Gender Representation Among Professionals in Florida's Public Schools

Series 2013-20D May 2013

Gender Representation among Professionals in Florida’s Public Schools

Introduction

Although women have traditionally accounted for a substantial majority of public school teachers, the national percentage of female public school principals is significantly smaller; however, this disparity is narrowing. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, women accounted for 39.1 percent of school principals nationwide in 1993-94, 46.4 percent in 1999-2000, and 49.7 percent in 2003-04.1 By 2007-08, more than half of all public school principals (51.0 percent) were female.2 Although the gap between male and female principals is narrowing at the national level, the percentage of female principals remains smaller than the percentage of teachers who are female (75.1 percent).3

Figure 1: Growth in Proportion of Female Principals, U.S.

1 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. The Condition of Education 2007, 190-91.

2 U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. The Condition of Education 2012,188.

3Ibid, 180.

Florida Department of Education

Dr. Eric J. Smith, Commissioner

Gender Distribution in Major Assignment Areas, 2002 and 2012

A shift has occurred in the composition of administrative staff in Florida’s public schools over the last ten years. The table below compares ten-year trends in gender distribution within major assignment areas for full-time staff.

Table 1: Gender Distribution in Major Assignment Areas, 2002 and 2012

/ Instructional Staff / Administrative Staff / Total Full-Time Staff /
/ Fall 2002 / Fall 2012 / Fall 2002 / Fall 2012 / Fall 2002 / Fall 2012 /
/ Number / Percent / Number / Percent / Number / Percent / Number / Percent / Number / Percent / Number / Percent /
Male / 34,960 / 22.1% / 39,252 / 20.2% / 4,179 / 43.0% / 4,225 / 36.2% / 69,987 / 24.4% / 75,584 / 23.5%
Female / 123,021 / 77.9% / 154,756 / 79.8% / 5,535 / 57.0% / 7,445 / 63.8% / 216,526 / 75.6% / 245,627 / 76.5%
Total / 157,981 / 194,008 / 9,714 / 11,670 / 286,513 / 321,211

Sources: Florida Department of Education. EIAS Data Report: Staff in Florida’s Public Schools, Fall 2012 and EIAS Statistical Brief: Staff in Florida’s Public Schools, Fall 2002

While the ratios of male to female instructional staff and male to female total full-time staff remained relatively constant from 2002 to 2012, the percentage of female administrators increased 6.8 percentage points for this same period.

Gender Distributions of Principals and Elementary and Secondary Teachers*

In Florida, the proportion of female principals increased 1.7 percentage points from 2007 to 2012, and the proportion of female elementary and secondary teachers remained fairly constant (up 1.0 percentage points) during this same period. Female assistant principals experienced the largest increase over the past five years (3.7 percentage points). Figures 2 through 4 depict the percentages of male and female elementary and secondary teachers, principals, and assistant principals in 2007 and 2012. The data source for these figures is the Florida Department of Education Staff Database, Survey 2 data, October 8-12, 2007 and October 8-12, 2012.

Figure 2: Gender Distribution among Elementary and Secondary Teachers, Fall 2007 to Fall 2012

Figure 3: Gender Distribution among Principals, Fall 2007 to Fall 2012

*Teacher data only include elementary and secondary teachers. ESE and other teachers are not included.

Figure 4: Gender Distribution among Assistant Principals, Fall 2007 to Fall 2012

Gender Comparisons in Elementary and Secondary Grade Levels

From 2007 to 2012 the most significant percentage change was that of secondary school principals (3.0 percentage point increase for women). There were also positive shifts for female elementary and secondary teachers and elementary principals during this period (0.6, 1.0, and 2.1 percentage point increases, respectively). These categories increased even though females already represented a very high percentage of staff in these jobs.

At the elementary level the number of female principals is significantly larger than the number of male principals. Nonetheless, the ratio of female teachers to female principals versus the ratio of male teachers to male principals suggests a gender gap. For every female principal, there are 47.6 female teachers as compared to 17.0 male teachers for every male principal. There was little change in these ratios from 2007 to 2012.

At the secondary level during this time span, the ratios of female principals to female teachers and of male principals to male teachers changed more dramatically, from 89.9 female teachers for every female principal to 76.0 female teachers for every female principal and from 41.6 male teachers for every male principal to 38.0 male teachers for every male principal. The data source for the following tables is the Florida Department of Education Staff Database, Survey 2 data, October 8-12, 2012, and Survey 2 data, October 8-12, 2007.

Table 2: Gender Comparisons in Elementary and Secondary Grade Levels, 2012-13

/ Elementary / Secondary /
/ Principals / Teachers / Principals / Teachers /
/ Number / % of Total / Number / % of Total / Number / % of Total / Number / % of Total /
Female / 1,440 / 77.3% / 68,497 / 90.5% / 557 / 47.3% / 42,336 / 64.2%
Male / 423 / 22.7% / 7,188 / 9.5% / 621 / 52.7% / 23,585 / 35.8%
Total / 1,863 / 75,685 / 1,178 / 65,921

Table 3: Gender Comparisons in Elementary and Secondary Grade Levels, 2007-08

/ Elementary / Secondary /
/ Principals / Teachers / Principals / Teachers /
/ Number / % of Total / Number / % of Total / Number / % of Total / Number / % of Total /
Female / 1,334 / 75.2% / 66,408 / 89.9% / 463 / 44.3% / 41,623 / 63.2%
Male / 440 / 24.8% / 7,479 / 10.1% / 582 / 55.7% / 24,204 / 36.8%
Total / 1,774 / 73,887 / 1,045 / 65,827

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