Unpacking Black Women Superintendents’ Experiences: Intersectionality of Race, Gender, and Resiliency

In keeping with the special issue centered on Gender and Race in the Workplace, this article explores the role that the intersection of race and gender played in the attainment of the superintendency for four Black women superintendents. Despite their increasing presence in educational leadership, Black women continue to experience marginalization such as being overworked, undervalued, and overlooked in the workplace. By examining the barriers these women faced as well as the ways in which they overcame them, much can be weaned from their wisdom and experiences for future aspirants as well as current superintendents. This article highlights the journeys of four Black women superintendents which underscores their intersectionality experiences drawing upon their resilience to achieve success. Their stories, especially in light of the increasingly violent and racially charged settings in which they find themselves, are necessary and deserve a voice. The findings have implications for research and practice.

Black Women Superintendents

Research on Black women superintendents has focused largely on their racial and gendered identities and the challenges associated with negotiating the politics of race and gender while leading complex school systems. Regarding the underrepresentation of Black female superintendents, an examination of Black women’s experiences of preparing for, pursuing, attaining, and serving in the superintendency may provide insights regarding their unique ways of knowing and, leading that, inform their leadership praxis. Informed by research on K-12 school superintendency, race and gender in education leadership, and the lived experiences and knowledge claims of Black women superintendents, important implications for future research on the superintendency will be hold. There exists a small but growing body of scholarly research on Black women education leaders, even less on the Black woman school superintendent, who remains largely underrepresented in education leadership research and the field. Although key studies have played an important role in establishing historical records documenting the service and contributions of Black women educational leaders in the United States, the bulk of the research on Black women superintendents can be found in dissertation studies grounded largely in the works of Black women education leadership scholars and practitioners. As a growing number of aspiring and practicing leaders who identify as Black women enter graduate-level leadership preparation programs and join the ranks of educational administration, questions concerning race and gender in leadership are almost always present as the theories presented in leadership preparation programs often conflict with or represent set of perspectives, realities, and strategies that may not align with those experienced by leaders who identify as Black women. For these reasons, their leadership perspectives, epistemologies, and contributions are essential to our understanding of the superintendency and field of educational leadership.

African American Women Superintendents in Texas

School superintendents who are African American women are understudied. In this study, researchers explored the lived experiences of African American women superintendents in the state of Texas. The purpose of the study was to identify the challenges, supports, and personal background characteristics that participants believed influenced their ascension to superintendent positions. A phenomenological research approach was used, and data were collected through individual interviews with superintendent participants. Data were analyzed and interpret- ed using Moustakas’ (1994) phenomenological reduction approach. Three major themes emerged in the results: (a) desire to impact others at various levels, (b) sources of personal strength, and (c) external support systems. Subthemes were identified and described for each larger theme. Findings suggest a need to expose aspiring African American women administrators to the challenges and rewards of superintendent positions and increase mentorship opportunities and quality preparation programs.

Gender Bias Within the Superintendency

Current research reveals a large per- centage of teaching positions and administrative ser- vices credentials are held by women, although histori- cally, men dominate the superintendent role. Specifically, in the area of women in the superintendency, a discrepancy exists between men and women in recruitment practices, types of barriers and challenges, and the length of time one stays in the superintendent position. This study examines the superintendent role and the perceived leadership qualities necessary, barriers, challenges, and opportunities, as well as the career pathway taken by those in the superintendent role. With a mixed-method design, the study reflects upon responses from six superintendents, three wom- en and three men, using semi-structured interview questions and data collected with Bolman and Deal’s (1990) Leadership Orientations (Self) Instrument and a demographics survey. A theoretical framework of management and leadership styles was utilized to analyze the data for themes relating to the three research questions. The findings generally indicated women superintendents perceive they are expected to act and behave differently to succeed in the role, while men are more at ease with making decisions and leading others. Gender biases were found to be prevalent for women, as the role of parenthood was the biggest barrier when considering their career pathway. This was not found to be a barrier for men.

Female Superintendents and the Effects of Mentoring Relationships

Women make up the majority of personnel in today’s school systems yet few are employed in the highest position-superintendent. In one southern state, the State Department of Education (2009) reported 22 % of superintendents were women. Nationwide, the percentage is 24.1% (Kowalski, McCord, Petersen, Young, & Ellerson, 2011). However, in comparison to the number of women who begin their careers in education, there is still a wide inequity between the percentages of those in the ranks and those in positions of superintendent (Katz, 2012). One of the reasons for the lack of women in upper level administration is the lack of mentoring, both formal and informal. Therefore, mentoring becomes an essential element in providing the guidance and support for women who aspire to be in a leadership position.This study examined the effects of career and psychosocial mentoring functions on the careers of women superintendents currently serving in a southern state by exploring both informal and formal mentoring relationships and the way these relationships serve as effective tools on the position attained and career development. The results of this study showed that the career mentoring functions and psychosocial mentoring functions had a statistically significant impact on the careers of female superintendents. Findings from this research indicate that mentoring relationships have the potential for female administrators to make successful career advancement.