Educators and Visionaries: Women in Educational Administration in New Brunswick.

A study was conducted during spring 1993 of 29 women educators in New Brunswick, Canada, who had either obtained a position or who were actively seeking a position in educational administration. About 25 percent of administrators in the Anglophone school system are women. The largest percentage of these women administrators are in rural school districts. This study was designed to determine some of the reasons for the relatively low percentage of women administrators. The respondents described their experiences in obtaining educational administration positions. Of the 29 women interviewed, 19 held administrative positions at the time of the study. The majority were vice principals in smaller school districts. The women had an average of 16 years of teaching experience but only 3 years of administrative experience. None had entered teaching intending to become administrators. Many respondents said that as women they brought special skills to their positions such as encouraging communication, collaborative leadership style, team work, and frequent expression of appreciation and encouragement. Some respondents said they had experienced gender-based obstacles to doing their jobs. Although the number of women administrators is increasing, more needs to be done to encourage women to enter the field. (Contains 18 references.) (JPT)