OPINION: We have a crisis in public school leadership: Our leaders are overwhelmed, overworked and lack the training they need
As we studied the results of our educational research from 2019, a colleague turned to me with a conclusion that mirrored my own personal experience: “School leaders are a mess!” Of course, my colleague’s comment carried a hint of humor, but the data suggested a reality that was anything but funny, following my own physical […] The post OPINION: We have a crisis in public school leadership: Our leaders are overwhelmed, overworked and lack the training they need appeared first on The Hechinger Report.
As we studied the results of our educational research from 2019, a colleague turned to me with a conclusion that mirrored my own personal experience: “School leaders are a mess!”
Of course, my colleague’s comment carried a hint of humor, but the data suggested a reality that was anything but funny, following my own physical breakdown as a new school principal in Arkansas.
Less than a year earlier, I woke up on the floor of my office after having a seizure. It was the first of what would become three weeks of seizures. Turns out, I was completely sleep deprived, stressed and overwhelmed. I wasn’t eating, and I was propped up on caffeine.
I learned the hard way that my body had limits, and it inspired me to study other practicing school leaders in my state. I found a harsh truth: 39 percent were sleep-deprived, 47 percent were at least 15 pounds overweight and over 40 percent routinely skipped lunch. Another 80 percent didn’t drink enough water, 84 percent weren’t getting enough exercise and 80 percent spent less than three hours a day with their loved ones.
They also averaged 15 more work hours per week than the typical American.
As a result, these highly educated, respected leaders were quite literally falling apart — physically and emotionally. No leader sets out to be a physical mess in their role.
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A recent poll suggests that nearly half of America’s school districts are led by a superintendent who is considering stepping down in the next two to three years; one in five principals leaves the job each year. If this trajectory continues, millions of students will find themselves aboard an educational ship without anyone at the helm.
We have a crisis in K-12 educational leadership — one that receives little attention. If we want to preserve educational leaders and the schools they serve, we must make leaders a priority.
This begins with helping leaders define success. One recurring theme has emerged in hundreds of conversations I’ve had with struggling leaders in the years since my 2019 study: Educational leaders were often great teachers, but that doesn’t mean they know how to be great leaders.
What they too often lack in confidence or clarity, they attempt to make up for with unsustainable effort and self-sacrifice. And their colleagues unintentionally develop the expectations that their leader will always be available and act as the consummate problem-solver, leaving the leaders trapped in a cycle of imbalance.
Rather than risk “failure,” the leaders keep giving and sacrificing until they burn out — or worse, break down, as I did. Instead, leaders need to prioritize what makes them great, empower others who enhance their leadership and protect their ability to be whole human beings.
To avoid endlessly running from one crisis to the next, leaders must first understand their own strengths and budget time to apply them to their leadership instead of spending excessive time and effort overcompensating for their weaknesses. A simple time audit, combined with a prioritization tool, can help leaders reflect on whether they are using time intentionally or merely surviving.
Related: OPINION: Want to stop superintendent turnover? Take a hard look at how school systems really operate
We must also stop normalizing the idea that great leadership must come at the cost of being a whole human being. Basic physical well-being is not a luxury; it is a prerequisite for being an effective leader. This is not to suggest that leaders must make radical, unsustainable lifestyle changes. Instead, it’s the small, consistent habits that matter most.
Studies suggest that sleep deprivation and dehydration can impair cognitive function in ways similar to intoxication. No one is saying school leaders need to train for a triathlon, but while they may believe they’re simply tired, thirsty or hungry, they could be unknowingly compromising their ability to lead effectively.
It’s also time for educational leaders to admit and discuss their vulnerabilities. Had I not succumbed to my own imbalance, I never would have had the many conversations with friends and colleagues that led me to my study. It was only after I realized I wasn’t alone that I began to seek out the stories of others. Too many of us convince ourselves to simply “suck it up” in the hopes that it will get better “one day,” instead of recognizing that leadership is a team sport.
There’s freedom and power in vulnerability, and we are not doing ourselves any favors by trying to fake it. School leaders are crumbling, but the solution is not complicated. We need to redefine success, intentionally manage our time, build a strong support system and protect our well-being.
These actions may be the difference between leaders who sustain highly effective schools and those who burn out far too soon. We must listen to one another’s stories, invest in our capacity and prioritize our well-being. Ultimately, the future of our schools depends on it.
Joshua Ray is an educational speaker and author who has led schools at the elementary, secondary and district levels.
Contact the opinion editor at opinion@hechingerreport.org.
This story about school leadership turnover was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. Sign up for Hechinger’s weekly newsletter.
The post OPINION: We have a crisis in public school leadership: Our leaders are overwhelmed, overworked and lack the training they need appeared first on The Hechinger Report.
