Many private schools are led by smart, passionate women that dedicate their lives to supporting students. But research shows that there is still work to be done when it comes to gender perceptions and equality.
According to the study Benchmarking Women’s Leadership in the United States, even though women hold 74% of teaching positions in private schools, they only comprise 30% of K–12 leaders nationally.
The Pew Research Center recently examined how adults perceive male and female leaders in the workplace. The organization surveyed 4,587 adults online, and asked about views on corporate and political male and female leaders. The data shows that women are, for the most part, viewed as competent, fair leaders.
According to the findings, “In both business and politics, roughly 60% of respondents say women are better than men when it comes to being compassionate and empathetic. Forty-two percent of all respondents said that women are better at working out compromises and standing up for what they believe in.”
Similarly, “roughly three-in-ten adults say female leaders do a better job than men at being honest and ethical (31% in politics and 30% in business), while relatively few say men do a better job than women (4% in politics, 3% in business). Similarly, about three-in-ten adults say women are better at standing up for what they believe in (30% for politics, 32% for business), while roughly one-in-ten say men are better (11% for politics, 10% of business).”
On the other hand, there are many issues where the majority of people find there is no difference in the ways men and women lead. According to researchers, 62% of respondents said men and women are equal when it comes to valuing people of different backgrounds, 52% say they’re the same in creating a safe and respectful workplace, and 56% say they’re equal at mentoring young employees.
Perceptions are one part of equalizing the number of male and female leaders in all sectors, including schools.
If you currently hold a leadership role and want to support future leaders, it’s essential to understand perceptions so you can coach and mentor successfully. If you aspire to a future leadership position, continue to do your research. This will help you learn ways to capitalize on your strengths to effectively use power and authority to be influential and inspirational.
Additional ISM resources:
The Source for Private School News Vol. 17 No. 6 The Importance of Female Leadership in Private-Independent Schools
The Source for School Heads Vol. 16 No. 1 Six Tips for Setting Your Leadership Team Up for Success
Additional ISM resources for members:
I&P Vol. 36 No. 9 The 21st Century School: Fairness, Competitiveness, and High Performance
