For 80 years, ASCD has empowered voices in education that have been long-silenced or otherwise shut out from the field. Embracing equity, a standing commitment to seeking fairness across education, is among the central ideals that we have promoted through our work with educators. In this spirit, we embarked on our Black History Month social media campaign throughout February, which focused on remembering Black trailblazers in education as well as highlighting present-day leaders of color. Building on this foundation, we are excited to announce our celebration of Women’s History Month, where we will honor current leaders and educators who are paving the way for gender equity within the field.
As we embark on a month-long celebration of women, we reflect on a recent article in Education Week that asks simply, “Why aren’t there more women superintendents?” As the article points out, women continue to comprise the majority of those who study, achieve a degree, and pursue careers in education. This would typically signal education as a field of growing success when it comes to gender equity.
Unfortunately, the reality is the opposite. When examining leadership roles in education across the gender axis, there remains a significant disparity, with top positions disproportionately going to men. This is especially true of the superintendent job and other senior leadership posts, which are predominantly held by white men.
This crisis has been exacerbated by a troubling trend in the education field—the current exodus of school and district leaders happening across the country. In the past two years alone, 40 percent of the nation’s largest school districts saw a change in leadership at the top. Rather than these roles being filled with a diverse set of candidates, a study conducted by ILO Group (a female-funded research group) shows that districts continued to appoint men over women.
This disparity is why events such as Women’s History Month remain so important in education. Throughout the month, we will celebrate women’s contributions to advancing education by gathering and sharing stories on ASCD’s social media channels of women who have risen to the top ranks in their schools or districts. By profiling these trailblazers and highlighting their voices and experiences, we can gather insights about what actions have led to their success, and in doing so, brought much-needed equity to leadership in education.
Furthermore, in keeping with our organizational history, we know that change is a community-driven initiative. We hope you will join us throughout the month to share your stories about women who have inspired your journeys.
Watch our social media channels for opportunities to:
- Shout out the women who have inspired you to pursue a career in education.
- Join women from around the world to #EmbraceEquity on InternationalWomen’s Day.
- Call out women who are making an impact in your life.
- Say “thank you” to women who have elevated your success.
- Read community spotlights and stories that uplift women in leadership.
Even as we celebrate, recognize, and learn from women in education leadership roles, we acknowledge that much work remains. As Marie Curie, the first woman to win the Nobel Prize said, “Have no fear of perfection: you’ll never reach it.” While perfection may not be within reach, we can work together as a field to advocate for gender equality. Please follow ASCD on Twitter and our other social channels and lend your voice to honoring women this month.