Women make up the majority of the K-12 education workforce but are chronically underrepresented in leadership roles. That’s especially true in IT leadership, where women hold just about a third of all positions, according to recent survey data from the Consortium for School Networking, with some indication that the ratio is actually skewing more male. An earlier survey found women typically earn less money and are given less prestigious titles than men, despite having greater overall education attainment.

But districts that make diversity a priority can easily reverse those trends. That was one takeaway from an all-women leadership panel last week at FETC 2020, an edtech conference in Miami. The panel was facilitated by Ann McMullan, the former executive director of education technology for Klein ISD in Texas, who now serves as a leadership consultant in Los Angeles.

Part of the problem? Men may not see it as much of an issue, said Lorrie Owens, the administrator for IT services for the San Mateo County Office of Education in California.

“Why would they?” she asked a mostly full room, where I was one of only four men in attendance.

Throughout the session, panelists spoke of their experiences with gender discrimination, learning to speak up about unfair treatment, improving the hiring process, and making women in leadership a priority for men who might not otherwise recognize the problem. What follows are highlights from that conversation.

Read the full article about sexism in K-12 technology leadership by Stephen Noonoo at EdSurge.