| Description |
The public school superintendency has been a professional field that has been dominated by men. Although statistics surrounding gender and the superintendency are changing, progress has been modest. This necessitated that I elicit stories from female superintendents because their experiences are literally not represented in the archives, in either school district data or education policy research. This study asks the following questions: 1. What are the personal and professional experiences of past and/or present female superintendents in Utah? 2. What key factors influenced their trajectory into the superintendency? However, what I experienced and found was much more. Throughout data collection, the participants discussed how they negotiated being in a position of power where they were unexpected to be. Further, the dissertation begins to address the complex relationships between structural, discursive, and socialization frameworks that impact how women in the superintendency experience their roles and gender roles. Findings include gender bias, balancing personal and professional lives, working with school boards, mentoring, and the encouragement of more women to pursue their dreams. Recommendations for future research include exploring health issues superintendents face, if there is a difference in the quality of life of superintendents depending on their gender, looking at graduate students experiences and their preparation for leadership, and focusing specifically on retired female superintendents. |
