This year women have been taking over positions of power never held by women before. Kamala Harris was elected as Vice President of the United States and it is apparent America is progressing toward gender equality, yet still there is a lack of female leadership in education.
Female teachers make up 76% of teachers in K-12 schools while only 54% of principals were female in 2018 according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The number of female principals has increased over the years but still does not properly represent the number of female teachers in the system.
Aman Dhanda is the director of member engagement and partnership at the National Association of Secondary School Principals. The NASSP is a membership organization for middle and high school principals. Dhanda taught for 10 years in California before moving to the East coast to work at the federal policy level at the department of education, then onto nonprofit space on educator engagement work.
“I've had the role of a teacher but I have not had the role of a principal,” she said. “So it's an interesting place to be advocating for school leadership, having not been a principal, but it also helps me kind of bring the perspective of what teachers need in school leadership as well.”
The profession of teaching has changed in many ways over the years, once being something only men were allowed to do, then becoming a profession that fell on women after men went to war in the 1900s. Dhanda attributes the nurturing-nature that many associate with teaching as to why women are more attracted to teaching, especially at the K-12 level.
Even though there is a large number of female teachers, the number of women in the education administration field is not as high. This can be because of hiring bias or because there are a few women in education power positions to be examples for the millions of K-12 female teachers.
“It is upsetting to see, you know, the glass ceiling still exists in every profession, and education is part of that,” she said. “I think it's sad. But I'm also hopeful for change, especially now that we're really diving deep into DEI work across organizations. Unless we dismantle these systems and really rethink what diversity, equity and inclusion is, we will not continue that same cycle.”
Marcia McCants is one example of women earning positions to represent the majority of teachers in the public education system. McCants is the newest head principal of Sparkman Ninth Grade Academy in Harvest, AL. She is the only female high school head principal in the Madison County school system.
Early in her career as a teacher, McCants said she was under ineffective leadership. She has always aspired to exemplify Mahatma Gandhi’s famous quote, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”.
“I felt honored to have been chosen, but also understanding that to whom much is given much is required,” McCants said.
McCants’ great-grandmother, Zora Johnson, who was born in 1915 always wanted to be a school teacher. Due to segregation laws and the limited availability of opportunities to people of color, her dreams never came true.
“I am a product of her prayers, hard-work and determination,” she said. “I will give my all to ensure that every student who attends S9 will have an opportunity to succeed.”
This opportunity has reminded McCants of the importance of women empowerment, support from friends and family and especially self-empowerment. McCants as a mother knows the power that women hold and how often they are underestimated especially in a professional field.
“Being a woman means being empowered to make decisions. Yes, we have made progress and for that I am thankful. We are strong enough to bear the children, and then get back to business,” McCants said.
HC, a teacher in a Tennessee public school system who asked to remain anonymous for job security purposes, teaches middle school students where she is working her dream job.
Administration is something that HC said she is not interested in however she knows the value of having women in those leadership roles.
“It makes me feel a little guilty to be honest. I feel sad because I know how it feels to have a weird communication lapse simply because male principals are not always on my wavelength,” HC said. “I also feel guilty because I know I have zero desire to work in administration. I do not want that job. So I am contributing to these statistics in a way that many a feminist would probably frown upon, but I am not cut out for that job. However, I have tons of friends who would make incredible admin. It may not be my cup of tea but there are so many children who need to see that representation and would love to see you on the other side of the desk.”
Whether it is community bais, company bias or staff bias, men are most often given leadership positions over women in all career fields, not just education.
“I think the system could work on assisting women in positions of power by listening,” they said. “The education system already fails to listen to its educators so often that I just think opening that communication barrier would help a lot. IIt is hard to grow and want to work your way up the ladder when you do not feel heard. “
Dhanda, McCants and HC are all women working in education at different levels but all know the impact that women have on other women in the field.
“I truly believe in the art of collaboration to help students succeed at their highest potential,” McCants said. “That means that I will not always be right and that I must lean on others to help find solutions at times. In the words of Vice President Kamala Harris, ‘I may be the first woman to hold this office, but I won't be the last.”