Nearly half of school superintendents are considering or planning to leave their jobs in the next two to three years, according to a new survey

School superintendents say navigating political divisions is their biggest challenge


Nearly half of school superintendents are considering or planning to leave their jobs in the next two to three years, according to a new survey

EAB’s new report follows a 2021 EAB survey of 2,200 teachers and nearly 400 district and school leaders that showed teacher morale is at an all-time low.

“Low teacher morale has been well documented recently, but school superintendents are not faring much better,” Court added. “Many seasoned superintendents are looking toward retirement or new ventures. If those with less than five years in seat also leave, we could quickly face a crisis of leadership in school systems across the country.”  

However, there is still optimism among superintendents about the path ahead. Regardless of future plans, 67 percent of respondents believe they will feel more successful in their role a year from now than they do today. One change that may help is spending more time with students, as 80 percent say that more time interacting with students in their schools will make them more effective in their role.

“EAB is working with superintendents and other district leaders across the country to share data-informed best practices and other resources to help them build and sustain rewarding careers in education,” said EAB’s Court.

“Expressions of optimism from survey respondents suggest that many superintendents could be convinced to stay if given more opportunities to collaborate, support, and learn from one another,” Court concluded. EAB’s new report outlines four important topics for collaboration, such as providing access to mental health care and improving post-secondary preparation.

Material from a press release was used in this report.

Laura Ascione

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