Motherhood and the female elementary school district superintendent: Understanding the impact of motherhood on attaining, surviving, and thriving in the school superintendency

This study interviewed six female elementary school district superintendents who were raising a child or children at home to answer the following questions: 1) How do women who are mothers decide to ascend to the elementary school district superintendency? 2) How do female elementary school district superintendents who are mothers stay resilient? Resiliency was defined as "an adaptive and coping trait that involves the ability to overcome adversity" (Reed & Patterson, 2007, p. 90). 3) How do female elementary school district superintendents who are mothers achieve work-family balance? Balance was defined as the state achieved by mothers who have been in the superintendent position for two or more years. Balance in family leadership was also explored through an examination of how these women defined success and balance in the realm of familial responsibilities. 4) What are the future implications for women in leadership that can be drawn by examining the experiences of the research participants through the lenses of Female Epistemology, Resiliency and the Ethic of Care?;Answers to these questions were analyzed through the lenses of resiliency, female epistemology and the ethic of care. Two additional themes also emerged, one that each of the women were "tapped" by an administrator as having leadership potential and encouraged to move up in their positions and the second being that each of these women felt that the role was a good "fit" for their personality. Previously in studies on women in leadership, the demands of work and family were found to be obstacles. This study uncovers the theme that these women all have seen that their families have enabled them to be able to do the jobs they do and that there is a great benefit to their families in being able to have these high level positions.;This study is a benefit to the field of education: to the women who represent over 80% of teachers, who may want to move in to administration, but due to the lack of role models, and the challenges of raising children, may feel held back. It is further valuable to boards of education, as they contemplate the choices they have in hiring a superintendent. Motherhood brings a unique perspective to the role and through this study, has proven to be an asset, where as previously may have been viewed as a detracting quality. Times are changing in the roles of mothers and fathers in home and work, and who takes on what responsibilities, as this study shows, it is possible for women to be both, a successful high level administrator and a successful mother.