Superintendent Turnover: Causes, Impact, and Solutions

High superintendent turnover impacts districts nationwide. Key factors include board tensions, post-pandemic stress, and political pressures. Mentorship and cultural shifts are crucial for stability and student success.

Then when a new superintendent enter the function, they may wish to take the district into a totally different direction, Willingham said, which can be discouraging and confusing to college neighborhoods.

Pressures on Superintendents

Willingham and Birhanzel agreed that much of the pressure put on superintendents originates from arguments or tension with their school boards. While both superintendents reported good partnerships with their boards, they stated they recognized that the positive dynamic they experience can be uncommon.

The Domino Effect of Turnover

Birhanzel additionally kept in mind that superintendent turnover can bring about “a domino effect” with more district turnover in other roles like administrators, principals, instructors and even bus drivers. “It goes deeper than just one placement,” she claimed.

Birhanzel cautioned that superintendents must think about that partnership before approving the work. It’s important to go where the board “straightens with what you believe in and your why,” she stated. If that compatibility isn’t there, she included, “then that will not benefit anyone in the system.”

Rising Turnover Rates

Virtually a quarter (23%) of the 500 biggest areas experienced a modification in their superintendency between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025, according to a September report by ILO Team, a nationwide education and learning strategy and plan firm. This turnover is up from last year’s study results showing a 20% price and a notable uptick from pre-pandemic standards ranging from 14% to 16%, ILO Group located.

Birhanzel said she coaches superintendents in Colorado and throughout the country, and she discovers many saying they are “bewildered by the continuous stress” from their college boards, pupils’ households or school staff who are dissatisfied with the area.

Post-COVID Challenges

The job of a superintendent “ended up being a very different function” after COVID-19 shuttered school structures nationwide in March 2020, stated Birhanzel, that is in her 7th year as superintendent at Harrison College District 2 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “Education and learning is very politicized right now, and can be a little complicated to navigate from all the various sides of every person in their point of views.”

In spite of the high turnover, just one-third of superintendent roles are held by females, according to ILO Team data. Even with year-over-year renovation, parity in between women and guys won’t be reached until 2054 if the present rate proceeds, the firm stated.

Importance of Board Support

Both superintendents emphasized that board assistance is vital to preserving district leaders. If the superintendent and board are unified, it’s simpler to move forward with calculated strategies and concentrate on students and staff, Willingham stated.

Need for Cultural Shift

A change is likewise required in society’s way of thinking concerning the value of a superintendent, Birhanzel claimed. Superintendent turn over may be typical since neighborhoods and college boards link shooting these leaders with a way to make a modification. Generally, Birhanzel stated, a cultural change is needed to obtain rid of the idea that firing a superintendent is the solution to an issue– instead of working together to find a service. The role of superintendent can be isolating, Birhanzel acknowledged. There’s a high demand for mentorship, specifically for potential women superintendents, Birhanzel added.

A change is likewise required in society’s mindset concerning the worth of a superintendent, Birhanzel said. Superintendent turn over might be common due to the fact that communities and institution boards link shooting these leaders with a means to make an adjustment. But if that’s a frequent relocation, she stated, it will certainly be challenging for the school system to be successful.

Numerous areas generally detail a five-year tactical plan with established missions and objectives that after that serves as a plan for the system’s demands, said Dennis Willingham, superintendent at Walker County College Area in Jasper, Alabama.

While it’s tough to identify the precise cause of high superintendent turn over nationwide, one underlying reason may be the “actual stress” that’s emerged in areas since the pandemic, said Julia Rafal-Baer, CEO of ILO Group and Female Leading Ed, a national network for females education and learning leaders.

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The duty of superintendent can be isolating, Birhanzel recognized. That’s why it’s important to foster even more networks and support systems for those in the function. There’s a high need for mentorship, specifically for prospective females superintendents, Birhanzel included.

“And yet we are paying less attention to the reality that the churn [in the superintendency] that we assumed would be short-term is our new normal, and it’s stressing our districts when students require that sort of steady, efficient leadership,” she claimed.

Overall, Birhanzel claimed, a cultural change is required to remove the concept that firing a superintendent is the answer to an issue– instead of interacting to locate a solution. “In method too many situations, do we see politics drive choices of who leads institution areas rather than [who is] the best leader for trainees?”