Two Women High School Principals: The Influence of Gender on Entry into Education and their Professional Lives

Abstract

This study explores the influences of being female on the lives of two women high school principals. The study focuses on how being female influenced their career choices and subsequent professional lives. The data presented are a subset of a larger set of data collected during a case study. The data indicate that career choices, behavior expectations and treatment, career advancement, and time demands are ways in which being female influenced them in their professional lives. Recommendations are made as to how the principalship might be restructured to attract more women (and men) to aspire to be high school principals.