Who will lead our schools into the future?
In today’s highly politicized environment, school district superintendents have seen their roles become more difficult, more scrutinized, and in some ways less desirable. And yet their role has become more important than ever as they tune out headlines and social media to focus on ensuring their students have access to the highest quality public education. But what happens if we can’t fill these roles with qualified candidates? Our communities, our economy, and most importantly our students lose.
Much has been reported about the teacher shortage, but the staffing challenges in schools are much broader. The exodus of school district leaders during the pandemic has been unprecedented, and there is a dwindling number of people interested in pursuing this rewarding but complex position.
Nearly half of the nation’s 500 largest districts had a superintendent change during the pandemic. Additional national research has shown that 25 percent of superintendents left during the 2020-21 and 2021-22 school years and that turnover was higher in urban districts and in districts serving more students of color. In a 2020 study by AASA: The School Superintendents Association, 25 percent of superintendents indicated they are leaving the profession within the next five years.
The 2020 AASA study revealed that only 24 percent of superintendents were women, and only eight percent were people of color This hardly reflects the enrollment in our nation’s schools, where more than 51 percent of students are girls and 50 percent are children of color, according to the U.S. census. Why does this matter?
Research suggests students of color have better academic outcomes when they have educators who look like them.
All of this suggests that we need to tap educators who have the potential to become school district leaders. We need to support them through mentoring opportunities. And we need to create safe spaces where they can ask questions and get answers to help them grow.
With Gallup reporting that nearly one in four U.S. adults is dissatisfied with K-12 education, it’s vital that we ensure the right leaders are in place in our school systems. Fewer people interested in teaching means there will be fewer teachers seeking school and district leadership positions and ultimately fewer leaders seeking superintendent positions. We need to develop a strong and diverse pipeline of educators to lead our school systems into the future.
To attract the best candidates to the top job in school systems, boards of education, parents, communities, and administrators need to work together. It’s time to put politics and other issues aside and focus on attracting leaders for our schools. For the sake of the children, this needs to become a priority.
Much has been reported about the teacher shortage, but the staffing challenges in schools are much broader.
▶ Gladys Cruz is district superintendent of Questar III BOCES, which represents 22 school districts in Columbia, Greene, and Rensselaer counties. She also serves as president-elect of AASA: The School Superintendents Association.