The purpose of this study was to examine the lived experiences of Black/ African American women aspiring, serving, or having previously served in the role of Superintendent of Schools in the State of Texas. Additionally, the study investigated the perceived barriers and challenges that impacted the participant's ascent to the superintendency, and…

A recent study published in "Educational Researcher" by White (2023) examined superintendent gender gaps. This work required 4 years of internet searches to identify and match superintendent names with each of the roughly 13,000 school districts in the United States. Although this study provided important insights into the superintendent…

The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine how mentoring support systems, race and gender intersectional challenges shape the pathway for five African-American women principals in a South Texas urban school district. The researcher used a semi-structured interview question protocol, audio-recorded, and professionally transcribed…

Latinx students enroll in higher education in more significant numbers than most minorities. However, Latinx administrators in the United States comprised 14% of total administrators in 2021 (Zippia, 2023b). The Association of American Colleges & Universities (Dedman, 2019) explains the college presidency is 58.1% White and male. White women…

Black women are among the diverse members of society seeking to gain access to leadership roles in education, specifically, to serve as principals in Texas. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the lived experiences of Black women who have become principals in Texas. The qualitative research method with…

While most teachers in America are women, women are underrepresented in administrative leadership roles, such as the superintendency. This underrepresentation is even worse for women of color. Given the importance of on-the-job mentorship for new and aspiring superintendence, the lack of female superintendents of color means those who do reach the…

This study sought to extend the knowledge of the real-world application of leadership practices relevant and responsive to commonly marginalized students. This study focused on leadership practices of school leaders including principals and assistant principals through the lens of the theoretical framework crafted by Muhammad Khalifa (2018) titled…

This qualitative study sought to explore the perceptions of women school superintendents in K-12 public schools in Texas about the challenges they face as leaders and how they endure these impactful challenges, particularly during critical times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Using Polidore's Resilience Theory (2004) as the theoretical framework,…

Although obtaining advanced degrees in higher education has become increasingly important in society, women and racial and/or ethnic minorities are still underrepresented in the college president position (Gargliardi, Espinoza, Taylor, & Turk, 2017). The 2017 American College President Study indicates that women only made up 30.1% of people in…

While the overall number of women superintendents has increased in recent years, representation disparities persist across educational ranks. The present study's aim was to explore the career paths that facilitate women's success in achieving and retaining the superintendent role for five or more years. Employing narrative inquiry through…

The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of African American women serving as executive-level administrators (assistant, associate, deputy superintendents and/or superintendents) in Texas public school districts. Specifically, this study investigated how executive-level African American women in Texas public schools perceive…

According to the "2016-2017 Rural Schools Spotlight Report," Texas is home to more than 1,240 school districts with almost 665 serving less than 1,000 students. One focus for the Texas Education Agency (TEA) has been serving the needs of small and rural sites as they comprise more than 50% of the state's districts. In South Texas, a…

The current Delphi study examined barriers women face when pursuing the role of superintendent and the supports they utilize to help them overcome those barriers. In the role of superintendent, men hold 74% of the positions, and women hold 26%. However, in the role of teacher, men hold 24%, and women hold 76%. Women show the desire to serve in the…

African-American women experience challenges in principal positions. This study explains how African-American women in leadership positions in Texas public schools overcome these challenges. This population of African-American woman principals has increased yet there are still challenges in the public schools for these leaders. This study explored…

Career trajectory for any individual is a challenge. However, when it comes to Black women achieving a senior administrator position, it presents even greater challenges than what the average candidate endures. Limited research has attributed being Black and female as a rationale for career stagnation. The purpose of this phenomenological…