Abstract
In this study, we examine factors associated with the career move from school teaching to building-level administration, using nationally representative data on about 4,800 elementary and secondary public school teachers. Having administrative experience and a degree in administration were the most important predictors of becoming an administrator. Planning to leave teaching improved men’s chances, while family context decreased women’s chances. Overall, socialization factors—having aspirations, qualifications, and experience—were salient for both men and women. Nevertheless, the positive effects of these factors for women did not counteract other factors, including unmeasured ones, and so women’s predicted probability of becoming a school administrator remained far below that for men.
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