Lamar University assistant professor leads Texas Council of Women School Executives

The 2023 Texas Council of Women School Executives (TCWSE) recently held their 38th annual conference at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas which was led by Dr. Kathryn Washington, one of the College of Education's Educational Leadership assistant professors.

Washington held the Presidential office during the 38th year of the organization and passed the gavel to the next leader on January 29.  

Founded in 1984 with only five members under the umbrella of TASA (Texas Association of School Administrators), this organization paved the way for women to support women in educational leadership, within school systems, higher education institutions, or consultants. 

Washington's presidential year serving on TCWSE ended on a high note. Under Washington's leadership, TCWSE increased membership, participants, women superintendents, sponsors, and social media presence. A record-breaking total of $74,750 was raised in sponsorships for the organization this past year. TCWSE’s Twitter account grew by 800 followers under Dr. Washington’s direction. 

"When I joined this organization in 2007, TCWSE had 180 women," said Washington. "Now, we are over 600 women strong with a record-breaking number of members at 668 women, including 113 women superintendents." 

The theme of the January 2023 conference was "Making History: Writing Her Story". Washington presented her research, “During Critical Times: The Perceptions of Women in Educational Leadership and Work Satisfaction,” at the conference, it was also published in the Journal of Texas Women School Executives (JTWSE). 191 women participated in the research and it was chosen out of 11,000 submissions to be presented in Chicago, Illinois in April. Dr. Kelly Brown, a fellow Educational Leadership assistant professor at Lamar University, will accompany Dr. Washington to the presentation. 

“I am proud of the ladies in TCWSE and all their hard work that they’ve accomplished,” said Washington. “I left them with the vision of growth. They will continue to do great things.”