There are often clear markers that someone is a strong candidate to become a superintendent. They have leadership qualities and experience. They鈥檙e innovative. They have experience confronting challenges the district faces.
But what is far more opaque are the signs that it鈥檚 time for a superintendent to step aside, whether to move to a new district, retire, or take on a different professional endeavor altogether.
鈥淭here鈥檚 not a science to these things,鈥� said David Schuler, who spent 18 years leading an Illinois district before taking on his current role as executive director of AASA, The School Superintendents Association. 鈥淚t really is just the art and the nuance of leadership.鈥�
For many superintendents, an ongoing assessment of whether their professional values and goals still align with those of a constantly changing school board could nudge them toward the door. Sometimes, it鈥檚 a purely personal decision. Other times, it鈥檚 simply a gut feeling.
Superintendent turnover鈥攁nd its effect on school improvement efforts and students鈥� learning鈥攈as been a hot topic for years, but especially since the start of the pandemic when superintendent turnover inched upward amid high-profile political clashes and mounting challenges to students鈥� academic recovery, staff morale, and school budgets.
More than 40% of districts experienced at least one change in superintendent between the 2019-20 and 2023-24 school years, and 8% experienced at least two changes, . In 2023-24 alone, a fifth of the nation鈥檚 500 largest school districts replaced their superintendent, according to the ILO Group. In a survey of more than 2,000 superintendents released earlier this year, nearly 63% of the district chiefs had been in their present job less than six years.
Sometimes, it鈥檚 time for the superintendent to move on
Researchers and advocates have long sounded the alarm about superintendent turnover, noting it can cause disruption to the execution of districts鈥� strategic plans and other major initiatives. Some research suggests superintendent turnover can have small but statistically significant negative effects on student achievement. Some have called for initiatives to boost superintendent longevity, whether by revisiting their compensation or providing additional, more relevant training.
Cassandra Schug, the superintendent in Belvidere, Ill., appreciates the attention to minimizing turnover in the district鈥檚 top spot. But sometimes, the dynamics of a community change, and someone else can better meet its needs, she said.
In many communities, for example, superintendents had to make鈥攁nd enforce鈥攃ontroversial decisions at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic over masking, reopening school buildings, quarantine protocols, and academic recovery efforts. At times, it was better for the superintendent at the center of those controversies to move on, Schug said.
鈥淵ou saw a lot of superintendents move during and after the pandemic, and I think that was related to communities and superintendents needing to rebuild that sense of unity, community, culture, and partnership that faced real challenges during those times,鈥� said Schug, who left her job as superintendent in Satertown, Wis., after 11 years in June 2022. 鈥淪ometimes, that just takes a fresh start.鈥�
She continued: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a real value to investment and commitment and longevity in the superintendency, and the ability to create those systems and cultures that withstand the test of time. But there鈥檚 also a real value to a new vision and a new set of ideas.鈥�
And occasionally, it鈥檚 the leaders who feel they need a new challenge or that their professional or personal values have changed in ways that no longer align with the district where they鈥檙e working, Schug said.
School board priorities change
Both Schug and Schuler pointed to school board turnover as a common driver for superintendents鈥� decisions to leave.
It鈥檚 not always a bad thing, they said, but new board members鈥攁nd even a change in board president鈥攃an drastically shift a school board鈥檚 priorities and goals.
Even if a superintendent was originally a great fit, that fit might no longer exist a few years later when the majority of the board is new faces, potentially with different values and goals from their predecessors, Schuler said.
A superintendent could have been hired to navigate funding shortfalls and challenges associated with a declining enrollment, but the board鈥檚 emphasis might later shift to driving up reading scores. It might not be related at all to major conflict.
鈥淭he most important thing from my perspective is that the board, the community, and the superintendent are all aligned on their mission,鈥� Schuler said. 鈥淎nd if that alignment goes a little bit astray, I think, for the good of everybody, that superintendent should look for a different and better fit.鈥�
One way superintendents can assess whether they鈥檙e still the right fit for the district is to schedule regular check-ins with their school boards during closed-session meetings, Schuler said. Most states allow closed-door sessions to discuss employee performance, and superintendents can use these sessions to ask board members if and how well they are meeting the board鈥檚 expectations and whether their goals and priorities align.
鈥淭hen no one ever gets surprised,鈥� Schuler said. 鈥淪ometimes, especially when the work gets really hard, it can be easy to let that go because you鈥檙e just so focused on the work. But taking care of yourself and checking in to make sure that you鈥檙e still aligned with the community鈥檚 priorities is just mission-critical.鈥�
District leaders shouldn鈥檛 feel discouraged if they realize it鈥檚 time to find a new role, Schug said.
There are more than 13,000 school districts in the United States, and each one has unique needs and priorities, she said. That means there鈥檚 a place for every qualified and dedicated leader.
鈥淭here are so many districts in need of leadership,鈥� she said. 鈥淏eing aware of who you are and what you want and what you bring, and how that matches with a community鈥檚 needs, is important. But it鈥檚 also really doable.鈥�
