Event Connects Lehigh Valley Women Leaders and COE Students

On Wednesday, March 22 six women in the Educational Leadership doctoral program held a networking event entitled “Shattering the Glass Ceiling: Many Paths for Lehigh Valley Women in Education.”

These women make up the group WE:LEAD, which stands for Women in Education: Leading, Empowering, Advancing, and Developing and are also Lehigh Valley educators:

Coral Suppan: chemistry teacher, Northwestern Lehigh School District
Lisa Dente: Reading Specialist, Bangor Area School District
Megan Freeman: STEP Transition teacher, East Penn School District
Annie Schutzler: Math and Personal Finance teacher, Bethlehem Area School District
Jennifer Levernier: Principal, Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts
Erica Silver: Chorus and General Music teacher, Parkland School District

Three fourths of educators are women. In the United States, less than half of principals are women. High school principals, the percentage drops to 35% women. And female superintendents, the percentage is 23%, less than one quarter. If the workforce is mainly women, why are so few going into leadership?

The event created a space for interactions between existing educational leaders and aspiring educational leaders to increase knowledge around leadership topics and ignite ideas throughout the Lehigh Valley in an inspiring environment. Attendees heard stories from women connected to Lehigh University that are working in the field of education and had the opportunity to ask questions and network with other leaders in the Valley.

Panelists included:

Diane LaBelle, Executive Director & CEO at Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts
Maureen Leeson, K-12 STEM Supervisor at Bethlehem Area School District
Abby Mahone, Director of the Downtown Campus at Moravian Academy
Michelle Minotti, Assistant Superintendent at Parkland School District
Juliet Saba, Assistant Principal at Brigadier General Anna Mae Hays Elementary School in the Allentown School District