Although that tradition is very much part of the current program, there has been a strong growth in other areas. Public school classroom teachers, school administrators and others have found the experiential education graduate program useful. About a third of Illinois' 4,100 principals are expected to retire by 2005, according to a survey by the Illinois Principals Association. And there are not enough young educators coming up the ranks who want the job, especially those in their 30s and 40s who have young families and want a life outside of their school building. Contributing to the problem are long hours and low pay.
Most principals agree, however, that the main problem is the working conditions.
Principals are expected to analyze multi-million dollar budgets and dissect the effectiveness of the latest shift in curriculum and teaching methodology. They are expected to make an appearance at nearly every school activity. Principals suffer burnout at increasing rates and see less and less of their own families. Only 37 percent said low scores on standardized tests would inspire action. Nearly 70 percent said they had three hours a week or less to help schools.