Eleven of the 81 public research universities within the Carnegie Classification of Doctoral Universities: Highest Research are led by woman presidents. Using Eagly & Carli's (2007) labyrinth framework, five of the women presidents were interviewed to identify their experiences navigating leadership barriers. Findings indicated that women…

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of female superintendents as they relate to job satisfaction and retention. State department of education websites were consulted to obtain the number of women superintendents by state for 2015. From the list, 3,364 women superintendents were identified. The women represent 25% of U.S.…

The most promising sights of spring in Nebraska this year were two conferences for women. One event, sponsored by Metropolitan Community College in Omaha, was a Women's History Month Tea. A second conference was the meeting of the Nebraska Women in Higher Education. These two events suggest that there is a continuing interest in women's leadership…

Leadership examples and women leaders can be found in many venues. This article profiles Beverly Sills (1929-2007), whose recent passing spawned a flurry of tributes recounting her legacy. Described by J. V. Serinus (2007) as "one of the finest high-flying sopranos of the latter 20th century," Sills leaves behind a rich legacy of recordings and an…

The purpose of this research study was to identify examples of women education leaders at their best. There were two parts to the study procedures. First, the women were asked to write a case story about a time when they were involved in a successful leadership experience. Second, the women were divided into small groups of 5-8. In the small…

In this article, the author shares Elizabeth Ann Seton's story as a woman's story. Seton was born in 1774 to a New York family. Through her work in Maryland, Seton was credited with being the founder of the parochial Catholic school system in the U.S. Seton formed a group of sisters known as the Sisters of Charity of St. Joseph. The sisters…

This author is struck by two communication models she observes repeatedly that involve women's voices in meetings. In one model, the super-educated, pellucid, articulate woman, in meeting after meeting, makes suggestions, "points," or recommendations for initiatives, problem-solving, future direction, program improvement, decision making, or…

Recent obituaries and testimonials to Coretta Scott King and Wendy Wasserstein are reminders of the leadership legacies of these women. About Coretta Scott King (1927-2006), Burch in "The Miami Herald" (February 1, 2006) stated "Coretta Scott King built a legacy from pain and progress, first as the wife who stood tall next to a man bent on…

In the good old days, the state that is Nebraska was identified as part of the Great American Desert. In many ways, in climate and terrain, it still bears a resemblance to a desert. As a frontier or a land of pioneers, it deserves recognition. Invisibility may be one of the greatest challenges women face. One of the great flaws in the writing of…

Recently, serious questions have been raised about the efficacy of the traditional leadership model, which relies on rigid hierarchical structure, competition, and control. This paper presents findings of a study that investigated the leadership practices of rural and urban female superintendents in the United States. The study was two-fold: (1) a…

This paper presents findings of a study that examined the leadership practices of women superintendents to determine if their practices fit a new paradigm of administrative leadership. Data collection included: (1) telephone interviews with 30 rural and 21 urban female superintendents across the United States, and (2) completion of the Leadership…

The literature concerning the superintendency is based on the experiences of men. This paper presents findings of the two studies that examined women superintendents. The first, a pilot study, sought to determine whether women superintendents used leadership qualities that fit a new paradigm for leadership. It also sought to determine if…

Summarizes a study examining 322 Nebraska student teachers' perceptions concerning administration as a career, their aspirations to become administrators, and the encouragement received to become administrators. Most respondents considered administration to be a managerial, rather than a leadership, role and aspired to become administrators at…

Writing that makes one think, writing that enriches one's understanding of the past and present, that's what Cokie Roberts' book, "We Are Our Mothers' Daughters" provides, and that, too, is what the authors of this issue of the "Journal of Women in Educational Leadership" provide. Roberts' background as a news analyst covering politics, Congress…

This article describes three women who hold prominent places in the history of the United States. They are: (1) Linda Brown, the symbol of "bringing down segregation" in U.S. schools; (2) Rosa Parks, the mother of the Civil Rights Movement; and (3) Coretta Scott King, an accomplished musician and singer. These women hold their places in…