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Building a template of electoral strategies for women who aspire to the superintendency in appointed school districts within the southern United States

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Date Issued:
2003
Summary:
Based on an observation that women have been more successful in ascending to the level of school superintendent within southern school districts that use electoral procedures, this study examined unique electoral strategies women superintendents use that maybe transferable to women who aspire to the superintendency within districts in which appointment is the only means of ascension. The researcher interviewed five superintendents in districts within the southern United States. The data were analyzed using three conceptual frameworks: (a) Murphy's governance theory, (b) Ferguson's bureaucratic theory, and (c) Lather's emancipatory theory. The data were also evaluated in terms of elected and appointed school districts. Analysis of the data revealed four emerging themes: (a) career pathway and representative democracy, (b) political administrative elite and the bureaucracy, (c) gender dichotomy, the representation of self, and (d) building networks of support. The data revealed information about each superintendent's personal attributes that contributed to her electoral success, which included: (a) career path, (b) support system, and (c) and motivation to run. The superintendents also discussed mediating factors that shaped their campaign strategies and electoral success, which included: (a) negotiating powerbrokers within the community, (b) their relationship with the school board, (c) governance issues, (d) personal leadership philosophy, (e) power, and (f) gender stereotypes. Findings from the study provide guidance to those women aspiring to the superintendency in appointed school districts suggesting that appointed women superintendents recognize, understand, and negotiate the bureaucratic structure and governance framework as supported by the state and administrative elites.
Title: Building a template of electoral strategies for women who aspire to the superintendency in appointed school districts within the southern United States.
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Name(s): Swain, Marianne Russo
Florida Atlantic University, Degree Grantor
Bogotch, Ira, Thesis Advisor
Acker-Hocevar, Michele A., Thesis Advisor
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued: 2003
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 223 p.
Language(s): English
Summary: Based on an observation that women have been more successful in ascending to the level of school superintendent within southern school districts that use electoral procedures, this study examined unique electoral strategies women superintendents use that maybe transferable to women who aspire to the superintendency within districts in which appointment is the only means of ascension. The researcher interviewed five superintendents in districts within the southern United States. The data were analyzed using three conceptual frameworks: (a) Murphy's governance theory, (b) Ferguson's bureaucratic theory, and (c) Lather's emancipatory theory. The data were also evaluated in terms of elected and appointed school districts. Analysis of the data revealed four emerging themes: (a) career pathway and representative democracy, (b) political administrative elite and the bureaucracy, (c) gender dichotomy, the representation of self, and (d) building networks of support. The data revealed information about each superintendent's personal attributes that contributed to her electoral success, which included: (a) career path, (b) support system, and (c) and motivation to run. The superintendents also discussed mediating factors that shaped their campaign strategies and electoral success, which included: (a) negotiating powerbrokers within the community, (b) their relationship with the school board, (c) governance issues, (d) personal leadership philosophy, (e) power, and (f) gender stereotypes. Findings from the study provide guidance to those women aspiring to the superintendency in appointed school districts suggesting that appointed women superintendents recognize, understand, and negotiate the bureaucratic structure and governance framework as supported by the state and administrative elites.
Identifier: 9780496295609 (isbn), 12037 (digitool), FADT12037 (IID), fau:8952 (fedora)
Note(s): Thesis (Ed.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2003.
Subject(s): Women school superintendents--Selection and appointment
Women school superintendents--Southern States--Attitudes--Interviews
Women school administrators
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FADT12037
Sublocation: Digital Library
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.