Dr. Wil Cwikiel

Superintendent

Wilfred Cwikiel, Ed. D., is starting his seventh year as the superintendent-principal of Beaver Island Community School. Prior to Beaver Island, he served as an administrator for Harbor Springs Public Schools. Before working in education, he was involved with environmental management in the non-profit and governmental sectors. Wil was a recipient of the Kellogg National Fellowship, has been a public school board member, and has served on the boards of numerous non-profit organizations. Cwikiel recently completed his doctorate at Central Michigan University, where the focus of his research was rural school leadership and superintendent longevity.

Company Beaver Island Community Schools

AllSessions

Day 1

September 20, 2023

3:30 pm

Addressing Gender Bias in the Rural Superintendency [DEI/WIL]

Tower A

Dr. Heather Williams Dr. Wil Cwikiel

20 September

Time: 3:30 pm - 4:45 pm

Location: Tower A

Speaker: Dr. Heather Williams Dr. Wil Cwikiel

Using data from recent research involving long-serving rural superintendents from Idaho and Michigan, this interactive session will explore issues of gender bias in the rural superintendency. In addition to sharing experiences of women and men superintendents encountering and responding to gender bias, this session will also share data on salary discrepancies between men and women superintendents serving small and rural districts in Idaho and Michigan. The session will engage participants in a robust discussion of the realities faced by women rural superintendents, some indicators of positive change, and strategies to ensure equity in the rural superintendency.

Focus: Small & Rural Districts and Women in Leadership.

Takeaways: Participants in this session will learn more about the salary discrepancies and the lived experiences of men and women superintendents in Idaho and Michigan regarding gender bias. The participants will engage in discussion regarding the information presented, share their personal experiences, and explore strategies to recruit and retain women in the rural superintendency.