ED 117 841

TITLE

INSTITUTION

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SPONS_IGENCYREPORT 'NOPUB DATENOTE

EDRS PRICEDESCRIPTORS:

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ABSTRACTEducation is the crucial institution ,evolved in

sex-role socialization. The percentage of women in s nool, administrative positions has declined. Schools have adopted moderncorporation and military management models. Women nhappy about thestatus quo must learn about power, both theoretic lly andpractically, in order to chp.nge their position in the world ofeducationpand find the tools for institutional ch nge,within the

.schools. Women can (1) collect the qualificatiohs necessary to be a,legitimate contender for a place in the school po er hierarchy; (2)summarize the research negating that administration is a male job;and (3) if necessary file legal complaints. Wome in administrationcan provide a much-needed service by becoming paticipant o erversand compiling handbooks_and case studies df real experienc 'thpower structures and leadership styles.- (Author LF)

DOCUMENT RESUME

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Hierarchy, Power, and Women in Educational,PolicyMaking. A Position Paper Prepared by the NationalConference on. Women in Educational Policy Making. IELReport -6 .George Washington Univ., Washington, D.C. Inst. forAuc4trional Leadership.,Office of Education (DHEW), Washington, D.C.IEL-R-b-Oct 7528p.; Related documents are EA CC7 903-904

MF-$0.83 HC-$2.06 PlAs PostageAdministrative Personnel; Affirmative Action; ChangeStrategies; *Educational Policy;' Elementary SecondaryEducation; *Females; Feminism; Leadership Styles;Leadership Training; Organization; *Policy Formation;*Power Structure; Principals; *Sex Discrimination;Sex Stereotypes; Teacher AdministratorRelationship

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%****************************###*********************************4*W***** Documemts acquired by ERIC include many informal Unpublished ** materials not available from other sources. ERIC makes every effort ** to obtain the best copy available. Neverth ess, items of marginal ** reproducibility are often encountered and his affects the quality *

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THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITYR I ATICNA EAD RSHIP

E e E

C ..E..c..pE

HIERARCHY, POWER

AND WOMEN IN

EDUCATIONAL

POLICY MAKING

''LEADERSHIP TRAINING INSTITUTE1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20036

(202) 833-9061

IEL REPORTS: SIX

Second PrintingOCTOBER 1975

THE GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITYINSTITUTE FOR EDUCATIONAL 'LEADERSHIP

ADVISORY BOARD

,CHAIRPERSON DR. BERNICE S NDLERDirector Project on the Status and ducation of WomenAssociation of American Colleges ington, D.C.If Z 04,6visIsrogram DirectorLeadership Development Pram, AtlantaDR. JOHN DAVISPresident, Macalester CollegeSaint Paul, Minnesota

DR. JOHN DUNWORIHPresidentGeorge Peabody College, Nashville

DR. LLOYD ELLIOTTPresidentThe George Washington University

DR. MICHAEL FAYDirectprUnited Teachers' Los Angeles Urban Project

FRANCIS KEPPELDiiectorAspen Institute Education Program

HONORABLE HOWARD KLEBANOFFChairman, House Education CommitteeHartford, Connecticut

RUTH MANCUSOChairpersonNew Jersey State Board of Education.

RUBY G. MARTINGeneral Counsel, Committee on the District of ColumbiaU.S. House of Representatives

DR. LOUIS H. MAYOVice President for Policy Studies and Special ProjectsThe George Washington University

HARRY McPHERSON, JR.Attorney, Washington, D.C.

HONORABLE JOHN PITTENGERSecretary of EducationCommonwealth of..Pennsylvania

LOIS RICEVice PresidentCollege Entrance Examination Board

HONORABLE MARY RIEKEOregon State Representative

DR. ALAN ROSENTHALDirectorEagleton lnstitute of Politics, RLitgers University

DR. PAUL B. SALMONExecutive DirectorAmerican Association of School Administratojs

DR. RICHARD C. SNYDERMershon Professor of Education and Publii PolicyOhio State University

DR. CHARLES WATTSPresidentBucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania

DR. PAUL N. YLVISAKERDean, Harvard Graduate School of Education

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SAMUEL HALPERIN DirectorDIETRA ROGERS Chief Administrative OfficerJUNE FRANK Budget Offier

F.D.LICATIONAL-GEORGE LANE DirectorSHARON ENRIGHT --Associate Director

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EDUCATION POLICY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAMPAUL SCHINDLER Director

"OPTIONS IN EDUCATION" OVER NATIONALPUBLIC RADIO

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NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WOMEN IN EDUCATIONALICE G. SARGENT-- Coordinator

CAREER EDUCATION POLICY PROJECTGEORGE KAPLAN Coordinator

INSTITUTE FOREDUCATIONALLEADERSHIP

GE RGEASHINGTON

I'NIVERSITY

Suite 3101001 Connearesit Avensit,N WWaphington D C 20036

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HIERARCHY, POWER, AND WOMENIN EDUCATIONAL POLICY MAKING

A Position Paper Prepared b. theNational Conference on Women /in Educational Policy Making

LeaderShip Training Institute1001 Connecticut Avenue, N.W.Washington, D.C. 20036(202) 833-9051

IEL REPORTS: SIX OCTOBER 1975

Distributioh of this report is Made possible by acontract with the Assistint Secretary for Education,Department of:Health, Education and Welfare.

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The, Leadership Traini g Institute (LTI) oneducational leadershis) is an ou growth of the 1969Federal Education Professioqt- velopment Act. During

the -past tive-years-the LTI has been-concernedreoge of issues irreducational leadership with particularemphasis on the devejopment of internship programs

City-Universiimented extensively with the preparation and training ofuture educatiOnal leaders.

In its quest for more effective educationalleadership, the LTI recognized in the early stages of itswork the serious sparsity of Blacks, Spanish-Speaking; and'American Indians within the ranks of educational leadership.One of our majors objectives was to encourage the recruitment-of minority candidates for our internship programs. In1973 the LTI initiated several conferences to examine andevaluate the status of minoritiesin the area of schooladministration. A representative and distinguished gi.oupof leaders froM each minority group was assembled andeach group in tarn planned the nature of its conference,

) the agenda, and its participants.

By 1973, the LTI recognized that in its preoccupationwith greater representation in school administration byBlacks, Spanish-Speaking, and American Indians, we hadneglected women, the group making up the largest portion,of the education professions especially as teachers. Aseparate conference by women was therefore planned.

-c--T As one looks back at the 19 O's and early 1970's,the ancient truism reappears -- that despite centuries ordecades of oppression .an,stereotyPi -- society still doernot recognize that quality of oppor unity, like liberty,is indivisible.' When discriminatio ins practiced againstany single individual or group, no pne can be assured ofequal treatment. As was the case /ith other victims ofdiscri ination, women had to wage their own battle to gain ,----

equal t eatment. Hopefully, the findings' and recommendations

deyelo d by the various groups will awaken the educationalbureau acy to still existing, but ffisregarded injustices

in o er areas of the broad educational field. In schools,eq al opportiunity and treatment are not merely democrp-ticivues, butIthe very touchstone ofsound educational practice.

J

This publication is a statement developed by theconference on Women in Educational Policy Making, held 4nDenver, Colorado, January, 1974. The Leadership TrainingInstitute is very grateful to -the meTtibe-rs of-the conferenceior their significant contribution to education and thearea of school leadership. These findings and recommendations

among those governmental agencies that are instrumental in .shaping edudational policy. A

The LTI is especially grateful to Ms. MargeryThompson, who, as conference coordinator, writer and editor,has prepared the material, including this publication, ,which emerged from this conference.

"Norman Drachler,Director, LeadershipTraining Institute

George R. KaplanAssociate Director,Leadership TrainingIpstitute

This work was developed Under a grant from the UnitedStates Office of, Education, Department of Health,Education and Welfare:. However, the content does notnecessarily reflect the position oz policy of thatAgency, arid no official endorsement of these materialsshould be inferred.'

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This booklet grew out of discussions in thefollowing group concerned with understandingthe politics of career advancement: .

Florence Howe Group Leader'John McCluskey positiOn'paper

* Marilyn NeidigEileen M. KellyElizabeth C. Wilson

I.+

It was written and edited by Florence Howe,John McCluskey, and Elizal;ethWils0.

...s

A complete li of. the Conference planhing,

committee, parts ipants and their affiliationsis contained in ppendix A.

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HIERARCHY, ROWER, AND WOMEN IN EDUCATIONAL POLICY MAKING

A majo n pontion o6 the women'b movementhaz pame,4-11z Ev en the won& have been anathema.The movement zpeakz o6 tea de neezz cion-ciou,znezz-)taiz-i.ng pz and o6 maZepowen 4stiuc.iu nes. To be a 6 eminizThzo ten meant to di.zcand tnaditionat /tea tezto powen and to 66ace one4eP into thetea dentezz on nonautho nitanian ghau p.And. yet, o6 ccu nb e, the exenciz e o6 powenand in6 Qu ence ane tiny otved in atmort att.netationzhipz among peopte in gitoupz aridinztitution.o , Ev en the appanentty t ea den-tezz g ncu p haz tea deitz , ab many' o6 uz havecome. to itecognize,.

We think it iz impoittant 6 DA eminiztzgeneitat and o n women in edtcationat teaden-zhip in pa/I-tie/I-tan to took ,cane6u Ley at'patteruiz oi powet in tea de.A.4 hip, both azthey exis t in e dc cationat inb tt iU tiortz andaz they exizt in the women'b mov ement andin °then contempo nary o tiat. mov ementz 6 ochange. Becauze we betiev e that educationiz the cluciat inzti.tution invotv ed in z ex-/tote zociatization, we atzo betiev e that

,women in pozition4 o6 elcationat''teadenzhipzhoutd undenztarid both the high nL4s fib theymay have take and the zigni6lcant accom-pti.ohmentz they may achiev e.

What,is The Problem?

"Curiouser and curiouser," said Lewis Carroll's.Alice, as she observed the disappearance of her "feet beneathher. Her sisters today could well be making the same remarkas they observetheir diminish' g old on power and policy-making in the schools. Only y sterday the elementary schoolworld belonged almost exclusive o women. Only yesterdaywe were pointing with pride to our mothers and grandmotherswho had a toehold, however precarious, on leadership

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What has happened to this brave-beginning?Why, to take an especially shocking example, has the-percentage - ,- - -- i :_ :eclined"at the rate of two percent per year" in the ver recentpast (1958-68)? (So says Dorothy L. Johnson in "GIs.Administrators, Where Are They?", School AdministratorNewsletter, American Association of School Administrators(AASA), August 1972.) These were years characterized bygrowing unrest, upheavals, and protest on the part of manygroups hungry for status and,power: the blacks, the Voung,the poor, the teachers. Wk re was the woman school leaderduring this period? Why has she permitted the womanelementary school principal to become an almost extinctcreature?

It is a curious phenomenon--one not easily di pelledby pat answers about the successful recruiting of men intoelementary schools, or speculation about the Freudian imageof women as essentially submissive and nurturing rather thanaggressive and conceptualizing. Our guess is that not enoughattention has been paid,to changes in the organization andpower structure of the school as an institution. 7hesewere, we must remember, the vintage years of The GJeatSociety. They were the years of hope and ferment--the-years when. we believed we knew how to take care of oursocial and educational ills, given some money and large dosesof existing expertise in the form of new curriculums, neworganizational patterns, new amalgams of students, and newmanageMent systems.

-)

The public schools rather suddenly becamesocially and economically impOrtant in ways not fullyexploited in previous decades. They were not only tobecome the vehicles of social change; they were lso involvedin the processing of a product intimately related to theeconomic well-being of the nation' and to the GNP Largecorporations like IBM and Xerox lurked in the b ckground,ready to spring into the driver's seat in 'plac of thebumbling educator who did not understand the saministi-ationof big business.

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_________-----$chool-board=members-jumped-up-and down aboutmodern information' systems, data processing, PPB (Planning,

P=g-raffm:Trgraudge-ting thc-Megama-ra-mangeme40;-systeM)and about curriculum systems of input, output, and feedback.Small school distridts were consolidated-in-the interestsof a greater variety of services and greater efficiency.

Much emphasis waS placed on the acquisition ofinstructional hardware, such as overhead projectors andTV sets, The government gave-4giant sums of money for

4 research and development centers--in universities and innewly formed educational laboratories - -to bring to .theschools the benefit of iew knowledge and new techniques incurriculum and instruction/

In short, there was anaNis a deliberate and,continuing effort to'move the school's administrationand management from that of a cottage industry or smallfactory to that of a modern corporation.

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'Parallel with the remaking, of school administrationand,management practices have been two kinds of personneltrends that are not unrelated to the attempt to streamlinemanagerial structures. One that has been mentioned already.is the flight of the female from positions of leadership.The other s he unionization of teachers. Indeed, wesuspect thatihese.trends are more pronounced in the biggerand more-lap-to-date _systems. That is to say, the, more theschool systemts methods of governance look like that of bigbdsiness, and the better the salary scale, the fec4er thenumber of women leaders and th more powerful and-voethe union. dne'large system we know has openly articulated,the need to get rid of the middle-aged, motheily principaland to replace her with the slick, upwardly - mobil,. youngman, eager to innovate, able to speak the langu,acomputer, and responsive to the demands ofstructure.

of the,ower

Another phenomenon worth noting is that the ,corporate model of policy and decision mak most usual in

. the modernized school and school system a m litary one.

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Again, this is not surprising in view of the factbat themilitary model is the single4'10st usual "other" managerialexperience of present-day school leaders. Nor is it any

rience

WI%

in the school are men`.

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The leadership style of the armed forces isimpersonal and authoritarian. It has to be: kits missionis war. The organizational structure of the military isnotoriously hierarchical and complicated, as befits the needto design, support, and'run th., complex technology of themodern military. machine. The ideal leadership style and thestructure of the corporate body of the armed forces fit itsmission. Its institutional means and ends are internallyconsiStent.

But therein lies the rub. The mission of the`school as an institution is just about as different fromthat of,the Army, Navy, and Air Force as it can be. Insteadof quick striking power with death and destruction its al,the school seeks a sloW, long-range, cumulative effect,oindividuals and on groups Of individuals toward competent inbasic academic skills and knowledge, toward a desire to goon learning after formal education is completed, towardindependence, self-esteem, and self-Confidende.. The edUca-tional goals articulated by schools at all levels of learningmay be impossibly global and ideal, but they are designedto enhance and enrich lifb---to help people acquire theinternal power to guide and control their lives and that ofthe society in which they live. That the schools have notsucceeded in their mission for all of the children of allof the people need not be elaborated here. The task isextraordinarily difficult, as even our critics are beginningto'discover after the last faint trumpets of the ReformMovement fade in the distance.

And surely the administration and management ofthe schools need better organization and leadership than theyhave ever enjoyed. Nor do we believe that a massive returnto the warm; motherly, ,little red school house or thefragmentation of public school governments into tiny autono-mous units are realistic answers to the problem. Indeed,the military establishment and the large pvivate corporations(especially the latter) have accumulated a wialth of techniqueand'knowledge that school people must study and understand.

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The difficu y has been the wholesale liftirig ofL a.:":".'foreign" .power stem_ from the _military arisi the large

corporate bureaucracies without attention to the essential----,--d-ifference-s in the goals-of-the several orgarrize-tisn.s.

______ With _the crunch, the sChool loses some cif its _most im ortantassets. For instance, the warmth ana intimacy of.sbmelong-term persopal relationships.. For instance, women in,leadership positions. We are reminded of Emerson's remakkthat ends preexist in means, and thud that full -scale adoptionof military or corporate power structures as unexamined means

, can and will have unholy effect upon the educational ends ofthe scllool.'

The management of power for liberating, humane endsis an extraordinarily complex arid virtually unexploredboth.in design and execution. Designing a liberating poWerstructure and leadership style for the school--any school- -will take all the brains and commitment we can muster. Itis essential, therefore, that women who are unhappy aboutthe status quo begin to learn something about pbwer, boththeoretically and ptactically. Notonly may they then beable to change their position in-the world of education, butthey may also find the tools for institutional change withinthe schools and join the movement crying for seasoned recruits.

What Is Power ? /

'tower is to social action and groups as water is

'do nature: a basic source of life and vitality.3 Wiselyused', it can nourish the talerits, qualities, and lives ofall people regardless of eexCabused, it ,can damage anddestroy those precious qualities, aspirations, and lives.Power is a major element in the present educational system'sinequities toward women, as well as a potential vehicle forvast, liberating changes for.women and men.

40'

As we have shown, the present male-dominated powerstructure in education is'increasingly geared to theefficiency of systems analysis and the hierarchical command(of t]ie corporation or military organization. It is hardlysurprising to assert that policymaking, confined to very few,needs to be changed. Changing the way in which the powerto make decisions is organized in educational institutions

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is a major prhlem not only for those striving for equalrights and opportunities in education, but also for thehealth and well-being of society itself.

Equally essential is the need to change the styleor manner by which people in schools exercise power. For,contrary to much popular and scholarly opinion,'the exerciseof power and influence can bring about beneficial changes inpeople, rather than harmful ones. Power relations do notneed to consist of dom4pation and control by one person ora group over others. Indeed, people may exercise powerwithout dominating and controlling others at all. Instead,they'may intentionally elicit liberating changes in others.For the sake of human liberation, new styles of power andleadership must 'replace the authoritarian and controllingones prevalent today in education6.l institutions.

Power or influence is exercised when one person-o.r-coup gets another to change in ways that have beendelibeOhtely conceived; that is, when one person elicitsdesired responses from another. When John gets Jim to dosomething Jirst would not otherwise dcl, nhriPis exercisingpower. In school systems, power is exercised when a teachergets students to change in ways the teacher intends: theylearn to read more accurately, for example, or dance moregracefully. Likewise, power and influence,are exercisedwhen an administrator gets a group of teachers to adopt anew set of instructional materials. And when a group ofparents ets a superintendent IC give serious attention totheissue of sexual stereotyping in the,school curriculum,they too. are exercising power. c;

New Forms of Power Relationships

Our focus is on;the person at whom the power is.being directed, "the ta\rget." Obviously, people may beinfluenced for better or for worse; obviously, too, thereare two matters involved in the relationship between theloowerful andLthe person feels the source of that power.The 'first is simply the result: is it beneficial to the

"I"- target or not, and how beneficial or how harmful? If,the power of one person, another person changes in

(..--(ways that increase his self-esteem, independence, awareness,,

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aspiration, and efficacy at some skill, or valued activity,then the relationship has been a liberating one. If on theother hand, ,the chanties accomplished are harmful to a'person's self-esteem, independence, efficacy, and.so on,the relationship has been a debilitating one.

In extreme forms, power relationships can be soenabling and confirming to those being influenced that theybecome emancipating. In liberation movements, people-areoften profoundly Changed bysleaders and peers with whom theystruggle collectlizely: they develop power where they werepowerleiss, indepenclence where they were dependent, awarenesswhere they were ignorant, hope where they knew despair,self-confidence where they felt self - doubt, and a self-esteemthat allows people to walk proudly and beaut ally where theyhad stooped and shuffled. As black peop Montgomery,Alabama, who had'' fought with Martin Luther King declared,'"We have given up childish ways to become en."

Unfortunately, the typical power /relationseducational institutions are not liberating but debilitating.Unfort*etey, many people, especially students, areadversely affected by the power relationships insidelkour.schools: From preschool through graduate school, studentsare often influenced to act out sexually stereotyped and

humanly restrictive roles. If they are female, they discover'that thy.responses adults desire from them are designed toinfluence theth to becpme mommies not managers, nurses notneurosurgeons, consumers not corporation heads, secretariesnot senators. They are taught to make coffee not policy, tobake,bread, not build bridges. If they are male, they aretaught. quite differently--to be tough, not tender.

One result of is incessant process is \that young

peb e are taught to ac t restrictive and often demeaningrole', relationships, and activities. In addition, if they

'are female, many of,these roles and activities,are devalued,even degraded. In short, the adults in our'edueational system,particularly those in positions of leadership, often exercisea debilitating power on students, stunting their aspiration,independence, self-esteem, and efficacy.

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Yet this is utterly'contrary tothe goals ofcation, if we are to take seriously the traditional

r etoric. To educate is to enable others to learn; to helpt em develop their efficacy or skill at various tasks,heir awareness of or knowledge about various topics, andtheir ability to take the initiative in pursuing newexperiences. Properly stated, the goals of education'demand that teachers exercise liberating power upon students.

If an authoritarian style of power and leadership,set within a hierarchical and corporate structure, is infact debilitating and stunting our students, what new stylesof power and-leadership must we develop to move closer toliberating them? ,What methods of exercising power must weadopt in order to achieve more effectively the stated goalsof education?

First, A might ask ourselves, whether the personexercising power is enabling the .person being Anfluenced toobtain valuable and desirable goals and values more effec-tively. Is 'o English teacher who aliowg, herfstudents 'towrite only analytical, expository essays enabling thosestudents to develop their poetic and expressive capapilities?

Second, we might ask outselves whether the personexercising power is confirming the'person being influenced.One peJrson confirms anoid6r when her 'actions indicate to thelatter that their beliefs about who the latter is correspond.For example, a woman teacher can cdhfirm an adolescent girlby urging' her to adopt a positive self-identity to which shehas privately aspired but which others had not encouraged.Perhaps the teacher is the first adult to advise and thereby

encourage the student to pursueo professional, career, whileothers had expected much more limited aspirations from her.

Third, we might ask ourselves whether the personexercising power is abstaining from controlling the otherperson's access to rewards. Does the power agent play therole Of "gatekeeper," restricting other people's access torewards unless they dos-what the gatekeeper wants them to do?Or does the power agent play the role of "broadcaster offacts and values," sharing resources rewards uhcondition-ally, or sharid4 infOrmation others need to obtain rewards,without requiring compliance inreturn?

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This isan especially critical feature in distin/guishing forms of power. The "gatekeeper" uses the "carrotand stick" method to exercise power: holding out carrots

,.

(promising rewards) if subordinates will comply with theleader's goal, and shaking sticks (threatening'punishments)if subordinates will not comply. Commonly used by thoseinpositions of leadership, this is acontrolling style f .

power. It is manifest in the principal who gets a fa ultyto adopt a new set of instructional materials betaus he, .dangles the carrot of lighter teaching loads if the teacherswill comply ari+threatens the punishment of the same louti./

teachihg load if they do not.

It is-possible, on the other hand, to exercise powerwit 5)t being a "gatekeeper" to'others' rewards,, to abandoncontrol and domination entirely, by exercising "exemplarypower." Then the power agent sets an example or demonstratesa course of action without promising rewards or threatening.

punishment. When people simply set examples, they may besharing rewards unconditionally with the people they aretrying to influence, or sharing the information needed topursue goals and rewards. Thus we might ask how effectivelyeducational leaders set examples of values they want othersto share, or how effectively they demonstrate skills orprocedures they want others to learn. Does a high schooldrama teacher help develop, the vocal and acting abilitiesof his students'by threatening them with punishments andfrightening them with the potential embarrassment of 4 pooropening night's performance, or does he, rather, set bdforethem-positive examples of voice and stage movement froth whichthey may learn to develop a confident stage presence?

Finally, we may ask ourselves whetherthe personexerciAng power is getting others. to adopt changes that areintrinsically rewarding to them. A teacher who succeeds atovercoming students' reluctance to engage in activities that",turn out to be extremely valuable is eliciting such intrin-

sically rewarding changes in them. Perhaps the teacher getsthem to become fully engrossed in the exhilerating experience.of performing a beautiful dance or musical piece. Perhaps it

is the acdbmplishment of some highly valued intellectual orpractical task, in which the student derives great self-respectand,a feeling of efficacy. In any_case, the growth of

.self-esteem, independence, aspiration, and selif-confidencein the person on whom power is exercised will depend on just

such intrinsically rewarding experiences.

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This growth in the learning of others is, as wehave seen, the essence of good teaching. But good teachers,like able students, are often diverted from the exercise ofpositive power relationships by the climate of the institu-tion in which they work: the school, the educational system,or the university. Perhaps the most potent way to changestudent - teacher powerpower relationships is to chdange the teacher-administrator relationship within the school or school system.Such a change, of course, means changing the generallyaccepted power structures and leadership styles within theinstitution.

This is a tough nut to crack, particularly fromthe lowly position of most women in the educational hierarchy.What is to be done? Where can potential women leaders movefrom here?

What Does it all Mean for Women Trying to Change the System?

By and large, women are at the bottom othe educa-tional world. Their advantage lies in theirnpbers: werethey all to make waves, the tide might turn and engulf thepresent power structure. But on the whole, it is a singlewoman or a small group who provide the, current, and it isclear enough that they take a great risk in so doing. Thedimensions of that risk depend both on the job security ofactivists and on the willingness of friendly "buffers"- -women and men in positions of power--to shield them. Thejunior school administrator or assistant professor on acampus who insists, for example, that a special effort bemade to recruit women and minorities may herself needprotection from the ire of chiefs who prefer the route ofthe "old boy's club."

It is Dot clear low much conscious tightening atfile top of the power strucalre there has been. but it is

Backlash

obvious that we have already elicited sufficientBacklash to frighten some women and silence others.; Andyet, of course, the presence of backlash is a reminder ofthe movement's power. To retreat in the face of backlashis to forget that power and to give up at the moment whenthe opposition is feeling that power and reacting to it.

But what should women do? Press harder on theissues that *are vulnerable. For example, it is obvious thatif administrators were truly interested in the health of

17

school systems or in the excellence of teachers being trainedat schools of education, they would look for talent to thevast and largely untapped pool of women teachers and graduatestudents. Empirical data of many kinds will verify thattalent: academic records in college, graduate school examina-tions, and several complex recent studies all indicate thatwomen's talent in the area of administration (surprisingly)surpasses men's. Summarize tho research; popularize thefindings: the first job is to. crack the myth that administra-tion is a male job.

The second issue is the legal one: it is simply

...3fi

against the law to di criminate against women who would orcould be administrato . Flood the power structure withreadable documentation. Again, if reason--in the form ofliterature and talk--won't work, then the filing of complaintswill have to follow.

, But the major task is still to come, for somewomen are not interested in merely being hired to do the jobas it has been done for decades. They want to change thatjob significantly, both in style and in supstance. A womanprincipal might decide to organize a council of teachers toevaluate existing tebooks and suggest changes. She mightuse her power in the liberating ways suggested earlier inthis pamphlet because she is interested in changing the waysin which both women and men think of themselves and workwith each other in educational institutions. Such changeadministrators and teachers might'be very different kindsof people when -next they meet with and influence students.In short, the woman administrator interested in change willneed to learn to use power in a new way effect thosesubstantial changes she is after.

What Is the Curriculum?

If women are to prepare themselves to become educa-,tional policy makers, and if, even more important, they areto use such leadership positions to change the system, whatwill they study? Of what will the curriculum consist? Whowill be the teachers? Where is the graduate school?.

The place to begin is to learn about power, forknowledge about power is the first steptePpower itself.Women can start by systematic study of the phenomenon both

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through the traditional means of books and classes and throughcareful observation of the live creature in situ, that is,from within the schools and universities themselves.

On the traditio al front, a fascinating body ofliterature is accumulati g--a cross-disciplinary amalgam ofsuch subjects as politica science, ocial psycblogy, indus-trial management, and soon. Scholais are beginning to getinterested in collecting hard-headed case studies-fromindustry, government, and education - -case studies that canbe used as data sources for new concepts of leadershipstyles and internal governance patterns for large socialinstitutions and fior governmental and industrial bureau-cracies. This literature is provocative and hopeful aboutthe possibility of flattening internal power hierarchies anddeveloping realistic forms of participatory democracy.

Women who are trying to change the system musthave command of existing knowledge in the field. The brieflook at power provided earlier inthis essay, is a samplefrom this growing field of knowledge. ft will serve, wehope, to whet the appetite of tomorrows Great Women Expertsin new leadership styles and power structures for education.This knowledge can be found in selected colleges and univer-sities, often outside Xhe'formal graduate schools of educationand teachers' colleges.

But this curriculum for would-be experts in educationalpower not only requires a scholarly command of subject matter,it also insists upon a practicum in the art of politics inthe real school worldpreferably at several levels, from Kinder-garten through university. The first part of the practicumis concerned with collecting the qualifications necessary tobe a legitimate contender for a place in the school powerhierarchy. For many well-educated, upper-middle-class women,this means paying no attention.to the traditional liberalarts disdain for courses in "education," regardless of howmediocre they may be. In addition, it means dropping the"Lady Bountiful" stance toward the public schools. Even whenthe schools were in dire need of warm bodies to "keep school," r:they quite properly rejected the "good works" aura exuded bymany would-be leaders. Today these attitudes won't get awoman in the front door, much less into a position to beseriougly'in the',rUhning for a leadership post.

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For large numbers of women, then, whatever theirclass or caste, qualifying oneself for educational' leader-ship demands more seriousness of purpose, and more persist-ence, than many have'been-willing to give to the enterprise.What happens while able women wait around to gear themselvesup? Why,.along comes the ambitious young man, of course,- whoquickly puts in the classrodm time requir,ed to learn thetrade, collects all the credits deemed essential by thecertifying agencies (no matter how boring or irrelevant thecourses), and very scion pops up as the boss, Women aresometimes their own worst enemigp when it comes to jumpingthrough the qualifying hoops set up by the educationalestablishment.

A second step in the_practicum'shoUld-take placeduring the qualifying apprenticeship desdribed above, and,in fact, during the entire professional lifetime of thewoman leader. This part of the practicum asks that thestudent not'only live in an institution and actively parti-cipate in its functioning, but that she become an expertparticipant-observer of the way the institution behaves.

And what precisely does becoming a professionalparticipant-observer iffiply? It means' cultivating the abilityto stand outside oneself and one's immediate experience todescribe, to analyze, and to interpret it for otheis. Itsuggests assuming the posture of a resident anthropologist,observing and documenting the manners and mores of a familiareducational institution in the same way the anthropologiststudies the culture of faraway and esoteric peoples.

Learning one's art can be demanding, but it canalso be fun. It is fun to be caught up in the triumphs,rivalriles,.and passions that are the lifeblood of power.It can be very heady wine. And the requirement that onelater articulates on6's- feelings and observations with adegree of objectivity and even with a sense of the absurd maybe sobering, but it can also, in a quieter vein, be equallyabsorbing.

Able women are particularly well suited to the jobof being-resident anthr9pologists in ourteducational institu-tions. Having been excluded from most of the power positions;they have.little investmentin the present power structures

. .

and do not need to be defensive abotit them. Furthermore,

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women seem to have built-in natural interests in the healthand welfare of our educational institutions. That theseinstitutions are feeble and sick now goes without saying.If they are to renew themselves and assume the powerfulplace they should have in the ongoing life of our society,then we need to know in which direction's they should moveand how to move them.

Compiling observers' handbooks and case studies ofreal experiences with power structures and leadership stylesis, therefore, a much-needed service. There are very fewstudies ofthe.complexities of change in the school World.We have plenty of literature denouncing the system. We haveivory tower ideas about change that either boomerang inpractice or have not yet stood the test of battle. We don'tneed more people telling us what is the matter. We do,however, desperately need to know. what to do about it- -whatremedies work and what do not.

The venture is not for the faint-hearted. Anyonereally working at changing the establishment is bound to'bein trouble mudn'of the time. And leaders who are successful

even a small way are usually in big trouble.. Policyma bodies in schools and universities are already nervousabout the potential/advance of women beyond the token level, 1_up the ladder of power and into the inner sanctums of govern-ance. Add to this uneasiness the possibility of rocking theboat--of reordering the base on which power is built by theestablishment--and it is not difficult to see how hot thepolitical kitchen can become for any leader, male or female.In this respect, women are simply in double jeopardy.

Various corporate groups should seriously considerthe systematic development of protective agencies for thepotential crusader. - Perhapsa new form of benevolent,insurance company should be created to serve.as a psycholo-gical and monetary security blanket for those who get burnedor get burned out. And who will absorb some of theseriskswith the adventurer? Teachers unions? Women's caucuses?Answers to this question as.well as consideration of the form

OF this insurance should take are good topics.for another essay.

Bvt while- the risks of becoming a crusader are real,there are also many real compensations. Being a joarticipant-.yobserver of the life,and hard times of our educationalinstitutions can be an extraordinarily interesting Undertaking.

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So can using this knowledge and experience to create newpower str%lctures and leadership styles more consistent with

the goals of an educational institution.

It is high time women began the serious study ofpower in the schools. Those who take this route to theexercise of power will find themselves engulfed by one ofthe greatest problems of our time. The task can be exhilera-

Ving as well as demanding, intrinsically rewarding':as wellas, exhausting.- And there is an exciting, and growing groupof people to offer companionghip along this unexplored road.

n.

APPENDIX A

WOMEN IN EDUCATIONAL POLICY-MAKING'DENVER, COLORADO

JANUARY 23-25, 1974

PLANNING COMMITTEE

Ms. Cecilia CoscaU.S. Civil Rights Commission1121 Vermont Avenue, NW, Room 401Washington, DC

Ms. Arvonne Fraser, PresidentWomen's Equity Action LeagueNational Press Building, RoomWashington, DC 20004

Ms. Anne GrantNOW-Education Committee.28 East 56th StreetNew York, New York 10022

Ms. Margaret JonesNational, Foundation for the

Improvement df EcAcation1507 M Street, NWWashington, DC 20036

Ms. Shirley McCuneManager, Teacher Rights Division,National Education Association1201 Sixteenth Street, NWWashington, DC 20036

Ms. Gail T. McLure538 American College Testing Pro

Iowa City, Iowa 52240

Dr. Elizabeth KoontzCoordinator for Nutritional

ProgramsNorth Carolina State Department

of Human ResourcesAlbemarle HuildingRaleigh, North Carolina 27602

Ms. Carmen Maymi, DirectorWomen's BureauU.S. Department of Labor14th and Constitution Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20010

PARTICIPANTS

.D.r. Yvonne M. AgazarianSavi Communications1831 Chestnut StreetPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19103

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Dr. John McLureDepartMenCof Education408 Jefferson BuildingUniversity of IowaIowa City,.Iowa 52240

Ms. Terry SaarioThe Ford Foundation320 East 43rd StreetNew York, New York.

Ms. Joan Thompson I

ram

Federal Women's ProgramOffice of Education, Room 2049400 Maryland Avenue, SWWashington, DC 20202

Ms. Sally V. Allen, Director_Early Childhood ProjectEducation Commission of the

States1860 Lincoln StreetDenver, Colorado 80203

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Jean L. AmbroseAssistant to DeanDouglass Co4ege and ChairpetSonWomen's Rights Task Force on

Education of-New Jersey N.O.W.549 Lenox AvenueWestfield, New Jersey 07090

Susan Groves Bement, IirectorWoman's Studies ProgramBerkeley Unified School District1720 Oregon StreetBerkeley, California 94703

'Ms. Marj BrittDirector of Curriculum DevelopmehtThe Feminist PressBox 334Old Westbury, New York 11568

Ms. Gwyneth BrittonAssistant ProfessorSchool of EducationOregon State UniversityCorvallis, Oregon 97331

BLandina (Bambi) CardenasVice-ChairpersonNEA, Human Relations Council

,

Vice-PresidentInter-Cultural LaboratoriesSan Antonio, Texas

Dr. Patricia ChesebroAssociate ProfesSor of PsychologyIllinois State UniversityNormal, Illinois 61761

Constance E. Cook.1h

Me er of New York State AssemblyC irwomanASsembly Education Committee209 Coy Glen Road

New York 14850

Margaret C. DuhkleProject Associate

. Project on the Status &Education "of 'Women

Association of AmericanColleges

1818 R Street, NW.Washington, DC 2000

Ms. Catherine EastExecutive SecretaryCitizens-Advisory Council On the

Status of WomenDepartment of Labor BuildingRoom 1236Washingtqn, DC 20210

Judith B. EdwardsResearcli AssistantIowa Testing Program220 Lindquist Center for'Measurement

University of IowaIowa City, Iowa 52242--'1

,Dr. Cecilia Foxley (position paper)Affirmative Action ProgramUniversity of Iowa.Iowa City, Iowa 52242

Mrs. Jessie Gomez FrancoAssistant PrincipalInstruction and CurriculUmNightingale Junior High School3311 North Figueroa StreetLos Angeles, California

Ma:rgaret GatesCo-DirectorCenter for Women Policy Studies2000 P Street, Suite 508Washington, DC 20036

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Mrs. Karen A. HoneAdministrative AssistantEducation Commission

of the States'.1860 Lincoln StreetDenver, Co ado 80203

Florence HoweProfessor of HumanitiesSuny-College at Old WestburyPresident, The Feminist Press

and the Clearinghouse onWomen's Studies

Editor, The Women's StudiesNewsletter

Box'210Westbury, L.I., Neia York 11568

Ms. Margaret Jones .

National Foundation for theImprovement of Education

1507 M Street, NWWashington, DC 20036

Joyce KaserChairer, Dayton SchoolsWomen's Rights Committee, 1972-73348 West First Street

' Room 1473 AnnexDayton,. Ohio

Dr. Eileen KellyAssociate Education ResearchNew York State Education DepartmentCoordinator, NeW York State NationalOrganization for Women

98 South Pine AvenueAlbany, New York 12208

Ms. Lourdes Miranda KingPresidentL. Miranda and Associates3502 Taylor StreetChevy Chase, Maryland 20015

Dr. John McLureDepartment of Education.

408 Jefferson BuildingUniversity" of IowaIowa City, Iowa 52240

Hollc, Knox

DirectorProject,on Equal Education

Rights (PEER)1522 Connecticut Avenue; NW,Washington, DC ,20036 1,,

Pal

Martha MatthewsProject CoordinatorRes6urce Center on Sex Roles .

in EducationNational'Found ion for the, to.

Improvement of Education1156 - 15th Street, NW, SuiteWashington, DC 20005

Ms. Lucile MusmannoResearch Assoc ateEducation Fin nce ProjectResearch and I formation-ServicEducation Commis-sloe' of the Sta

1860 Lincoln StreetDenver, Colorado 80203

Sharon L. MehardNational Organization forWomen

Educational Task ForceBoulder ChapterColorado N.O.W.State Board Member2348 North 107 StreetLafayette, Colorado 80026

Dr. Shirley McCuneManager, Teacher RightsNational Education Association1201 - 16th Street, NW,Washington, DC 20036

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D. John AcClusky\Department of Political ScienceUniversity of Iowa '"Iowa City, Iowa 52240

Dr. Marilyn B. NeidigAssistant Professor of Educational

Administration. University of South Dakota

Vermillion, South Dakota 57069

Dr. Rut M. OltmanDean ofiGraduate ProgramHood cqllegeFredetIcke Maryland 21701

Ms. Virginia Paul 4Readin4Specialist .Clover Park School District11701 InterIaaken Drive, SWTacoma; Washington 98498

Carolyn I. Polowy,Attorney; Legal Head-Women's

Equity Action League .Consultant to the Center for

1°'Women Pol. Studie82000 P Stre NW, Suite 508Washington, .De 20036

Pam RootAasocipte SupervisorEqual Educational Opportunity'Supt. Public InsttuctionState o4 Washi gtontr.,Executivb Dire for Task Foree onWomen and Gi s in Education

Old Capitol Bui ing.Olympia, Washing on 98504

Dr. Paula SilverAssociate" DirectorUniversity Council for

Educational'Administration_,?9 West. Woodruff AvenueColumbus, Ohio 43210

A

Dr. Anita Simon, DirectorHumanizing Learning ProgramResearch for Better Schools, Inc.1700'Market StreetPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania 19130

Joan ThompsonFederal Women's ProgramOffice of Education,'Room 2049400 Maryland Avenue, SWWashington, pc, 20520

Jean A. WellsSpecial 'Assistant to the

- Director: d Women's Bureau

Employment Standards AdministrationU.S. Department of Labor

_lWashington, DC 20210/

Elizabeth C.ConsultaMontgom

ilsonCurriculumCounty Public Schools' ,

850 Hung rford Drive-Aaryland

Dr. Sara Goodman ZimetAssistant Professor of PsychologyUniversity of ColoradoMedical Center4200 East 9th AvenueDenver, Colorado 80220

STAFF:

Margery ThompsonConference.Coordinator andEditor,

3400 Dent Place, ,NW"Washington, DC 20007

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. June FrankCorffeerence Secretary `--

Institute for EducationalLeadership

George Washington University1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW #310Washington, DC 20036

Mr. E. Joseph ,Schneider.1518 K Street, NW, Suite 20614ashington, DC

..

Maggie Kennedy Burton.;-

1860 Lincoln Street, Suite' 775-

Denver, Colorado 80203

GUEST SPEAKER:

Dr. Wendell PierceEducation Commission of the

\. S,pates

186Z Lincoln Street.Denver, CaEorado 80203

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PROGRAMS OF THE INSTITUTE

EDUCATION POLICY FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM(EPFP) (formerly Washington internships in Education)is a national pi-0454am designed to help provide futureleaders the *ills in policy-making they must have tcrexert effective and enlightened leadership in Americaneducation. Rinds for the program are provided by theFord and Rockefeller.Foundations

Since 1965, the program has placed over 250 mid-careerpersons in one-year internships in ou'ulic and privateagencies involved in educational policy matters. Care-fully recruited sponsors, who are themselves key actors .in public policy issues, agree to serve as on the jobmentors by demonstrating, through their daily tasks,how educational policy is shaped at the State or nationallevel An importarit in r f the program is theinformal weekly nars througich Fellows

.interact with deci ion-makers, eminent authorities andleading specialists in education-related fields. Nationalmeetings of Fellows with other special groups contributefUrther to their understanding of educational policy-making. Fellows' salaries are paid by the sponsoringorganizations, while the costs of recruitment, placementand continuing professional development are borne bythe EPF Program. Headquartered in Washington withsites in four States, the EPF Program is designed formidcareer persons 25-45 years of age who have com-pleted their academic training. Two-thirds of theforty -five participants in 1975.76 have completed thedoctorate degree; all have demonstrated substantialleadership skills and a strong commitment to improvingthe educational system.

Although EPFP participants are widely considered to beprime candidates for excellent post Fellowship positions,the EPF Program does not commit 'tscg to obtainingfuture employinent for them Fellows frequently takeleaVes of absence from their pre Fellowship Position toparticipate in the program.

i..)IllinoisCoordinator-Robert Bunnell

_.......1 MassachusettsCoordinator-Ursula Wegener

Michigan Coordinators --Car! Condoli & Matthew Prophet

EDUCATIONAL STAFF SEMINAR.(ESS) ,! aprofessional development program design for staffmembersempioyed by the Executive and ILegislati-rebranches of the Federal Government in the field ofeducation. the goals of ESS are to provide an opetnforum in which participants can improve their pro-fessional capabilities and personal fulfillment on thejob by:

a) being exposed to new ideas and perspectives,b) increasing their knowledge of particular

subjects and their understanding of howmings actual operate in the field, and

c) meeting with other professionals involved inthe legislative and policy formulation processesin an informal learning environment whichfosters improved professional relationships.

ESS supplements the Washington work experience witha variety of in-service training seminarsand in =the fieldobservation. It was established in 1969 and is funded bythe Institute and by partial reimbursement from thegovernmental agencies served.

In fiscal year 1975, ESS conducted 73 programs for over2200 Federal employees. Included were 16 field tripsand 57 luncheonichnner discussionymeetings, site visits,demonstrations, and other executive developmentactivities.

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THE ASSOCIATES PROGRAM (TAP) is ant4. evolving :El,. activity whose emphasis up to now has .

been the provision of seminars and other forums fdrlegislators and other policy makers at State capitals.Begun in 1972 with three State educational seminars,TAP now sponsors 21 seminars, all mannedby Asso

' ciates who.pn a art-time basis aryange 5.10 programsannually.

,

Other TAP efforts-Maintain a network of Statelevel "generalists"(Associates) whose ties to IEL in the nation's capitalprovide rare linkages among Federal and State educa-tion policy-setters!Encourage similar linkages among agencies afikcoali-bons seeking to improve processes of State-leveldecision-making.

Support attempts of individual State leaders (governors, chief state school officers, legislative com-mittees, etc.) tcmprove policy-making machineryand to narrow me communications gap whichseparates political and professional leaders.

0

OTHER !EL ACTIVITIESUnder a grant from the Department of Health, Educationand Welfare's Fund for the Improvement of Postsecond-ary Education, IEL has established an issue developmentservice for consikleration and transmission of key policyissues in postsecondary education. The POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION CONVENINGAUTHORITY (PECA) sponsors conferer)ces, research

. efforts, task force groups and publications focusing onsuch issues as institutional licensing, consumer Protection,and State financing. During 1975-76 the program willadd lifelong learning and pilblic policy to its agenda.

IEL and National Public Radio co-produce the"OPTIONS IN EDUCATION" series, heard weeklyover NPR's 179 member stations from coast to'coast,Voice of America rebroadcasts the 1-hour programs,and IEL makes cassettes and transcripts available at mini-mum cost. In 1974 "Options" received awards from theEducation Writers Association and the Council for theAdvancement and Support of Education, Mason-DixonDivision. Funds for "Options in Education" are pro-vided by IEL, National Institute of Education, U.S.Office of Education, Robert S. Clark Foundation, NPR,and other grantors.

Under contract froki the Office of the AssistantSecretary for Education, HEW, IEL is planning major con-ference activity early in 1976 for educational decision-makers and administrators on the subject of institutionaladjustment to changing sex roles, The goals of theNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON WOMEN INEDUCATION, which inctude increasing training andcareer options for women in education a 40 facilitatingTitle IX implementation, will 6e pursueihn cooperationwith women's group leaders, policy-makers and theeducational community generally.

The CAREER EDUCATION POLICY PROJECT(CEPP) addresses the Issues of education, work andsociety. Funded by the U.S. Office of Education, CEPPuses the resources of other IEL prqgrams-ESS, TAP,"Option"-to inform both policy makers and the publicof the issues in the career education movement.