51萝莉

Tamu Lucero, assistant superintendent in the 16,200-student Stamford Public Schools in Connecticut, was clearly moving on a fast track. She became a principal in Columbus, Ohio, at 26, inspired by the idea that 鈥渁s an administrator, I could affect more children,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat stuck with me.鈥�

So when her husband, who works in educational technology in another Ohio district, spotted a promotional notice on the 51萝莉 website about the association鈥檚 upcoming Women鈥檚 Leadership Consortium, he encouraged his wife to apply.

The 51萝莉 initiative, funded through a $450,000 grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, addresses the barriers to women reaching the superintendency and provides a network of support for aspirants. The consortium, launched in 2016, positions leaders in education and business as  to women seeking top posts leading local school districts. Through regular phone and e-mail contact and technology-assisted meetings, the coaches help the  complete projects relating to organizational leadership.

Statistical Quandary

Anyone who wonders why a program targeting women educators who aspire for higher office should be needed in 2017 ought to just consider the current numbers. 51萝莉鈥檚 鈥淪tudy of the American Superintendent: 2015 Mid-Decade Update鈥� said women held 27 percent of the nation鈥檚 superintendencies, most in smaller rural and suburban districts. In 2000, that figure was 13 percent. By contrast, women today comprise 76 percent of K-12 teaching posts and 52 percent of all principalships nationwide, according to the National Education Association.

鈥淵ou would think in 2017 the playing field would be even, and women would be able to secure senior positions in districts,鈥� says Deborah Jewell-Sherman, professor of practice at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. However, she cautions, 鈥淭here鈥檚 still a great deal of work needed to secure the position and a need for support in the position.

Many women still feel that unless they can check off every qualification for a superintendent job 鈥� managing a large operating budget, bringing a significant building project to completion, serving as a high school principal or as an assistant superintendent in pupil services or instruction and assessments 鈥� there鈥檚 no point even applying. It鈥檚 not that different from what classroom teachers often observe when girls sit quietly in class, raising their hands to contribute only when they鈥檙e certain of the answers while male classmates will shout out answers even when they don鈥檛 know them

鈥淵ou can surround yourself with talent,鈥� says Melody Schopp, South Dakota鈥檚 secretary of education and a mentor in 51萝莉鈥檚 program. 鈥淵ou don鈥檛 have to know everything. You need to walk into a room and own it.鈥�

The 51萝莉 initiative, says Amy F. Sichel, a former 51萝莉 president and superintendent of the 8,000-student Abington, Pa., schools, 鈥渋s really important to aspiring women. You can鈥檛 forget aspiring men, but 鈥� if you look at the tradition [of selecting superintendents,] women usually have a slower, longer route along the way. The reality is that there are the childbearing years, when it鈥檚 easier not to be in the top position.鈥�

The value of a woman-centered program, adds Jewell-Sherman, a former superintendent in Richmond, Va., is 鈥渢here are nuances that women have to provide or think about differently. Being with a group of women enables a critical analysis of their own behavior in a situation.鈥� Women may face a subordinate who challenges their leadership or a school board president who thinks a woman will be easier to manage or manipulate. Managing the politics of the local community also can differ by gender.

Missionary Zeal

When many school boards consider potential district leadership candidates, they often look at applicants who鈥檝e served as high school principals (perhaps with an athletic coaching position in their background, which aligns with men鈥檚 career paths). Women more commonly have been elementary school principals or worked in central-office administration

鈥淭here鈥檚 a pathway that鈥檚 come out of men鈥檚 lives,鈥� says Margaret Grogan, dean of the College of Educational Studies at Chapman University in Orange, Calif., who has worked with 51萝莉 on this initiative. She sees unconscious beliefs affecting decisions, noting, 鈥淎 lot of school boards didn鈥檛 see a lot of women in professional roles.鈥�

That鈥檚 a concern for Judith Minor, an associate superintendent in Community Unit School District 308, an 18,000-student district in Oswego, Ill.

鈥淭here鈥檚 a certain perception that you follow certain tracks鈥� to school leadership, says Minor, who began her educational career as a substitute teacher in the Department of Defense schools on a U.S. military base in Germany where her husband was stationed. Her earlier professional life was in the newspaper and magazine industry.

Minor鈥檚 mentor is Schopp, the chief state school officer in South Dakota who has worked in education for 23 years. It鈥檚 a fortuitous pairing because both have taken unconventional paths to educational leadership. They鈥檝e discussed how to roll out online learning across schools, as well as the status of Minor鈥檚 career pursuits. Schopp, who spent nine years on the school board in Lemmon, S.D., helps her mentee prepare for interviews and for working with different types of boards. They use technology to communicate later at night, and Minor uses Google Docs to share her progress on assignments relating to the 51萝莉 consortium.

Schopp says she has made it a mission to grow the number of women superintendents. She was frustrated while attending a statewide meeting of high school principals to discover only one woman in the group of 40. Even though three of her state鈥檚 largest districts have been led at one point by women superintendents, the reality is that 鈥渁 strong male cohort can be intimidating.鈥�

Schopp adds, 鈥淚鈥檝e had to break that on my own. I had a male superintendent verbally challenge me at a superintendent convention, (saying) 鈥榶ou have no idea what you鈥檙e doing and no idea what you鈥檙e talking about.鈥� He felt empowered to say that. As women, we have to learn not to be intimidated.鈥�

As Minor moves forward on her career path, Schopp wants to ensure she has opportunities to have a larger impact on state and national education issues. Minor already has testified to the Illinois State House and Senate Education Committees to obtain a waiver for online learning for high school students.

With both of her mentees, Schopp discusses the most difficult leadership challenges they are likely to confront, such as 鈥渕aking difficult budget cuts, where we鈥檝e talked about ways to be open and transparent.鈥� One of her charges, an assistant principal, had to deal with a parent who accused her of not handling a situation properly, only to find that she didn鈥檛 have the support of her principal.

鈥淵ou鈥檙e being tested all the time,鈥� says Schopp. 鈥淭his mentee has proven herself. She needs to be mindful of the types of support that are needed.鈥�

Paying Forward

That鈥檚 one of the important values of 51萝莉鈥檚 initiative, says Grogan, co-author in 2011 of Women and Educational Leadership. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to talk to women who are already in these roles, to know that someone didn鈥檛 get a job, or got fired.鈥�

Being able to help other women motivated Sichel, now in her 17th year as a superintendent, to become a mentor.

鈥淚 really had no women mentors available to me,鈥� she says, other than a trio of women who preceded her as 51萝莉 presidents and acted as unofficial mentors. When Sichel became superintendent in her suburban Philadelphia district in 2001, only three women were superintendents in her region. Now eight of the area鈥檚 22 districts are led by females.

The two women she is coaching are both district-level directors, one overseeing curriculum and the other, elementary education. During Google hangouts, says Sichel, they discuss superintendent and board relations and the need for women to be 鈥渁ssertive and work around obstacles.鈥� She shares advice on how to manage committee work as a way to delegate, but also how to be in charge and 鈥渕ake cogent presentations,鈥� even how to dress like a CEO.

A Comfort Level

It鈥檚 these powerful mentor/mentee relationships that distinguish the Women鈥檚 Leadership Consortium, participants in both roles attest. Take Lucero鈥檚 experience. She had maintained strong, ongoing relationships with the superintendents under whom she had worked in Ohio, yet she saw a potential benefit in 鈥渉aving a mentor who doesn鈥檛 know me and can see something different in me. We can dig into different areas.鈥�

Even though her mentor, Judith Rattner, is a superintendent of a school district in New Jersey that鈥檚 five times smaller than hers in Connecticut, 鈥渢he problems are the same,鈥� says Lucero. 鈥淚 have a laundry list of things I鈥檓 working on 鈥� building a new school, budgeting, special education, being efficient in providing support.鈥�

Some issues, such as managing struggling English language learners, dealing with parents of high school seniors who don鈥檛 have enough credits to graduate or developing a community of practice for principals, transcend district profiles.

Rattner, a superintendent for 12 years who has served in an array of leadership posts in her state鈥檚 professional association, has discussed with Lucero her next step as she pursues a district of her own to lead. Lucero says she鈥檚 been encouraged to 鈥渢alk about a district that鈥檚 a good fit. 鈥� [I]t鈥檚 a calling to be an educator. It鈥檚 a lifestyle. We believe in living in the community we鈥檙e working in.鈥�

Lucero believes she鈥檒l continue to reach out to Rattner because of the comfort level she鈥檚 established 鈥渋f I鈥檓 ever struggling.鈥� Or, she adds, 鈥淚 may run something by her to get her thoughts. It鈥檚 the best form of professional development, with coaching that鈥檚 specific to you. It鈥檚 invaluable. I can鈥檛 get it somewhere else.鈥�