Perceptions of Rural Superintendents on Factors Influencing Employment Decisions

Williams, Heather P.; Shoup, Kathleen; Durham, Lisa; Johnson, Ben A.; Dunstan, Shannon; Brady, Brittany A.; Siebert, Carl

doi:10.3102/1570607

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…However, rural administrators have high rates of turnover (Pendola & Fuller, 2018;Williams et al, 2019), and rural schools and districts may be used as "'stepping stones' to more desirable positions" (Grissom & Andersen, 2012, p. 1173. Building-and district-level administrators are also stretched thin in rural districts, often taking on work of multiple positions (Copeland, 2013;Lamkin, 2006).…”

Section: Theoretical Framework and Relevant Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“If I Ever Leave, I Have a List of People That Are Going With Me:” Principals’ Understandings of and Responses to Place Influences on Teacher Staffing in West Virginia

McHenry‐Sorber

Campbell

Sutherland

2021

Educational Administration Quarterly

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Purpose: Schools across the predominately rural state of West Virginia are experiencing widespread teacher shortages, though recruitment and retention difficulties are unevenly distributed across place. Using spatial in/justice as our framework, we explore how principals define place, how place influences principal perceptions of teacher recruitment and retention, and how principals respond to these staffing challenges given their leadership experiences, relationship to school community, and understandings of place affordances and disadvantages. Research Methods/Approach This research utilized interviews with eight principals across six school districts in West Virginia over a four-month time frame. We inductively coded interview transcripts in iterative cycles using our research framework as a guide for emic and etic codes. Findings: We find principals’ understanding of place influences on staffing to be specific to the unique attributes of each community and the placement of their leadership experiences – as community returners, seasoned though not originally from the community, and new-to-place. Their understandings of spatial in/justice as it relates to teacher staffing shape ideas of place affordances and disadvantages and recruitment and retention practices. These findings complexify the teacher staffing picture across geographically diverse rural places and the responses available to leaders given their leadership experience and relationship to place. Implications for Research and Practice The place-specific influences on teacher staffing problematize statewide policy mechanisms for ameliorating teacher shortages. The findings also suggest the need for further in-depth qualitative research within districts and across states, with an emphasis on racially diverse rural places.

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Section: Theoretical Framework and Relevant Literaturementioning

confidence: 99%

“If I Ever Leave, I Have a List of People That Are Going With Me:” Principals’ Understandings of and Responses to Place Influences on Teacher Staffing in West Virginia

McHenry‐Sorber

Campbell

Sutherland

2021

Educational Administration Quarterly

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“…This is particularly relevant in small and rural districts, superintendents are more likely to engage in a “fishbowl” of scrutiny from community members (Rey, 2014). Superintendents of small and rural districts have higher rates of turnover, by personal choice or school board decision, than their urban and suburban colleagues (Williams et al, 2019). The most common factors for superintendent turnover are a lack of trust between the board and superintendent (Weiss et al, 2018) and significant conflict between the board and superintendent (Kowalski et al, 2011; Rey, 2014; Tekniepe, 2015; Williams et al, 2019).…”

Section: Review Of Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Superintendents of small and rural districts have higher rates of turnover, by personal choice or school board decision, than their urban and suburban colleagues (Williams et al, 2019). The most common factors for superintendent turnover are a lack of trust between the board and superintendent (Weiss et al, 2018) and significant conflict between the board and superintendent (Kowalski et al, 2011; Rey, 2014; Tekniepe, 2015; Williams et al, 2019). District leaders must strategically navigate the board and community expectations to remain in their roles (Björk & Lindle, 2001; Grissom & Andersen, 2012; Kamrath & Brunner, 2014).…”

Section: Review Of Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Even when rural superintendents maintain positive relationships with their school boards, school boards turn over with election cycles (Alsbury, 2003). New school boards may have different agendas and expectations for the district leaders (Williams et al, 2019), increasing the likelihood of superintendent attrition (Kamrath & Brunner, 2014).…”

Section: Review Of Researchmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Capacity and Control: Superintendent-School Board Relations in Locally Controlled Districts

Sutherland

2023

Educational Administration Quarterly

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Purpose: In the wake of school board protests nationwide, it is essential for educational leaders, policymakers, and researchers to understand locally controlled educational governance. The stability of educational districts depends on superintendents navigating relationships with their school boards, yet little research exists that addresses board–superintendent relationships in locally controlled districts. Using theories of local will and capacity, and community power relationships, I examine what factors shape the extent of local control enacted by school boards, and how these factors affect superintendent–school board relations. Research Methods: The qualitative case study design is bounded as one multi-district union superintendent and three rural school boards. Data collection included semistructured interviews, ethnographic observations, and document collection to understand the relational dynamics of local control. Data analysis included in vivo and a priori coding, and the development of analytic matrices. Findings: All boards demonstrated local will and some local capacity, which explained the dimensions of enactment of local control. Rural board capacity—tenure, expertise, and residency of board members—influenced the extent of local control. Cross-case analysis revealed a relationship between board capacity, community capacity, and board–superintendent relationships. These patterns are theorized as local control school board–superintendent relationships typology, based on board capacity and local community capacity. The relationships include role contestation, confusion, collaboration, and dependence. Implications for Research and Practice: The study expands the theory of local capacity to include community and board dimensions and describes the complexities of superintendent–board relationships. The study concludes with recommendations for practice, policy, and research on locally controlled school boards.

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Perceptions of Rural Superintendents on Factors Influencing Employment Decisions

Cited by 2 publications

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“If I Ever Leave, I Have a List of People That Are Going With Me:” Principals’ Understandings of and Responses to Place Influences on Teacher Staffing in West Virginia

“If I Ever Leave, I Have a List of People That Are Going With Me:” Principals’ Understandings of and Responses to Place Influences on Teacher Staffing in West Virginia

Capacity and Control: Superintendent-School Board Relations in Locally Controlled Districts

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