Twenty-five years ago, a dozen women—at the time the only female school superintendents in Oregon—gathered for dinner the night before an annual education conference. The plan was to network, but in reality, it was a rare chance to share their challenges and talk openly about what it felt like to be one of just a few women in such a male-dominated profession.
These experienced administrators were frustrated with a system that perpetuated pay disparities, held them to a higher standard than their male counterparts, and kept their fellow female educators from rising through the ranks. But they were also fueled by hope that change was on the horizon.
What they could not imagine at the time is that, thanks in part to their collective efforts and professional organizing, women now hold 36% of superintendent roles in Oregon (slightly above the national average), and even more aspiring leaders are coming up behind them. The 71 incredible superintendents have broken down gender barriers aided by the Coalition of Oregon School Administrators and its Oregon Women Superintendent Network. Together, they have built a framework that could help other states expand top school leadership opportunities for women. Here’s what we have learned about the best path to progress.
1. Encourage professional connection among women
When the Oregon Women’s Superintendent Network began in 2019, female leaders feared joining a women-only network would come with peer or district blowback. So the network started small meetings with just a handful of women superintendents. They connected, learned about each individual’s strengths, and called on one another for support and celebration.
After two years, these pioneers began inviting other current and aspiring leaders into this empowering space. This summer, the school administrators’ coalition, where I serve, launched the Women Leadership Network II, a second monthly group designed exclusively to support any female leaders in district administration. More than 130 principals, assistant principals, and central office administrators have signed up and begun exchanging ideas, solving problems, and growing professionally.
The lessons shared and the guidance provided inspire more female educators to follow a leadership trajectory.
2. Recognize multiple paths to leadership
For women teachers, transitioning from the classroom to school or district leadership roles can be a lesson in frustration. Between accreditation hurdles, the cost of advanced degrees, and structural barriers, many talented educators have their hands tied.
Our superintendents’ coalition found that when hiring administrators, school board members often valued the “3 B’s”—budget, bonds, and buses—over the teaching and learning side of education. This failure to recognize the full value of an instructional focus disproportionately impacts female educators. More often than males, they are required to hold several positions in the central office before receiving a promotion to the top job. Aspiring leaders who possessed the drive to excel but lacked an extensive fiscal background didn’t advance with their competitors.
Schools need to create pipelines for future leaders that ensure they are well versed in their state’s education finance system and fluent in budgeting procedures. Districts should encourage finance officers in the central office to serve as mentors, invite educators to planning and budget meetings, and connect teachers to professional development opportunities centered on fiscal management. In turn, educators are empowered with an unbeatable combination of classroom experience and financial know-how.
Aspiring leaders who possessed the drive to excel but lacked an extensive fiscal background didn’t advance with their competitors.
Furthermore, districts should design a range of paths that equip educators with the skills and certifications required for administration. For instance, microcredentials allow educators to demonstrate mastery in areas crucial to district success while many specialty certificates emphasize instructional leadership.
In Oregon, the superintendents’ coalition became the largest administrator-licensure program in the state, partnering with the University of Oregon on a rigorous, in-person and virtual program that fosters collaboration among cohort members and allows educators to access material on their schedule. The program offers principal and professional administrator licensure as well as the opportunity to pursue a master’s, education specialist, or doctoral degree, and currently enrolls more than 400 students.
Schools can also help educators to pursue grant opportunities that support female leaders and leaders of color and connect them to financial assistance, helping ensure the cost of accreditation is no longer a barrier.
3. Improve the hiring process for both boards and applicants
Nationwide, about three-quarters of teachers are women, but only 25% of superintendents are female. One of the key reasons for the disparity is how leaders are invited into their roles. Men are more likely to be recruited externally while women often take the helm only after the sudden departure of a colleague.
When districts diversify how they search for and vet candidates, they open the door to talented recruits—both internal and external—who are often overlooked. For years, local school boards used superintendent-search firms, which were often led by retired male leaders who relied on their own peer network to recruit candidates. By partnering with groups like state school administrator organizations, districts weed out bias in hiring, and boards get a larger and more diverse slate of applicants.
Districts across the nation need to uplift the best and brightest leaders. Those who choose superintendents must give due weight to instructional expertise, especially because the quality of classroom instruction is one of the greatest determinants of student success. It’s time for all of us—school leaders, education organizations, and professional networks—to encourage the aspirations of our talented female teachers.
