Tornado, Pandemic, Boardroom: Crisis Leadership in Education with Dr. Donna Wright

Why do women make up most of the education workforce, yet remain dramatically underrepresented in the superintendent’s chair?

In this episode of Voices for Excellence, Dr. Michael T. Conner welcomes Dr. Donna Wright, 2020 Tennessee Superintendent of the Year and Lead Superintendent for the AASA National Women’s Leadership Consortium, for a candid conversation about crisis leadership, sponsorship, and the structural barriers shaping who gets to lead school systems.

Drawing on more than 40 years in education, Dr. Wright shares what it took to guide Wilson County Schools through an F3 tornado that destroyed two campuses, and then through the COVID shutdown just two weeks later. Her experience reveals a model of leadership grounded in presence, courage, adaptability, and trust.

The conversation also confronts a persistent imbalance: women represent 76% of teachers and 54% of principals, but only 27% of superintendents. Dr. Wright challenges the familiar explanations of pipeline, promotion, and persistence, arguing that they are symptoms of a deeper system that keeps women present without propelling them forward.

Together, Dr. Conner and Dr. Wright explore why sponsorship matters, how leaders are “tapped” for advancement, and what ethical, inventive leadership will require as education moves toward AC2035.

Tune in for a powerful discussion about leading through crisis, changing the architecture of opportunity, and creating a future in which talent, not access to the right networks, determines who gets to lead.