroom teaching positions are filled by women and yet more campuses and districts are led by…