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##  Retaining Principals. ERIC Digest Number 147.                                

The shortage of applicants for the position of principal is                     receiving a lot of  media coverage. Stories feature schools opening             with temporary principals at the start of the school year and tell              of vacancies due to retirement. 
A study of elementary and                     middle-school principals conducted by the National Association of               Elementary School Principals in 1998 found that the 42 percent                  turnover that has existed during the last ten years is likely to                continue into the next decade (Doud and Keller 1998). The shortage              of applicants for principal-ships makes retaining current principals            even more critical. 
This Digest examines some reasons--other than             retirement--that school principals leave their jobs, and offers                 strategies districts can employ to retain them. WHY DO PRINCIPALS             LEAVE THEIR JOBS?Today's principal is faced with the complex                task of creating a school-wide vision, being an instructional                   leader, planning for effective professional development, guiding                teachers, handling discipline, attending events, coordinating buses,            and all the other minute details that come with supervising a                   school (Richard 2000). 
"In short, the... principal must be a                  hero!" say Diane Yerkes and Curtis Guaglianone (1998). They point to            many factors that make the principalship highly stressful: 
* long             hours-for most, a 60- to 80-hour work week 
* workload and                     complexity of job 
* supervision of evening                                    activities "unending" 
* minimal pay difference between top teacher            and administrator 
* feeling overwhelmed with very high                        expectations 
* state and district mandates that                               require "mountains" of paperwork 
* increasingly complex society               and social problems 
The increasing demands of the position can                cause many principals to feel the stress is not worth it. 
"It used            to be that you could get by being a good manager. Now principals                must do everything from ensuring that immigrant students learn                  English to bringing all kids up to high standards, and so much                  more," said Carole Kennedy, principal in residence at the U.S.                  Department of Education (Ashford 2000). 
Erosion of authority to               effect change, escalating expectations of accountability, lack of               support, and a stressful political environment for school leaders               are other factors that cause principals either to consider leaving              the field entirely or to request classroom teaching                             assignments (Adams 1999). ARE TWO HEADS BETTER THAN ONE?To                ease the burden on overworked principals, some school districts are             now turning to job sharing. Dividing tasks between two leaders who              possess skills in different areas-such as supervising instruction               and managing discipline-lets schools benefit from more well-rounded             leadership. Job sharing also makes it possible for someone who is               interested in pursuing a career in administration to fill a                     part-time internship-type position. 
How does job sharing work? It             depends on the needs of the school. Muffs and Schmitz (1999)                    describe one school's solution: The "veteran" principal works                   the "first shift," and the intern principal covers the afternoon                hours. Because the job requires constant communication, the two                 principals' shifts overlap at least one hour a day so they can work             together. Or, one observes a class while the other addresses other              school concerns. Although both principals attend some school-related            evening events, they alternate for other after school activities to             so that both principals have more time to spend with their                      families. 
Farragut High School in Knoxville, Tennessee, also has              experimented with job sharing-except the job of principal is not                shared by two people, but by a team of six (Ashford). There is one              principal for each grade level and that person moves along with his             or her class. For example, this year's tenth-grade principal will be            the eleventh-grade principal next year. After the four-year rotation            is complete, he or she starts over again with a new class of                    ninth-graders. 
In addition, Farragut also has a chief principal               whose role is to work closely with teachers as an instructional                 leader. He serves as the final authority and oversees community                 relations, staff development, custodial maintenance, and other                  administrative functions, as well as teacher evaluations. A                     curriculum principal is in charge of curriculum matters, including              textbooks and a master schedule for the whole school, and spends                time in the classroom working with students. HOW CAN THE                      TRADITIONAL PRINCIPAL'S ROLE BE REINVENTED?Many principals                  complain that they are forced to spend too much time handling                   administrative tasks such as setting bus schedules and overseeing               custodians, and too little time on instructional leadership. "Some              weeks I spend more time arranging to have the garbage picked up by              the township than observing classes," said one                                  principal (Ashford). 
In England and Wales, some schools have                  already addressed that problem by splitting administrative duties               such as budgeting and building management away from instruction.                School heads work in tandem with business managers, called                      bursars (Richard). 
In January 2001, the Houston, Texas, school                district inaugurated a training program to certify business                     managers, who are expected to ease the burden on principals. The                business managers are responsible for administrative functions such             as the school budget process, purchasing, payroll, facility                     management, data management, transportation coordination, management            of non-instructional personnel, and compliance with state, district,            and federal regulations. The district suggests that principals might            opt to use money in their budget to hire one of these business                  managers in lieu of an assistant principal (Ashford). WHAT OTHER              METHODS EXIST TO RETAIN PRINCIPALS?Hiring additional people to              distribute the principal's workload is prohibitively expensive for              some districts. NAESP's study found that unless enrollment at a                 school exceeds 600 students, it is unlikely that an assistant                   principal position will be created (Doud and Keller). 
One way to              keep principals at their jobs is to provide an increased level of               professional development. The Educational Research Service (ERS)                found that principals repeatedly expressed a desire to augment their            expertise and personal skills, but found the current                            professional-development activities at their schools lacking (2000).            In a study of 105 California superintendents, more than 65 percent              listed poor interpersonal skills as a reason principals may fail at             their jobs (Davis 1997). The second highest reason was poor                     decision-making. Both of these failings could be addressed--and                 avoided--through professional development. 
ERS reported that one              of the most frequently requested opportunities for development was              the chance to network with other principals to exchange ideas,                  evaluate the demands of their jobs, and discuss how to implement                change at their schools. Principals also placed a high value on                 follow-up training and training on how to translate ideas about                 change into practice. 
Districts can learn from the Chicago Public             Schools, which has developed some of the most comprehensive programs            for professional development of principals. Training is available               for aspiring principals, first-year principals, and experienced                 administrators, and is geared toward addressing the specific needs              of each group. Techniques used in the training include case study,              simulation, reflective analysis, and coaching (Peterson and Kelley              2001). 
Casey and Donaldson (2001) cite the case of California's               Pajoaro Valley Unified School District as a prime example of                    comprehensive professional development. The program sets a common               vision for principals through its Professional Standards for                    Administrators, which establishes clear goals for principals. Their             Administrative Cycle of Inquiry includes self-assessment, personal              and site goal-setting, professional development, and evaluation.                This offers the principal the opportunity to self-reflect and to                meet with his or her supervisor and also with a peer/mentor                     partner. 
The program is tailored to meet the needs of the                     district. Pajoaro Valley's zone assistant superintendents gather                information from principals regarding their professional-development            interests. The district's Professional Communities Team then takes              this information and provides the kinds of training and growth                  opportunities the principals perceive they need. WHAT CAN SCHOOL              BOARDS DO TO HELP?"The superintendent and the board of trustees             must be committed to a new vision of quality, accountability and                sensitivity to... administrators," suggest Yerkes and                           Guaglianone. 
Although the principal is responsible for                        establishing the climate and culture of the school, Yerkes and                  Guaglianone say the principal is not the sole source of the positive            attributes of a healthy school. Students, teachers, staff, parents,             and the community all are partners in creating a dynamic school. The            authors suggest school boards should educate the community about the            changing role of the principal to garner increased support for                  principals and perhaps lessen the demands on those occupying this               role. 
Yerkes and Guaglianone also advise boards to take the                   following steps: 
* Offer financial support for sabbaticals to give            burnt-out principals a reprieve. 
* Create a family-friendly                   environment to accommodate principals' personal lives. 
* Review               the salary schedule and find a way to reward principals. 
*                    Determine flexible attendance requirements and expectations at                  school functions. 
* Redesign the organizational structure of the              job. 
Doud and Keller also suggest that boards devise financial                incentives to keep retirement-eligible principals from                          leaving. 
The principal's job is complex and demanding-and so is               the task of administrators faced with retaining them. There is no               magic solution, no easy answer. However, thoughtful examination of              the nature of the principal's role will better equip school                     districts to retain principals. RESOURCESAdams, Jeanne                    P. "Good Principals, Good Schools." Thrust for Educational                      Leadership 29, 1 (September/October 1999): 8-11. EJ 592                         962. 
Ashford, Ellie. "Creative Solutions Ease Burdens on                      Principals." School Board News (December 19, 2000): 1-5.                        www.nsba.org/sbn/oo-dec/121900-1.htm 
Casey, John, and Clem                    Donaldson. "Only the Best." Leadership (January/February 2001):                 28-30. 
Davis, Stephen H. "The Principal's Paradox: Remaining                  Secure in a Precarious Position." NASSP Bulletin 81, 592 (November              1997): 73-80. EJ 553 820. 
Doud, James L., and Edward P.                       Keller. "The K-8 Principal in 1998." Principal 78, 1 (September                 1998): 5, 6, 8, 10-12. EJ 570 135. 
Educational Research Service;              National Association of Elementary School Principals; and National              Association of Secondary School Principals. The Principal, Keystone             of a High-Achieving School: Attracting and Keeping the Leaders We               Need. Arlington, Virginia: Authors, 2000. 
Muffs, Michael I., and              Laura Ann Schmitz. "Job Sharing for Administrators: A Consideration             for Public Schools." NASSP Bulletin 83, 610 (November 1999): 70-73.             EJ 597 051. 
Peterson, Kent, and Carolyn Kelley. "Transforming                 School Leadership." Leadership (January/February 2001):                         8-11. 
Richard, Alan. "Panel Calls for Fresh Look at Duties Facing             Principals." Education Week (November 1, 2000): 1-5.                            www.edweek.org/ 
Yerkes, Diane M., and Curtis L.                               Guaglianone. "Where Have All the High School Administrators Gone?"              Thrust for Educational Leadership 28, 2 (November/December 1998):               10-14. EJ 575 255. 
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A Product of the ERIC Clearinghouse on             Educational Management, College of Education, University of Oregon,             Eugene, Oregon  97403-5207. 
This publication was prepared with                funding from the Office of Educational Research and Improvement,                U.S. Department of Education, under contract No. ED-99-C0-0011.  The            ideas and opinions expressed in this Digest do not necessarily                  reflect the positions or policies of OERI, ED, or the Clearinghouse.            This Digest is in the public domain and may be freely reproduced.               The text of this Digest may be viewed electronically at                         http://eric.uoregon.edu. EA 030924.                                          **Title:** Retaining Principals. ERIC Digest Number 147.                                **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, 5207 University of                Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403-5207. Tel: 800-438-8841 (Toll Free). For               full text: http://eric.uoregon.edu.                                          **Descriptors:** Attrition (Research Studies), Elementary Secondary Education,                   Employment Patterns,  Instructional Leadership,  Labor Needs, Labor             Turnover,  Principals, School Administration                                 **Identifiers:** ERIC Digests                                                                 
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