Navigating the Political Schema toward transforming educational organizations to better reflect the diverse communities

1. HERMANAS LEADING NETWORK Navigating the Political Schema toward transforming educational organizations to better reflect the diverse communities that we serve • Ofelia Lariviere • Assistant Superintendent, Academic Services, Inglewood USD CALSA Board of Directors, Past President • Elizabeth Zamora-Mejia, • Partner, Atkinson, Andelson, Loya, Ruud & Romo (AALRR) • Dr. Irella Perez, • Principal, Inglewood USD ACSA/AASA Women’s Forum October 17-18, 2013

2. Introduce Yourself • Introduce yourself, district, position and career goals

3. Schema Theory • Schema theory is a process by which an individual perceives incoming information in conjunction with pre-existing information • See, e.g., Sandra Lipsitz Bem, Gender Schema Theory: A Cognitive Account of Sex Typing, 88 PSYCHOL. REV. 354, 355 (1981).

4. Schemas are ways of organizing information, and shape the way we see the world • A gender schema is a cognitive structure that enables us to sort characteristics and behaviors into masculine and feminine categories and then creates various other associations with those categories. • A political schema is an organized cluster of information about politics in general and about the values, beliefs, and issue stances associated with a given position.

5. Culture creates and enforces the importance of gender schemas • Because of the importance placed on gender by most cultures, there exists a very broad set of associations between the categories masculine and feminine. • There is substantial evidence that people consistently sort gender neutral terms and objects into masculine and feminine categories. • For example: in experiments, people will spontaneously sort ‘tender’ and ‘nightingale’ as feminine and ‘assertive’ and ‘eagle’ as masculine, despite the fact that these terms have no clearly gendered content.

6. Perceptions of Strong Women • Must think, talk & act like a man to be successful • Masculine & cold • Not emotional

7. Power & Politics • How do you navigate your career goals without compromising your core values?

8. Navigating the Political Schema toward transforming educational organizations Dr. Perez, as a Principal and a school board member, how does this topic relate to you professionally as well as personally? How do your core values and beliefs impact your role as an administrator? As a board member? Do the political aspects of your jobs slow you down, or help you? In your professional career, what obstacles have you faced because of your gender? How have you changed your leadership style to help you overcome these obstacles? How do you navigate your career goals without compromising your core values?

9. Navigating the Political Schema toward transforming educational organizations Mrs. Lariviere, as an Associate Superintendent, how does this topic relate to you professionally as well as personally? How do your core values and beliefs impact your role as an administrator? As a board member? Do the political aspects of your jobs slow you down, or help you? In your professional career, what obstacles have you faced because of your gender? How have you changed your leadership style to help you overcome these obstacles? How do you navigate your career goals without compromising your core values?

10. 10 Traits of Women Business Leaders: They're Not What You Think • Know Thyself. • To continuously improve your performance, insight and self-knowledge is key. • Find a mentor and learn to ask for and accept honest feedback. • Don’t be afraid to take a career off-ramp, but know where the on-ramp is too. • Child-rearing affects women more than men. • Find out in advance how to get on and off the career highway. • Get help.

11. 10 Traits of Women Business Leaders: They're Not What You Think • Culture trumps strategy. • Find a job opportunity that matches your values and passions. • Don’t wait to be tapped on the shoulder. • Women often wait to be recognized. • Be proactive in seeking out recognition for your accomplishments. • Effectively summarize your achievements and take credit for your performance.

12. 10 Traits of Women Business Leaders: They're Not What You Think • Build a network. • In terms of long-term career development, networking is everything. • Networking means building relationships with colleagues with whom you have something in common—giving, as well as asking for, input and advice from a community of colleagues you cultivate over time.

13. 10 Traits of Women Business Leaders: They're Not What You Think • Learn to negotiate. • Socialization, stereotypes and bias result in women not negotiating as effectively as men. • Don’t plan ahead. • Have flexible expectations. • Don’t try to map your life decades in advance. • The best career moves are those that are unforseen .

14. 10 Traits of Women Business Leaders: They're Not What You Think • Get a Masters or Doctorate Degree. Gain skills, confidence and respect that put you on an entirely different track. • “Here’s a bonus:Not one single tip gleaned from top women in business above applies exclusively to women. • In other words, when the workplace is truly free of the gender stereotypes that negatively impact career satisfaction, then we will truly have evolved in the direction of equality.” http://www.forbes.com/sites/mattsymonds/2012/08/08/10-traits-of-women-business-leaders-its-not-what-you-think/

15. HERMANAS LEADING NETWORK MISSION: To increase the number of capable and credible Latina women in the higher ranks of education serving students

16. Why…. • Only 8% of CA superintendents are Latina/o • Of the 8%, (73% Latino, 27% Latina)

17. GOALS • To deliver content focused on personal development that is relevant to our women members. • To create an environment that encourages women to be bold and take calculated risks. • To provide events (in person & virtual) that promote networking among our women members.

18. Be:CompetentCapableConfidentQuestions?

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