Scaling the mountain to principalship: The barriers and the enablers of a female first time principal’s journey - chapter 14 recommendations

Chapter Fourteen: Recommendations

I have drawn out a number of recommendations on how to support future female leaders from Janet’s career life history for women principals and other female school leaders, schools and the Ministry of Education/Government.  These recommendations come with two aims.  Firstly, to enable more women to climb to the top of the mountain and become principals in the current neo-liberal climate by understanding who and what can support them on their ascension to principalship as well as how to navigate around the barriers which are stopping them or slowing them down.  Secondly, to advocate for a powerful political shift in society which breaks down the barriers once and for all (Grogan & Shakeshaft, 2011).  The cited literature provides further support for the recommendations.

14.1 Recommendations for women principals (and other female senior leaders)  

1.    Consciously provide role modelling and be encouragers for other female staff and students:

a.    Shaping their role to fit in with their family commitments.

b.    Demonstrating how to “take care with two hands” and by being present in the area of life she is currently engaged in instead of juggling responsibilities (R. McNae, personal communication, September 3, 2015).

14.2 Recommendations for schools

1.    Introduce gender mainstreaming into their policies and procedures:

a.    Ensuring that the criteria for a principal position does not stop women from being shortlisted or hired (Correll, 2013).

b.    Quota systems for women to be shortlisted (Eliophotou-Menon, Koutselini & Charalambidou-Solomi, 2015; Gentleman, 2015; Lyman et al., 2012; Young & McLeod, 2001).

c.    Holding panel members accountable after the interview by giving reasons why they selected or did not select someone (Correll, 2013).

2.    Provide consciousness raising professional learning in relation to social justice and equity issues for all staff and students.

3.    Ensure that the Board of Trustee members are trained around equity issues in relation to recruitment using New Zealand Schools Trustees Association “Effective Governance – Employer Role” (4).

4.    Change the norms regarding the interaction of work and family situations and ensure that flexible workers, in which women are the majority, are not penalised either financially and/or through less non-contact time (Ministry of Education, 2008). 

5.    Encourage fathers to take up parental leave.

6.    “Wait for” (Fuller, 2015) women to return from maternity leave and encourage them to take on roles with responsibility if they choose to when they have children, and provide on-site childcare if possible.

7.    Leaders in schools and the Board of Trustees should actively recruit female teachers to sign up to the National Aspiring Principals Programme and to University Educational Leadership Programmes.

14.3 Recommendations for the Ministry of Education / Government

1.    Provide training during The National Aspiring Principals and First Time Principal programmes on mentoring skills and “hard skills” such as how to use data effectively and financial planning.

2.    Set up networks for women leaders at different stages in their careers, perhaps using technology to create alternative meeting spaces (Grogan & Shakeshaft, 2011). 

3.    Create a model of compulsory education in New Zealand for pre-principalship.

4.    Initiate the recommendations from the National Council of Women of New Zealand report “Enabling women’s potential – the economic, social and ethical imperative” (2015).

5.    Follow Sweden’s model of compulsory parental leave for fathers.