Women in School Leadership: Challenges and Opportunities
It is widely acknowledged that leadership is a cornerstone of effective school organization. Research highlights key themes such as the current profile of school directors, leadership styles and activities, training, crisis management, and the evaluation of leadership roles.
The Feminization of Teaching
Teaching is often considered a feminized profession, possibly due to the historical association of women with caregiving roles, both at home and in the workplace. The significant contributions of women to their children’s education cannot be overlooked. This legacy continues to influence modern society, particularly in nursery and primary schools.
Viewing teaching as an extension of motherhood implies a specific set of characteristics expected of teachers and suggests that it is a suitable profession for women, aligning with traditional caregiving roles. This feminization is not unique to Spain; it is observed in many countries.
The Persistence of Male Dominance in Leadership
While the 1970s saw a re-masculinization of education, it was primarily in positions of power. As Garcia noted, it is difficult to speak of feminization when men continue to shape the guidelines, values, models, and communication within education, particularly in decision-making roles.
The underrepresentation of women in school leadership is evident. Despite an increased presence of women on staff, schools often exhibit a “glass ceiling,” as Nicolson observed.
Stereotypes and Barriers
Women in school leadership may face skepticism due to stereotypes that associate leadership qualities with men, such as objectivity, strong character, command skills, physical strength, analytical detachment, rationality, and coolness. Conversely, women are often relegated to positions with less responsibility and more caregiving duties due to cultural perceptions.
Another factor is that women may perceive holding a leadership position as adding a third job to their existing responsibilities at home and school. The reasons women seek leadership roles are complex. One possibility is that men are less inclined to apply.
Qualities of Women Leaders
Women in leadership often possess traits such as solidarity, strong interpersonal skills, and a commitment to service, making them more involved in addressing social problems. According to teachers, effective directors demonstrate competence, integrity, and enthusiasm in their work.
Men may be more readily educated to exercise authority and power. This can lead to the perception that women in leadership are there by chance. To counter this, it is crucial to highlight the work of women in these contexts, even if they do not always seek management positions. This may be because these centers have very special characteristics, since the fields are open battles are many and varied:
- First, the direction of these sites has to fight to change the assessment that little or no parents make education, causing a high rate of truancy and serious discipline problems.
- And secondly, and as a result of this, the needs of teachers working in these centers are larger and must be given respuestas.
A New Style of Leadership
Women are often drawn to these centers because they possess a greater ability to overcome difficulties and provide solutions. Directing schools in challenging environments requires listening, understanding the reality, and connecting with the community. This necessitates a new style of leadership based on interpersonal relationships and service to the educational community.