Since Congress declared March as the first official Women's History Month in 1987, there has been a heightened awareness of the role of women in our society. We want to celebrate with you the joy of the many impactful contributions that women educators have made in the United States. That does not diminish the impact of male teachers, but this month, our focus is on the acknowledgment that women have made in education.
Who are we celebrating? You.
· For all the students whose lives you have changed.
· For every Zoom meeting that was not the way you wanted to teach.
· For all the tenacity and creativity that you bravely mustered to make sure your kids got what they needed to learn.
· For taking care of yourself and those you love at the same time.
What are we celebrating?
· How resilient women have been since their teaching careers began.
· The millions of learners whose lives have been changed by their caring, professional teaching.
· How their leadership has changed the educational landscape.
In the 1800s, women began to play central roles in education, in formal and informal education settings, on the frontier, and in the cities. And that is quite an incredible accomplishment considering that in early America, girls were usually taught how to read but not how to write.
According to the Brookings Institute, the teaching profession has slowly become more female over the past several decades. The most recent data indicates that women constituted 76.3 percent of the workforce, compared to 70.5 percent 30 years ago. The same gender that experienced that inequity is responsible for the majority of all learners in the US. A joyful accomplishment, to be sure.
This past year has likely been the most difficult teaching experience in a century. Distance learning, Zoom students, and many women, with learners at home to tend to while teaching, have been delivered an unprecedented challenge. We know from numerous studies that the coronavirus pandemic affected women and girls disproportionately. We honor your resiliency as we all longingly look forward to vaccination potential toward herd immunity. And we will celebrate the bricks, mortar, and outside environment of teaching returns.
And we must give a special shout-out to the leadership that women provide for schools every day. Whether principal, executive director, or other school leadership roles, your courage, integrity, agility, influence, and respect are the compelling reason our teachers – and their learners – succeed.
So please, take a moment to celebrate yourself and the amazing things you have accomplished. And learn more about the famous women whose shoulders we stand upon. We expect to see your name on this Top 10 Most Influential Women in American Education website soon!