Navigating the Labyrinth: The Impact of Women's Experiences on Achieving the Superintendency
The pathway for women to reach the superintendency in the United States is shaped by entrenched systems that resist progress. Women are often unfairly.
- Pub. date: June 15, 2025
- Pages: 117-128
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- #Female superintendents
- # labyrinth
- # underrepresentation of women in the superintendency
- # women's lived experiences and the superintendency.
Abstract:
The pathway for women to reach the superintendency in the United States is shaped by entrenched systems that resist progress. Women are often unfairly blamed for their lack of representation, which then perpetuates the notion that they are less suited for leadership. However, women are proving their capabilities by dismantling societal barriers, drawing on, and sharing their lived experiences, and transforming perceptions of female leadership. This study investigated the lived experiences of five female superintendents to reveal the specific actions and strategies that empowered them to achieve the superintendency. Utilizing Seidman’s three-interview approach, data were gathered through individual interviews, which were then analyzed thematically. The participants successfully navigated societal challenges by harnessing their unique strengths to influence, mobilize, and build strategic alliances. They seized key opportunities in their journeys and cultivated their skills, talents, and potential. The women did not merely adapt to existing structures; they actively created new opportunities for themselves, their communities, and future generations.
female superintendents labyrinth underrepresentation of women in the superintendency womens lived experiences and the superintendency
Keywords: Female superintendents, labyrinth, underrepresentation of women in the superintendency, women's lived experiences and the superintendency.
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