At the start of the school year, one survey by the National Association of Secondary School Principals revealed that 50% of principals were stressed out to the point of quitting. From March 1, 2020, to Sept. 1, 2022, almost half of the 500 largest school districts in the nation underwent—or were in the process of—leadership changes. As of February, 46% of superintendents say they will likely quit their jobs within the next two to three years. Where is everybody going?
The pandemic turned the world of education on its head. From instructional methods to classroom discussions, everything has changed. As a result, so too has the duties of a superintendent.
“Our focus turned from educational leader to a position of protector of public education,” says Dave Wick, superintendent of Columbia Falls School District 6 and president of the Montana Association of School Superintendents.
He adds that district leaders are faced with critics looking to undermine all levels of educators. Now, they spend much of their time having to defend and encourage real and educated dialog to reach common ground.
“At this point, we are finding it possible to move back toward our main focus, the education of our children, with a wary eye toward the political pressures,” he says.
In Montana, there are 24 districts seeking superintendents for next school year, and only seven have been filled, the Missoulian reports. The state’s struggles with leadership recruitment echo a national trend that arose during the pandemic. Wick says, for the most part, superintendents are leaving for the same three reasons.
“Some are taking the opportunity to retire due to the stresses of the job, the complexity of the job and the continuing narrative of negativity toward public education,” he says. “Others have been forced out or chosen to leave because the job has become so difficult. In Montana, where the cost of living is high, our salaries are not necessarily commensurate.”
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Another contributing factor is the shrinking pipeline to the superintendency. Historically, the journey looks a little something like this: teacher to principal to superintendent, Wick explains. However, as the teacher pool narrows, so does the pool for principals and eventually superintendents. In fact, those currently holding principal jobs prefer to stay put, according to Wick.
“Many of our principals are staying as building leaders because at least they get a bit of time off in the summer,” he says. “Superintendent jobs are 365 days a year and on call 24 hours a day. This is not attractive to many individuals and wears down those of us in the positions.”
As for teacher recruitment, Montana is in the same situation as nearly every other state across the country. Keeping teachers in the classroom isn’t the issue, he says. Finding qualified candidates is where things get tricky.
“We are definitely feeling the shortage of teacher candidates, particularly in special education,” he says. “Other areas are also concerning, especially in specialized positions such as music, science, math and vocational arts.”
He says in years past his district would go through more than 100 applications for elementary school positions.
“We now have less than twenty applicants and for other jobs, even less,” he says. “Retaining has been a bit less of an issue, as we work hard to nurture our selected candidates and find ways to maximize the experience for our new teachers.”
Reimagining the superintendency
As Wick pointed out, the job requirements for a district leader have changed dramatically since the pandemic. While it’s gotten increasingly more difficult and complex, it’s not impossible. In a previous interview with District Administration, Michael Collins, president of Ray and Associates, the oldest superintendent search firm in America that specializes in school executive leadership searches, said there are three key elements for new and aspiring leaders to grasp to be successful:
- Envision yourself as a leader of the future, because the old ways and understandings of the job are long gone.
- Build a student-centered culture and welcome the thoughts and engagements of parents without losing sight of what’s best in an educational environment.
- Take care of yourself.
As Collins put it, “Build an environment where staff is also encouraged to take care of themselves, otherwise they can’t stay in the work very long.”
