The voice of women in the workplace has never been a question of why but a question of when. The time for women to lead has been and will always be now. While women account for 75 percent of teachers in the field of education, they make up only 52 percent of principals and less than 25 percent of superintendents. Of those, few are women of colorāonly one in ten female superintendents and two in ten female principals, according to the 2019 Chiefs for Change report.
As a collective whole, it is time to start doing something about these statistics. And that starts with knowing we belong in leadership positions that have historically been filled by men. Throw out your self-doubt, break through your imposter syndrome, and letās increase the number of women in educational leadership roles.
Belonging
As we walked down the long hallway in the direction of my new classroom, I could smell what I would come to know as that ānew school year scentāāfloor wax. My heart rate increased as we approached my kindergarten classroom. I could feel the sweatiness of my grandmotherās hand as she held mine ever so tight. A sense of excitement fluttered my belly. In a few seconds, Iād be meeting new friends and (finally!) learning in the ābig girl school.āJust before we reached the door of my new classroom, my grandmother stopped, bent down so that her eyes were aligned with my own, and grabbed both of my shoulders. In a low voice, she stated, āThis is where you belong. I donāt want you to be afraid, scared, or allow anyone to make you believe otherwise.ā With that, I stood up a little taller, gripped my book bag handle a little tighter, and stepped into a whole new world.My heart felt like it was going to explode.I walked up to the only adult in the classroom. āGood morning, Miss,ā I said, holding out my hand for a shake. āMy name is Agnella Katrise Lee and my grandmother said I belong in this class.āShe looked down at me, scanned my entire being from head to toe, and sighed. āI guess so,ā she said, uncaring and dismissive. And then she walked away. My hand was still up in the air when I heard her directing me to a seat in the back of the room.For the remainder of the day, I recall looking down at my hands, my blue-plaid jumper dress, my neatly positioned white socks, and my Buster Brown shoes just to make sure I was truly present. I belonged at school, right? Year after year, I faced recurring thoughts of whether or not I truly belonged.On many occasions, I allow that thought to lurk in my head, or I find myself questioning my belonging in professional settings as a Kā12 superintendent. Currently, I am the only African American superintendent out of 197 districts in Oregon. Naturally, when I look around at my colleagues, I question myself about belonging.Almost fifteen years ago, a dear colleague offered a piece of advice that I tap into regularly. Her words are clear even today: āHow you present yourself, that is important. And how you see yourself is even more important.āThis world is massive, and if you plan to lead in any capacity then you must begin to believe that you belong. There will be times you doubt your place, so you have to fake it until you make it. Work at it and claim a sense of belonging in time.Welcome to educational leadership. Thereās seat at the table just for youāgo ahead, take it. As my grandmother reminded me on my first day of school: This is where you belong. I donāt want you to be afraid, scared, or allow anyone to make you believe otherwise.DR. A. KATRISE PERERA
Strategies:
- Leading isnāt always comfortable or welcoming. Donāt be afraid or scared; lean in.
- Hold your head high, no matter how folks treat you.
- You must begin to believe you belong.
Some female leaders have shared that they feel lonely when leading. When they get to this point, waves of doubt can still come over them, even when deep down they know their worth and passions. It is important that when that happens, they focus on their strengths, passions, and desire to do and be more in the field of education. As Dr. Karen Gray said, āEducation is hard work. What you give, you give as an extension of yourself, your soul. A big part of my personality was molded by having to be tough, to stand up for what was right even when I knew that I would appear to be a ābitch.ā I did it anyway and my students and their families benefited from my loud advocacy.ā This advocacy Gray references is possible when leaders lead with their heads held high and believe in their self-worth in their leadership roles.
Know Your Worth
I am worthy. I had to remind myself of this each day when I was hired for my first administrator job. In a majority white school district, I was the only administrator or teacher of color in the entire building.I was a smart, educated, knowledgeable person. Iād earned the administrator position because of my experience. Iād worked hard to achieve this goal. However, as a person of color, I felt that my colleagues wondered why I was hired.The doubts set in after I engaged with staff members. As one colleague told me in the beginning of the school year, I was ājust different.ā The staff had never had a person of color as an administrator, my colleague explained. I was perplexed: Was it really so different for staff, simply because of the color of my skin?I found myself being more reserved, quiet and at times nervous because I did not want to say the wrong thing. The feeling was very foreign to me. My teaching experience had been in a majority school district of color. While there, I had been confident in my abilities, felt comfortable, and made a connection with children who mirrored me when I was a young child. I wanted to be an administrator so I could effect change in our schools and make decisions that were in the best interest of students and families.Was I doubting myself because of how others felt about me? Why did I let their feelings or viewpoints impact who I was and how I behaved?One day in my office, I gave myself a talking-to. āThis is not you,ā I said. āBe you!ā Leading as myself looked like this: being assertive, sharing my voice and experience, asking poignant questions, engaging in conversations with colleagues, challenging staff to find ways to best meet the individual needs of students, and, yes, being confident in myself. I deserved this position. I was hired to bring about change. And I could not let other peopleās perceptions of me sway me from my purpose.Once I began leading as my authentic self, a weight lifted off of my shoulders. I was able to appreciate my own voice as I worked to support the students and families in my school, regardless of their race or ethnicity. Some may say I speak my mind too openly, and, ironically, I take that as a compliment. I will never go back to self-doubt. I am worthy. My voice matters and must be heard to be a beacon of change for my students.My courage paid off. Later that school year, the staff member who told me that it was different having me as an administrator praised me for my advocacy and intuitiveness and said, āI am so happy that you are here.ā Those words taught me how important it is to be true to myself at all times.Since then, I have never let my self-confidence wane. As I work with new administrators, one of the main things I teach them is to be confident in themselves and their convictions. I say the same to you now. You matter. Your voice matters. And your perspective matters.BEVERLY GREEN
Strategies:
- Present ideas you are passionate about and committed to.
- Share your perspective so the female voice is heard.
- Learn from everyone in the room. Invite their questions and ideas.
- Sometimes our ideas or views arenāt in line with the majority. Advocate for your beliefs, evaluate your next steps, and reflect. Know when to push and when to let go.
Majaliseās Story
Make Room for Other Women
Youāre in a leadership positionācongrats! But your workās not done. Women leaders are also charged with encouraging more women to channel their leadership potential to new positions. Thereās no limit to the number of women who can fill leadership roles, so letās support other women in getting there.
Once, I had the opportunity to interview a former colleague for a leadership position in our district. She did well, but having known her from my former job, I knew she had so much more to offer a district. I also recognized some gaps in her interview that clued ...