A volume in Educational Leadership for Social Justice Series Editor
Jeffrey S. Brooks, University of Idaho, Denise E. Armstrong, Brock
University; Ira Bogotch, Florida Atlantic University; Sandra Harris,
Lamar University; Whitney H. Sherman, Virginia Commonwealth University;
George Theoharis, Syracuse University The idea for this book was born
from discussions at several recent academic events including the Women
Leading Education (WLE) International Conference in Volos, Greece (2012)
and the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)
Conference in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (2011) as well as from informal
dialogue amongst ourselves and various colleagues, both new and veteran
to the field of educational leadership and, in particular, dedicated to
the study of women in leadership. At both the WLE Conference and the
UCEA Conference, we heard frustration from veteran women in the field
that the study of women in leadership is stagnant and has not moved
forward in several years; with scholars new to the field continuing to
write and publish work about barriers to aspiring and practicing women
leaders (the same types of reports that began the "formal" inquiry into
women's lives as leaders back in the 1980s) without being able to push
forward with "new" information or ideas for change. In essence, the
concerns and questions that were posed from some veteran women were: Why
are we continuing to report the same things that we reported 30 years
ago?; Why are we still talking about barriers to women in leadership?;
and Why haven't we moved past gender binaries in regard to leadership
ideas and practice? Considering these questions, some women new to the
field countered with their own set of responses and questions that
included: Is it not significant to report that some women are still
experiencing the same types of barriers in leadership that were
highlighted 30 years ago?; Is it accurate to report that all women's
voices have now been heard/represented?; and How can we report something
different if it hasn't happened? The discussions that have ensued
between veteran women and those new to the field inspired us to develop
a book that situates women in leadership exactly where we are today (and
reports the status of girls who are positioned to continue the "good
fight" that began many years ago) and that both highlights the changes
that have occurred and reports any stagnancy that continues to threaten
women's positionality in educational leadership literature, practice,
and policy. It forefronts the voices of women educational scholars who
have (and are) interrupting, disrupting, and revolutionizing educational
policy and practice. Our book reports women's leadership activities and
knowledge in both the k-12 and university settings and concludes with
chapters ripe with ideas for pushing for change through policy,
advocacy, and activism. The final chapter presents themes that emerged
from the individual chapters and sets forth an agenda to move forward
with the study of women in leadership.
