Women lead 170 of the 500 largest U.S. school districts (34%), but face more scrutiny than men, an opinion article argues. Among Top 500 interim superintendents since 2018, 62% of women faced a formal search for the permanent role, compared with 55% of men.
ILO Group, the author’s firm, tracks leaders in the 500 largest districts. It reports that well over half of women promoted internally to superintendent jobs first served as interim leaders, compared with 25% of men; women are also more likely to arrive from deputy superintendent roles. Since 2018, 349 leaders entered Top 500 superintendent posts on an interim basis, and about half were later hired permanently.
The 2026 Women Leading Ed survey found nine in 10 respondents felt pressure to manage their dress, speech or behavior to appear credible; about half said they were assigned uncredited office tasks. The author cites a 2020 Sarasota County search: the board passed over Marie Izquierdo, the only woman among five finalists and the sole candidate advanced by all 25 members of an advisory committee. Two members treated her plan to relocate ahead of her husband and teenage daughter as evidence of weak commitment. The author urges boards to set priorities before searches and assess candidates with consistent criteria.
