As New Jersey public schools reopen this month, chances are that more students, teachers and principals have seen the same person at the helm of the school district than in previous years. That’s a good sign. The turnover rate among school superintendents—once called “the most recent educational crisis” by Education Week—may be leveling off.

During 2004-05, 14.4 percent of New Jersey’s school districts changed superintendents—a marked difference from three years earlier, when the turnover rate was 21 percent.

“Hiring the superintendent is the most critical decision a school board makes,” explained Edwina M. Lee, NJSBA executive director. “While the school board sets the district goals, it is the superintendent who moves the schools toward those goals by managing the education program. A revolving door in the front office can impede district progress.”

Fewer Applicants Previous years’ high turnover rates have concerned local school districts, and so has a drop-off in the number of applicants for superintendent positions. Fifteen years ago, a typical superintendent search would produce 40 or more applications. Some would even draw more than 100 applicants, according to NJSBA, which conducts over half of the superintendent searches in New Jersey. These days, however, the average recruitment effort results in one to two dozen applications—or even fewer.

A number of school boards with superintendent vacancies opt to retain the services of an interim superintendent—usually a retired superintendent—while they go through the search process.  Interim superintendents usually serve for periods of six months to one year.

“For the school district, hiring an interim superintendent allows it to have an experienced administrator at the helm to ensure continuity of the school program until the board appoints a permanent superintendent,” said Lee.

Factors Behind Trends Several factors contribute to the rate of superintendent turnover and the size of candidate pools.

• Aging workforce— Retirement has been the major factor in previous years’ high turnover rates. Today, as the superintendent workforce continues to age, retirement remains the cause of most vacancies.
• Teacher salaries—The traditional pool for school administrators—the teaching force—is not producing as many administrative candidates as in the past. A primary reason is salaries.  New Jersey schools pay their teachers better today than in previous generations, according to NJSBA research. Moreover, unlike teaching positions, a superintendent’s job is year-round.
• Licensing requirements—Over the past 15 years, the number of out-of-state administrators applying for New Jersey positions has decreased.

Politics, Bureaucracy Nationwide studies also point to “politics, bureaucracy and mandates” as causing stress—resulting in increased turnover and decreased interest in school administration. In a 2003 poll by Public Agenda (a public policy research organization), 93 percent of superintendents said their school districts experienced “an enormous increase in responsibilities and mandates without getting the resources necessary to fulfill them.” Those findings mirrored results from an earlier Public Agenda survey, in which 81 percent of administrators pointed to politics and bureaucracy—the “unreasonable demands brought about by higher standards and accountability”—as the most comment reasons for superintendents to leave the field.

At the same time, a survey by the American Association of School Administrators dispelled the myth that superintendents and school boards are usually at odds. That poll found that 91 percent of superintendents were rated as “excellent” or “good” by their school boards.

Building School Leadership “Effective school board-superintendent relations are vital to the retention of quality school administrators and to academic progress,” said Lee. She noted that NJSBA provides direct assistance and on-site training to local school boards and their administrators on effective management, goal-setting and strategic planning. The Association also works with local school boards and administrators in the superintendent evaluation process.

“Boards of education and superintendents play complementary, but different, leadership roles,” Lee explained. “The school board sets policies. It hires the superintendent to implement those policies and manage the school district. For the relationship to work, both sides need to understand their roles, and work collaboratively setting goals for the school district and its students. It’s not always easy.”

The New Jersey School Boards Association recently expanded its leadership training programs to directly involve both local school boards and their superintendents. In addition, the Association has developed a model superintendent contract. This fall, NJSBA will produce a training guide, in CD-ROM format, on developing a superintendent’s contract and the criteria for evaluation.

NJSBA participates in the State Action for Education Leadership Project, along with the New Jersey State Department of Education and several business and education groups. The project, one of 14 nationwide funded by the Wallace-Reader’s Digest Foundation, is aimed at increasing interest in, and improving the quality of, school management. It is focusing on training and development to improve the working relationship between local school boards and chief school administrators.