Pushing the Limits

By providing new understanding and insights into the backgrounds and experiences of women pursuing administrative careers in education, Pushing the Limits fills a critical void in the existing literature. Sakre Edson’s five-year investigation documents the accounts of 142 nonminority and minority women across the United States seeking administrative roles—an area of public school responsibility where women remain underrepresented. Edson’s book is unique in its focus on aspirants—those women currently preparing and competing for principalships and other top administrative positions—rather than on established female administrators or on women who have chosen not to aspire beyond the classroom. The female teachers, graduate students, and entry-level administrators quoted here give voice to the struggles would-be female school executives face, and their experiences and reflections not only question the impact of the women’s movement and equity legislation upon employment practices, but serve to illuminate the problems of women and minorities excluded from managerial ranks in professions outside of education. Throughout the work one theme prevails: As they push the limits of this traditional male bastion, these women are confident in their abilities to succeed and even to excel in managing the nation’s schools.