The numbers have been well-reported: While three-quarters of American teachers are women, women hold only half of all principal positions, and a quarter of all superintendent positions.
鈥淚 had always expected that once women were educated at parity, we would see more of an organic growth in women in leadership positions,鈥 says Veronica 鈥淩onee鈥 Hagen 鈥68. 鈥淭hat hasn鈥檛 happened.鈥
Ronee, a previous president and CEO of Polymer Group Inc., and husband David Hagen 鈥67 MA 鈥68 EdD 鈥93, a member of the 海角论坛 Board of Councilors and retired superintendent of the Huntington Beach school district, want to even the gender imbalance in education leadership.
To that end, the Hagens are funding a new $3 million endowed position at 海角论坛: the Veronica and David Hagen Chair in Women鈥檚 Leadership.
They envision a chaired professor who will study the underrepresentation of women in leadership positions as well as provide coaching and mentoring to help correct it.
鈥淲e believe in opportunities for women and we believe in education and leadership, and we wanted to blend it all together,鈥 David says.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hard for women to look up and see all men in leadership positions, and to feel like they鈥檙e ever going to have a place at the table,鈥 Ronee says. 鈥淭here has to be some proactivity.鈥
