While the world of teaching has been primarily female, the administration world has always been populated by men. While there are similarities in the backgrounds and experiences of males and females, the legacy of discrimination and exclusion has shaped a world in which women's experiences and behaviors are often unlike those of men. Research on women administrators has uncovered differences between the ways men and women approach administrative tasks; these differences have implications for training programs which were developed by men primarily for men. This paper explores the "female world of schools," focusing on characteristics of women administrators and speculating on what educational administration theory and practice would be like if it incorporated women's experiences and behaviors. The female world of school administrators is characterized by (1) the centrality of interpersonal relationships, (2) teaching and learning as the major focus, (3) the importance of building community, and (4) the marginality of daily worklife. Women managers are usually advised to imitate male behavior and integrate into existing institutional structures. However, "traditional" female approaches to schooling resemble prescriptions for administrative behavior in effective schools, and the "ideal" principal is now urged to cultivate the virtues of the ideal woman! Clearly, counseling women to act like men may not be in the best interests of either women or schools. Reconceptualizing administrative theory and practice demands reexamination of supervision, authority, working climate, motivation, school structure (especially the separation of teaching and administration), personnel selection, power, teamwork, and community relations. Recommendations for revitalizing administrator training programs are also given. Included are 26 references. (MLH)