Igniting Resilience during Critical Times: Reflections of Women Superintendents

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, the study sought to determine which of the nine resilience qualities, either innately possessed or through acquisition over time, helped to sustain the women superintendents during adverse situations associated with the highest level of leadership in a school district. The nine qualities of resilience include: religion, flexible locus of control, optimistic bias, autonomy, commitment, change, positive relationships, education viewed as important, and efficacy. Implications from this study are far-reaching and note-worthy for any position in educational leadership. The results from this study may positively enhance the experiences, retention, sustainability, effectiveness, and longevity of both women and men in one of the most important roles in a school district -- the superintendency.