Women seeking top positions in K12 leadership say they are too often funneled into teaching and learning, and steered away from building skills in finance, operations, talent management and other non-academic roles.
The 200 female education leaders interviewed also report that stress and burnout remain high as they struggle to maintain a work-life balance, according to the latest 2026 Women Leading Ed Insight Survey.
District Administration’s recent coverage spotlights a consistent stream of first-time superintendents and women leaders entering the superintendency. That jibes with the report’s findings that most female educators aspire to advancement in their careers.
But these leaders say they don’t receive the same breadth of professional development as their male counterparts, even as they take on additional responsibilities. In recent years, these leaders have added “office housework”—such as organizing events, taking meeting minutes and staying late to manage logistics—to their to-do lists, the report says.
AI is now adding to the burden. While most of the leaders surveyed use AI regularly, only about a third say they have resources to implement AI “safely and effectively.”
“The story emerging from this year’s survey is not one of retreat,” the report notes. “Instead, it reveals a group of leaders looking at a deeply strained system and saying, in effect, ‘I want the authority, tools, and training to fix it.'”
3 ways to support women in K12 leadership
The report highlights strategies to support female educators in developing a wider range of skills as they seek to advance in their careers:
- Introduce leadership pathways early and explicitly. Steering women toward teaching and learning roles leaves them with little experience in other district operations needed for advancement. District leaders should identify female educators with leadership potential earlier and create pathways that build a wider range of skills.
- Expand the scope of PD. Women leaders need more frequent training in areas such as finance, operations and strategy. They also need sponsorship from
experienced leaders and industry experts to build stronger professional networks. - Clarify AI leadership roles. Women are more likely to take on AI integration without it being formally assigned to them, a phenomenon known as “invisible labor.” To prevent this, districts should specify who is responsible for various AI-related tasks and share knowledge as educators learn to use the technology.
On the move: 2 big districts, and many others, pick new superintendents
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