Women in the high school principalship
Date
2007
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Abstract
Women are underrepresented in the ranks of the high school principalship. Long hours and lack of support may make the job unappealing for candidates. As America "grays" there is a predicted shortage of principals to lead our schools. The study examines, through the words of three women, how they think and speak of their journey to a principalship. Their experience can guide aspiring administrators. This study is an interpretative phenomenological analysis. Five themes emerged: perceptions, leadership traits, support systems, career paths and lesson to share. The participants (self) tape-recorded their responses to a series of reflective questions that describe their experiences as high school principals. The tapes were transcribed verbatim and analyzed. The data was collected in three phases; spanning a total of eight-weeks. Each phase required a two-week window for the participant to think about the questions and respond. The participants reflect on barriers to obtaining a principalship, career paths, and counsel that they have for aspiring secondary women principals. The literature review examines the issue of continued under representation of women in the high school principalship, leadership styles and traits, and ways to meet the increasing demand for public school leadership in the 21st century. The study was also reflective of the limited number of available participants in the regional area examined. The participants mirror the literature by underscoring the following areas: leadership training, understanding the work of the principalship, networking and mentoring as tools to assist women in being successful in the high school principalship. This study draws from aspects of an ambitious, complex, and broad-based need to understand the female experience in relationship to the high school principalship. The perspectives provide a context for success as practitioners.
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Subject
high school
principalship
women administrators
women's studies
school administration
secondary education
educational administration