These candidates were weighed on the basis of communication skill, overall school contribution, disciplinary ability, personal warmth and growth potential. Contrary to expectations, the 150 principals were noticeably more favorable toward the female candidates, Reis says. Furthermore, female administrators are starting to be perceived as better administrators than men in terms of dependability, flexibility and collaborativeness. In a 1997 survey, teachers and peer administrators actually rated female administrators superior to male administrators. In teaching, women tend to derive satisfaction from creating innovative ways to present their material.
Men get satisfaction by moving up through the ranks and becoming principals and superintendents.
A second explanation may be the fear of legal entanglements. School administrators are increasingly sensitive to the many laws and regulations prohibiting discrimination in hiring, especially in regard to women and minorities. A third reason is demographics. In the field of education, women are simply moving into administrative positions in larger numbers. The fourth reason seems to be that, while male administrators may have been expected to select interviewees of their own gender, the gender preference is outweighed by social, economic or biographical factors that make the female candidate more attractive, Reis says.