The Influence of one School District's Policies, Practices, and Ethos in Hiring Women as Principals

Authors

  • Ingrid Mara Robinson St. Francis Xavier University

Keywords:

Equity, gender

Abstract

This paper explores the influence of the policies, practices, and ethos in one particular Canadian school district, as they relate to hiring women as school principals. In seeking to explain the inequitable gender representation of principals in this school district, the study at hand identified power and privilege as the pivotal factors that influenced the school district’s acceptance of differing approaches to leadership as well as its support in the areas of recruiting and training, mentoring and hiring, and balancing work and family life. This paper provides a model of supports, as well as a list of recommendations, that may enable this school district to achieve equitable gender representation among its school principals. This study may be of interest to other school districts to help identify similar types of barriers and supports that exist within their districts and similarly influence women’s decisions to enter into school administration.

Author Biography

Ingrid Mara Robinson, St. Francis Xavier University

Doctoral student

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Published

2014-12-12

Issue

Section

Research Study/Recherche