Women on a Plateau in the Superintendency

Two veterans have their theories and suggested remedies for promoting more female candidates into the top district roles

Seventeen years ago, a brand-new superintendent was excited to attend her first statewide conference of superintendents. She thought she would use this opportunity to learn, meet new colleagues and mentors and find a support network.

As she picked up her name badge along with other administrators and entered the elevator to head to the conference’s first session, a male superintendent asked, “Where are you from?” As she greeted him and his male colleagues with her name and district, one looked at her and said, “I didn’t think superintendents were supposed to bring their pretty, young secretaries.”

It is worth noting the year was 2003, not 1953.