We said goodbye to NASH’s former principal, Dr. Kreider, at the end of last month.  But next week we’ll welcome NASH’s first-ever female principal, Ms. Natasha Dirda. On January 27th, the North Allegheny Board of School Directors voted to approve the current Mt. Lebanon principal of five years, Ms. Natasha Dirda, to fill NASH’s principal vacancy.

Having a female principal will bring many new and unique advantages to NASH’s students, especially female students.

By having a female principal, the faculty will likely gain a new perspective on and understanding of female-specific issues. Female students may also feel more comfortable while expressing female-specific issues that may arise in the building. Women have many experiences that men can sympathize with but cannot fully empathize with, which is why a female principal may bring a closer understanding and a more direct solution to issues that they have personally experienced.

The fact that NASH is changing the cultural norm is another positive aspect of having a female principal. This shows female students who are aspiring leaders that they can accomplish the same things that men can.  A survey conducted by the School Superintendent Association (AASA) shows that 76% of teachers are female, 56% of principals are female, but only 25% of superintendents are females. This survey shows women that they can attain high-status jobs.

In a study conducted by Dacher Keltner, it is proven that females can more easily recognize and communicate sympathy, which could help to better identify with the needs of parents. Not that a male principal is incapable of calming a concerned parent, but parents are more likely to cooperate while talking to a female because they feel that their child is being nurtured by another maternal figure. Although it is not statistically proven that females are instinctively more nurturing, it is the case, as studies show, that people believe females are instinctively more nurturing. Females are socialized to be more compassionate and caring since birth, so it makes sense why parents would think a female is more capable of caring for their child.

In a the same study, it was concluded that women have been conditioned to sympathize more easily than males. While men often have a “fight or flight” response in stressful situations, women tend to seek protection within a community. Although it may not always be the case, it is proven that females sympathize more, which is exactly what parents are looking for while discussing their children’s education.

A female principal will also provide female students with an additional role model to supplement their female teachers and counselors. Ms. Dirda, specifically, will be a valuable resource for females at NASH because she has experience in educational issues, attendance, discipline, special education agreements, student assistance programs, and homebound education.  Although female students at NASH have many existing resources, there can never be too many resources for students to take advantage of.

Overall, many benefits come along with having a female principal. Not only will female students gain an additional role model, but NASH’s faculty will gain a new (female) perspective on issues, and parents have the opportunity to form a stronger relationship with their child’s principal. A female principal at NASH is long overdue, and I cannot wait to see the effects of a strong female presence on the student body.