Wave of Superintendent Resignations Predicted

Recent superintendent surveys compiled by the RAND corporation spur concerns of a post-pandemic “superintendent exodus”.

In a recent superintendent survey by the RAND corporation, half of respondents reported they would leave in the next few years or were unsure how long they would remain in their positions, with 26 percent indicating they are likely to leave soon.

While national superintendent resignations are still in line with normal turnover rates, of the 684 Texas districts who responded to the TASB/TASA Superintendent Salary Survey, superintendent turnover going into the fall of 2021 was 15 percent, two points higher than the national rate, and 69 districts hired someone with no previous superintendent experience.

Nationally, larger school districts and urban school districts are experiencing higher rates of leadership turnover than their suburban and rural counterparts. Unfortunately, Texas data is not currently available for these subgroups.

At least 60 percent of all district subgroups (e.g., urban, suburban, or rural schools; high- and low-poverty school) nationally believe the pandemic was responsible for shortages of teachers and subs. These shortages contributed to increased hourly work weeks for superintendents. According to RAND’S November survey, the average superintendent worked 59 hours a week prior to the pandemic; 67 is now the norm.

Research by the ILO Group finds turnover, especially in large districts, is increasing the superintendent gender gap. In an analysis of the 500 largest American school systems, 70 percent of districts that have appointed permanent replacements since March 2020 have chosen men. Of the 51 women superintendents who left since March 2020, 76 percent were replaced by men.

For more survey findings, check out the full article from The 74 Million.