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Articles

Vol. 14 (2003 Fall)

Hispanic Female Superintendents in America: A Profile

  • Margaret A. Manuel
  • John R. Slate
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21423/awlj-v14.a174
Submitted
June 19, 2017
Published
2017-06-12

Abstract

Many school districts across the country are searching for competent leaders to head their school systems (Henry, 2000; Johnson, 1996). Tingley (1996), Bowler (2000), and Czaja and Harman (1997) reported a growing concern over the shortage of qualified applicants to lead the nation's school districts. Fenwick (2000) stated that higher turnover rates, lower job appeal and a decreased number of candidates characterize the modern superintendency. As evidence, Fenwick (2000) quoted AASA Director Paul Houston as stating that, typically at any one time, interim superintendents hold 15% of superintendent positions. To compound the shortage problem, Krantz (2000) projected that 80% of superintendents are nearing retirement age. The lack of leaders to lead the nation's school districts may be a crisis confronting the future of public education (Henry, 2000). With concerns of where future leaders of the nation's school system will come from, the question arises: why aren't more women entering the ranks of the superintendency?