District Administration - February 2008 - (Page 34)

years, and 15 percent have served 10 or more years, according to the survey. Female Leadership Some good news is that nearly 22 percent of superintendents are female, a better representation considering the majority of females in teaching and other positions. Of these female superintendents, 55 percent are in small or rural districts, 35 percent are in the suburbs, and 9 percent are in urban areas. In the 1992 study, female superintendents tended to be clustered in smaller districts. Female superintendents are more likely (nearly 40 percent) to enter the position from an assistant superintendent post, unlike males, who tend to rise more so from the principal position, with nearly 53 percent of them having done so. “That’s hopeful, because the pipeline is women, primarily, and we’ve had a clogged pipeline,” Houston says. “We had this pipeline [of assistant superintendents] that was primarily female, and there was a shortage of superintendents because they weren’t going into the position. I have YEARS SERVED IN CURRENT SUPERINTENDENCY (Numbers are rounded off and might not add up to 100 percent exactly.) 15 % 10 years or more 3.6 % 9 years 3.4 % 8 years 6.9 % 7 years 8.7 % 6 years 9.7 % 5 years 10.6 % 4 years 12.2 % 3 years 15 % 2 years 15 % 1 year Source: The State of the American School Superintendency: A Mid-Decade Study, American Association of School Administrators. This material is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Collins, who is also AASA president-elect. That will lead to more rapid turnovers, as more positions open and superintendents have their pick, he adds. Meanwhile, minorities only comprise 6 percent of the total population of superintendents. The study suggests that superintendent placement aligns with racial composition in a district, and minority superintendents are often leading urban districts. CAREER PATH TO THE SUPERINTENDENCY BY GENDER (Numbers are rounded off and might not add up to 100 percent exactly.) Females Associate/Deputy Superintendent Assistant Superintendent Director Principal Other 10.9 % 39.6 % 14 % 23.5 % 11.9 % Males 7.3 % 26.1 % 4.8 % 52.5 % 9.3 % Source: The State of the American School Superintendency: A Mid-Decade Study, American Association of School Administrators. This material is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. always maintained that women culturally are well prepared for the role because they’re more collaborative and lean toward bringing more people together, which are some of the skills necessary for being a good superintendent.” Superintendent Randall Collins of Waterford (Conn.) Public Schools says he’s concerned that there don’t appear to be many superintendents-in-training. “You don’t see the numbers of people in training who want to be superintendents to replace the mass amounts of people leaving,” says 34 February 2008 Stressed but Satisﬁed As stress seems to grow across the board in American business, so does it grow in the American school. About 44 percent of superintendents say they feel considerable stress, and nearly 15 percent say they feel very great stress, bringing stress levels to nearly 60 percent. Factors could include tight funding, NCLB mandates, negative media attention, individual board member relations, and conﬂicting community demands, the study claims. The study suggests that some districts are inherently dysfunctional but that some superintendents are inherently less susceptible to stress and would be best matched to high-stress districts. At the same time, nearly 90 percent of superintendents say they feel very satisﬁed or satisﬁed in their positions. Roughly 35 percent of superintendents say they entered the job because they wanted to have a greater impact on student achievement, and another 24 percent wanted to be leaders. “The job comes with a lot of purpose,” Houston says. “And you can handle stress more easily when you have a purpose.” Collins agrees that his job is “great” even with NCLB pressure. “All you have to do is go to one of the schools and see one of those faces and you see possibilities,” he says. “What could this kid become?” Jerry Weast, superintendent of Montgomery County (Md.) Public Schools, says superintendents must have learned or are doing a better job in managing their problems and issues and keeping them in context. Considering the nation’s problems, including Social Security funding concerns, global warming and international security, it’s critical that the children in schools today are well educated, Weast says. It’s critical that creativity is not “sucked out” and that problem solving is still part of the increasingly tight school day, he adds. District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - February 2008

District Administration - February 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Technology Update
Security Update
Virtual Schools Update
Curriculum Update
Inside the Law
District Profile
The “Other” Advanced Program
State of the Superintendency
Landing the Chief
Purchasing Security Products and Services
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Speaking Out
Professional Opinion
Supervisor’s Opinion
Overheard on the Pulse
New Products
Problem Solution
Computer Literature
Research Corner
Calendar of Events
Products Showcase
Understanding the Times

District Administration - February 2008