Women as Headteachers: Striking the Balance - Softcover

Coleman, Marianne

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1858562589 ISBN 13: 9781858562582

Publisher: Trentham Books, 2003

Synopsis

Leadership is generally identified with men. Only a quarter of the secondary school heads in England and Wales are women. Despite changes in society, there are still issues for women who aspire to leadership in schools. Some of those tackled here are: Will I be up against institutionalized views that make my career progress difficult? Will I have to be seen to lead like a man if I am going to be considered a good headteacher? Will I have credibility as a leader and manager if I combine motherhood and a career? How will men react to being managed by a woman? There are also issues for schools and their senior managers, related to encouraging women to go to the top, such as: What career support and advice are we offering? Are we offering appropriate role models? How do we view maternity leave? Are we family friendly? The author's survey of women headteachers in England and Wales plus in-depth interviews present the views of the women who have become leaders in schools. Complementary data from the same number of male headteachers allows comparisons to be drawn between the careers and the perceptions of work and family of men and women heads, shedding light on the many issues explored.

About this title

About the Author:

Marianne Coleman is senior lecturer in educational management at the University of Leicester School of Education.

Review:

"I recommend this book for staff rooms, for those running management courses and to women aspiring to Headship. It is a clear and helpful analysis." * Educational Review * Coleman's respondents, men and women, make a compelling case for their sense of the value and creativity of headship. Her concluding paragraph is worth quoting in full. 'The enthusiasm for collaborative management style signals a change in management and leadership values towards considering people's needs. Such a change may help to nurture a better gender balance in schools and in wider society. However, it is likely to be some time before either the slow drip of change or a more radical reformulation of stereotypes and conceptualisations encompassing work, home and family means that a balance between women and men as leaders is truly achieved' * TES *

About this edition

• Publisher: Trentham Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1858562589
• ISBN 13: 9781858562582
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 190