Be the Torque
A flywheel is a rotating mechanical device that stores rotational energy. While a flywheel has continuing energy, it naturally resists changes in rotational speed. However, applying torque (or a twist of force) to it can increase the rotational speed by using its stored energy. What veteran women have managed to do for the field of educational leadership is to create a flywheel of the study of women. They demanded and created a space for the study of women and have provided continuous energy to a topic that was traditionally underserved and without energy. Veteran women created continuous energy for an energy source that was non-existent or, at best, discontinuous. However, a flywheel can be used to create pulses of energy that exceed the abilities of the original energy source. In other words, stored energy can be released at a much higher rate. This is what veteran women are calling for – pulses of energy from women new to the field that advance the study of women in new directions. So, the question becomes, “How do we apply torque to the study of women in educational leadership while also honoring the fact that, in some instances, change has not occurred?” Or, “How do we best reveal stagnation while also moving forward?” (excerpt from Women Interrupting, Disrupting, and Revolutionizing Educational Policy and Practice)