As another school year closes in the shadow of the pandemic, burnout is becoming an undeniable problem in education. Rampant teacher shortages continue to leave districts scrambling for coverage—and it appears the problem is spreading from the classroom to the administrative office.
According to recent reports from research firms like RAND and ILO Group, 37% of the nation’s largest districts have undergone a change in leadership since March 2020. And the trend isn’t slowing down. More than one in four superintendents say they will leave their districts soon; another 24% say they are undecided.
As more and more superintendents leave their districts—or the profession altogether—we’re faced with a troubling question: Where will we find our future school leaders? But in our recent survey of more than 2,000 millennial teachers, we learned that the answer might not be what you expect.
In this issue of SchoolCEO, we’re focusing on the ways you can help grow the next generation of school leaders. We’ll teach you how to provide effective professional development your teachers actually want to attend, whether it’s a book study or an Edcamp. We’ll introduce you to Dr. Avis Williams, who has transformed Selma, Alabama, with her district’s Aspiring Leaders Academy. And, through our research, we’ll examine the problems blocking our nation’s school leadership pipelines—and how you can fix them.
For some of you, a change in school leadership isn’t a distant concern, but an imminent reality. That’s why we’re also including a guide to superintendent transition. If you’re leaving a district after many years or entering a new one for the first time, we can offer some advice on keeping that transition smooth and successful.
Whether you’re preparing to leave a superintendency or you plan to stay for decades, you can’t afford not to develop tomorrow’s leaders. You have the power to make the future of education bright—as long as you light the way for those who’ll come after.
As another school year closes in the shadow of the pandemic, burnout is becoming an undeniable problem in education. Rampant teacher shortages continue to leave districts scrambling for coverage—and it appears the problem is spreading from the classroom to the administrative office.
According to recent reports from research firms like RAND and ILO Group, 37% of the nation’s largest districts have undergone a change in leadership since March 2020. And the trend isn’t slowing down. More than one in four superintendents say they will leave their districts soon; another 24% say they are undecided.
As more and more superintendents leave their districts—or the profession altogether—we’re faced with a troubling question: Where will we find our future school leaders? But in our recent survey of more than 2,000 millennial teachers, we learned that the answer might not be what you expect.
In this issue of SchoolCEO, we’re focusing on the ways you can help grow the next generation of school leaders. We’ll teach you how to provide effective professional development your teachers actually want to attend, whether it’s a book study or an Edcamp. We’ll introduce you to Dr. Avis Williams, who has transformed Selma, Alabama, with her district’s Aspiring Leaders Academy. And, through our research, we’ll examine the problems blocking our nation’s school leadership pipelines—and how you can fix them.
For some of you, a change in school leadership isn’t a distant concern, but an imminent reality. That’s why we’re also including a guide to superintendent transition. If you’re leaving a district after many years or entering a new one for the first time, we can offer some advice on keeping that transition smooth and successful.
Whether you’re preparing to leave a superintendency or you plan to stay for decades, you can’t afford not to develop tomorrow’s leaders. You have the power to make the future of education bright—as long as you light the way for those who’ll come after.