Gender bias is still a major obstacle standing in the way of women in district and state education leadership. A new survey reveals that these leaders “nearly universally experience gender-based bias that impacts their ability to do their job, how they feel about their work, and their overall well-being.”
“Women are in the same space as men, but they are not playing the same game as men,” says Julia Rafal-Baer, CEO of Women Leading Ed, which released its first-ever Insight Survey on Tuesday. “Women are being held back from advancement at every career rung.”
The survey features the responses of 110 women—half of whom identified as leaders of color—who serve nearly eight million students in 81 different districts in 28 states. The respondents held roles ranging from district and state superintendents to aspiring leaders in various administrative positions.
More from DA: New group of superintendent hires reflects diversity—to a degree
Nearly all of the superintendents surveyed—95%—said they have had to make sacrifices in their professional lives that their male colleagues did not. Nearly six out of 10 of all respondents have considered leaving their current position due to “strain and stress.”
“When women are getting into top leadership roles, it’s often done with a small margin of error,” Rafal-Baer, says. “And they’re coming into systems that have not dealt with some of their underlying problems and these women are the ones getting blamed when the problems come to bear.”
More key findings from the survey:
- 82% of respondents reported often or sometimes feeling external pressure to dress, speak or behave a certain way because they are women.
- 55% of women of color report that they “often” feel this pressure compared to 36% of white women.
- 57% say they have been overlooked or passed up for advancement opportunities given to male colleagues.
- 53% of superintendents say their gender has influenced the outcome of conversations or negotiations about their salaries.
Women also face what the survey described as a “skewed leadership pipeline.” Only 18% of the respondents who had served as a principal had led a high school and three-quarters spent most of their careers in academic positions. In other words, women are not getting coached for exectuive leadership roles and it takes longer for female educators to climb the ladder, Rafal-Baer notes.
“These results reflect the fact that leadership pipelines often position men more quickly and efficiently for top leadership positions, from teacher through high school principal to executive leadership and, ultimately, to superintendent, while women are coached into roles in elementary- or middle-school leadership and academic pathways,” the survey explains.
Overcoming gender bias
“The Time is Now: A New Playbook for Women in Education Leadership” presents strategies to eliminate gender bias from the K12 hiring and promotion progress. It was developed for Women Leading Ed by 100 female district, state and federal leaders last year.
The highlighted strategies include:
-
- Create support systems to prepare women for leadership roles: Women in education need sponsors as well as mentors. While mentors provide encouragement and advice, sponsors “take a hands-on role in managing career moves and promoting executives as potential CEOs.”
- Re-balance the hiring process through requirements and the promotion of best practices: Districts seeking new leaders must build a diverse finalist pool that includes more than one woman or candidate of color. School board members and other personnel involved in hiring and promotions should receive training to help them become aware of their biases and how they can prioritize diversity.
- Provide family and well-being supports: Women in education need the flexibility of hybrid and remote work, both of which have been shown to increase job satisfaction and reduce burnout. Districts should also implement comprehensive leave policies that offer female and male employees paid time off without repercussions.
- Set public goals for female leadership and increase transparency: Districts conducting superintendent searches should be required to make their finalist pools public or share information such as the number of finalists and the percentage of male and female candidates, and candidates of color.
- Ensure financial fairness: A “self-assessment pay calculator” allows employees to check if their district provides women and men with equal pay for equal work. District leaders should also audit their pay structures to identify and close gender wage gaps, and share these findings with employees.
