This report focuses on school superintendents--those currently in the position and those in the pipeline. The report reaffirms the importance of the superintendency, raises concerns about the lack of national data collection on school superintendents, and concludes that Americans need more demographic information about, and increased understanding of, the role of the superintendent. The report opens by criticizing the lack of information that has been generated on superintendents and proceeds to supply details on those who hold this position. It looks at the proportion of women in the job, as well as the race and the age of the job holders. The report discusses how long superintendents stay in the job, longer than the news media suggest, and how much they earn. The report explores the routes to the superintendency and looks at the pool of potential candidates for the position, which includes assistant superintendents, central-office administrators, and principals. The makeup of this pool reflects promising diversity in gender and race, although there is almost a total lack of Asian Americans in the pool. Another feature of this pool of potential superintendents is that secondary school principals are much more likely to become superintendents than are elementary school principals. (Contains 16 references.) (RJM)

Covers how to become a superintendent and be successful at it and presents a personal view of the superintendency. This down-to-earth book is intended for use in graduate education classes on the superintendency. Both practicing and aspiring superintendents should find it useful.

The School Superintendent: Theory, Practice, and Cases is the essential guide to succeeding as a superintendent or as an administrator in another district-level position. Comprehensive in both theory and practice, this textbook and reference guide examines the role and responsibilities of school district administration in professional, social, philosophical, and political frames, while balancing perspectives of rewards and challenges commonly expressed by school superintendents. Important topics covered include the emerging role of superintendent as communicator, the changing conditions in districts and schools, inadequate funding for public schools, and the treatment of policy administration, leadership roles, and community involvement. Fully updated, the Third Edition provides: greater emphasis on the challenges facing novice superintendents; new material on strategic planning and visioning; new and expanded coverage of contemporary issues such as inadequate district funding and social challenges; additional figures, tables, key terms, and other helpful learning tools; and more.

The 2020 AASA Decennial Study of the Superintendent is an extension of national decennial studies of the American school superintendent that began in 1923. The research was conducted in late 2019 and early 2020. The results are presented in various ways throughout the study, ranging from aggregate findings to two and three level crosstabs that disaggregate data by eight different enrollment categories. Just as findings from previous decennial studies suggested, the various job-related happenings of superintendents are not always homogeneous. They can be influenced by a multitude of factors such as district enrollment, demographic characteristics of the superintendents, and characteristics of the students and communities they serve.

This book is the largest and most comprehensive look at the men and women leading our nation's public schools. It's a must-have for school leaders, aspiring school leaders, and those charged with preparing and supporting school leaders. It includes a wide range of information about and from superintendents, including chapters devoted to women and minority school leaders.

Wildflowers exemplifies the importance of tending each child's unique needs. This book was written to spark conversations and inspire thoughts and ideas on how to educate and develop our children in ways that return them to the center of the learning process, with unwavering belief in and expectations for their success, and an unyielding commitment to give each child what he or she needs.

Addressing common issues such as transitions, culture changes, finances, staff supervision, and team building, this guide offers strategies for the crucial first years of the superintendency.

"[The American School SuperintAndent] is well-written. It includes the case studies and voices of those who know the job best. It provides a powerful treatise on the challenge of the job. But best of all, it gives one a sense of hope. Yes, those who stop reading partway through will wonder why anyone would want this job. But those who stay with the authors to the And will see that there are solutions to the problems and answers to the questions. Savvy leaders who can master the skills and attitudes necessary to navigate the perilous role of the superintAndency will be rewarded by success in fulfilling the most difficult—and potentially one of the most rewarding—jobs in American public life today."—From the foreword by Paul D. Houston. This in-depth look at the ever-mounting pressures on the American school superintAndent draws on interviews from across the country. The authors propose changes in the way the role of superintAndent is conceived and map out promising strategies for easing the burdens of the job. They also offer invaluable guidance from practitioners on working with boards, defusing crises, building community coalitions, and fostering school improvement and technological innovation to meet the needs of the future.

An impossible job? That's what many have called the superintendency. With its growing and completing demands, it is a profession that can baffle even the most knowledgeable and well prepared. Public education resources have become more limited. There are new national and state testing requirements. Social issues are pulled into the schools and want more control over their operation. Add in politics and bureaucracy, and the end result is quite an unmanageable scenario. Unfortunately, more superintendents seem to be leaving the profession. Whether it is because of the demands superintendents face, the quality of preparation programs or a combination of both, the trend is a growing concern. Many superintendents are unprepared to deal with what they may encounter in running a school district. Yet the office is not all doom and gloom. Offering opportunities that are unavailable in many other careers, the superintendency is a position in which you will be taken seriously by others. And it is a profession in which one person, through skilled leadership, can make a difference by getting everyone to pull together and create a better environment for students. Surveys actually have shown that most superintendents would become superintendents again if they had the chance.

The State of the American School Superintendency: A Mid-Decade Study provides the largest and most comprehensive look at the nation's school leaders. It offers a close examination of: -Superintendents' professional experience, preparation, and training -Superintendent/school board relations -Key issues affecting education and leadership -Superintendent evaluations and contracts -Superintendent tenure -The history of the school superintendent in American public education This study, conducted by the American Association of School Administrators (AASA) and the AASA Center for System Leadership, is based on a representative sample of school leaders nationwide. It is a valuable resource for school leaders, aspiring school leaders, and those charged with preparing and supporting school leaders.