Sustaining and Sustainable Superintendent Leadership

The educational environment of the 21st century is complex and dynamic, placing demands on school leaderships that are both considerable and constant. Societal challenges such as school shootings, drugs, alcohol, and other problems are more frequently finding their way into U.S. classroom settings, which only further complicates the role of the superintendent. At times, superintendents may believe U.S. public schools are under attack, especially given prevailing political forces driving the marketization and privatization of schools. The elements connected to the sustainment and sustainability of superintendents, especially superintendent turnover, as a result of the following pressures are defined: school safety and security, social media, less parental involvement, and increased federal influence; continued divestment in public education and declining student enrollment; and pressure to perform by public school administrators. Superintendent departure research further considers: factors contributing to longevity and the cost of turnover; differences between superintendents and board members; reasons superintendents leave; stakeholder expectations and political pressures; increased accountability; and differences in expectations between the board and superintendent. Sustainable leadership is required between the superintendent and the board. Teamwork leads to greater effectiveness. Overall, the result of increased competition and dwindling levels of federal and state school funding very often means superintendents face complicated choices and difficult dilemmas—particularly relating to the allocation of scarce financial resources. For instance, school leaders nationwide are frequently forced to balance the tension existing between academic and non-academic programs, in a time when funding is woefully insufficient. Superintendents must often forgo hiring additional teachers, or purchasing required classroom support materials, and forgo school facility repairs, in order to enhance school safety and security. The increased accountability for school performance also weighs heavily on administrators, faculty, and staff, and especially the superintendent. Such pressures increase the level of superintendent turnover.

Predicting and Modeling Superintendent Turnover

This study examines the longevity in office of superintendents in 292 school districts, using data from the period 1975-99. Random samples of districts from across the United States, as well as all school districts from North Carolina, were studied. Data were analyzed by survival analysis techniques, using information on superintendents, districts, and school boards as predictors. Superintendent tenure has not changed significantly since 1975-79, averaging 6–7 years over the whole period. Significantly related to survival in office were level of school board involvement in management, support for needed construction, merger of school systems, district poverty level, and superintendent postgraduate education.

When is Tenure Long Enough? A Historical Analysis of Superintendent Turnover and Tenure in Urban School Districts

The short tenure and frequent turnover of urban superintendents has been attributed to the growing unmanageability of urban school districts. This instability at the top is said to limit the prospects for sustained reform. In this article, we calculate the average tenure of urban superintendents since the turn of the century. Our research suggests that the tenure of superintendents has been decreasing, but not in a linear fashion and not as precipitously as is often reported in the press. We believe that a complex mix of environmental, local, and professional factors may help explain changes in tenure, but the causal and interactive relationships between them remains a mystery. Nevertheless, our findings suggest the longer-than-anticipated tenures raise questions about the relationship of "short tenures" and the problems facing urban school districts.