Women in Education Leadership

Strengthen your leadership to advance education change in the face of your most complex circumstances to date.

Overview

For most leaders, the past year has demanded more innovation, endurance, and creativity than any time in recent history. This period of change, activated by a global pandemic and social justice movements, has called for rapid redeployment of resources while positioning and maintaining equity as a priority. For women, the circumstances have generated new opportunities to demonstrate their leadership talent and also presented new challenges, given that the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities related to gender. 

Women in Education Leadership is a forum for you to celebrate your strengths, analyze your challenges, and focus on the skills you need now to engage multiple constituencies in the work of improving learning opportunities for students. This program empowers women to lead through adversity, and it provides a unique opportunity for growth and renewal among diverse groups of women.

Program Details

This year, Women in Educational Leadership is designed and offered as a virtual institute. This new format will maintain the intensity and rigor of the learning experience and also give participants the flexibility to attend to personal and professional responsibilities.

In advance of each block, you will work independently to complete activities, which might include listening to a podcast, watching a short video, reading a book chapter or case. Each learning block will then integrate live, synchronous sessions with faculty, small group tasks, and networking opportunities. With the support of faculty, you will apply analytical frameworks to your context.

On the days between these blocks, you will meet for a small-group peer coaching session to explore and address dilemmas common to all leaders and also unique to women. The groups will bring participants together with similar roles. The sessions will last for 45 minutes and be scheduled according to your preferred meeting time.

Schedule for Live Sessions

Program schedule (to be confirmed) Wednesday, Sunday, Tuesday sessions 12:00–4:00 p.m. EDT; peer coaching groups will meet at varying times during this week.

The program schedule is expected to include 60- to 90- minute class sessions or case discussions. Peer coaching sessions lasting 45–60 minutes will be scheduled according to participants’ preferences.

Objectives

• Learn strategies for prioritizing your equity agenda, especially in tumultuous times
• Explore ways to strengthen and sustain collaborative relationships with your team and other stakeholders when working in a virtual or blended context 
• Gain essential communication and negotiation skills to ensure your needs are met to be effective in your leadership role
• Understand the nature of your professional challenges, especially where biases related to gender and race are at play and strategies for addressing them
• Practice self-care
• Create a lasting network of women leaders across the sector who are affecting change in education

Who Should Attend

Senior leaders across K-12 and higher education, including:

• Superintendents, assistant superintendents, chief academic officers, and principals
• Chief state school officers and state-level leaders
• CEOs of nonprofit organizations and foundations
• Program directors, department chairs, and other administrative leaders in higher education

Fees & Policies

The comprehensive tuition includes all instructional materials and refreshments. Participants receive a certificate of participation and a letter confirming clock hours of instruction. Payment or a purchase order must be received within 30 days of program acceptance, or upon receipt of the invoice if acceptance is within 30 days prior to the start of the program. Click here for more information on payment and financial aid.

Please click here for more information on our on-campus and online refund and withdrawal policies.

The Harvard Graduate School of Education reserves the right to change faculty or cancel programs at its discretion. In the unlikely event of program changes, the school is not responsible for non-refundable travel arrangements or other planning expenses incurred.