Tense board relationships fuel high superintendent turnover

学区总监高流动率背后：紧张的校董会关系

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, high superintendent turnover rates have not let up — and that's not surprising, said Wendy Birhanzel, a district leader in Colorado.

科罗拉多州一位学区领导者Wendy Birhanzel表示，自新冠大流行以来，学区总监的高流动率始终未见缓解——这并不出人意料。

Nearly a quarter (23%) of the 500 largest districts experienced a change in their superintendency between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025, according to a September report by ILO Group, a national education strategy and policy firm. This turnover is up from last year's survey results showing a 20% rate and a notable uptick from pre-pandemic averages ranging from 14% to 16%, ILO Group found.

根据全国教育战略与政策公司ILO Group于九月份发布的一份报告，在2024年7月1日至2025年7月1日期间，全美500个最大规模学区中，近四分之一（23%）更换了总监。ILO Group发现，这一流动率高于去年调查显示的20%，也较疫情前14%至16%的平均水平有显著上升。

The job of a superintendent “became a very different role” after COVID-19 shuttered school buildings nationwide in March 2020, said Birhanzel, who is in her seventh year as superintendent at Harrison School District 2 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. “Education is very politicized right now, and can be a little tricky to navigate from all the different sides of everyone in their opinions.”

Birhanzel已在科罗拉多州科罗拉多斯普林斯市的哈里森第二学区担任总监七年。她表示，自2020年3月新冠疫情导致全国学校停课后，总监的职责“就变得截然不同了”。“当前教育领域高度政治化，需要权衡各方意见，妥善应对并非易事。”

Birhanzel said she mentors superintendents in Colorado and throughout the country, and she finds many saying they are “overwhelmed by the constant pressure” from their school boards, students' families or school staff who are unhappy with the district.

Birhanzel称，她在科罗拉多州乃至全国范围内指导许多总监，发现他们中多数人都表示“被持续的压力压得喘不过气”，这些压力来自学校董事会、学生家长，或是那些对学区不满的学校教职工。

While it’s difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of high superintendent turnover nationwide, one underlying reason may be the “real tension” that’s emerged in communities since the pandemic, said Julia Rafal-Baer, CEO of ILO Group and Women Leading Ed, a national network for women education leaders.

ILO Group公司兼全国女性教育领导者网络“Women Leading Ed”的首席执行官朱莉娅·拉法尔-贝尔指出，虽然很难精准定位全国范围内总监高流动率的确切原因，但一个深层因素可能是疫情后社区中出现的“真实紧张关系”。

From controversial COVID-19 policies to rules on screens and devices and growing district enrollment and financial challenges, she said, things have “come to a head” and landed on district leaders.

她指出，从充满争议的防疫政策、关于电子设备使用的规定，到日益增长的学区入学率和财政挑战，所有这些问题都已 “集中爆发”​ ，最终都需要由学区总监来应对。

Moreover, the superintendency is one of the most influential roles in K-12 as it directly impacts high-level strategy as well as the teacher workforce and their working conditions, Rafal-Baer said.

rafal-baer还表示，总监职位是基础教育体系中最具影响力的职位之一，因为它不仅决定着高层战略的制定，也直接关系到教师队伍的稳定及其工作环境。

“And yet we are paying less attention to the fact that the churn [in the superintendency] that we thought would be temporary is our new normal, and it's straining our districts when students need that kind of steady, effective leadership,” she said.

然而，我们却较少关注一个事实：这种我们曾以为是暂时性的（总监职位）频繁变动，已成为新常态。当学生们正需要稳定、有效的领导时，这种情况正让我们的学区不堪重负。

Many districts typically outline a five-year strategic plan with set missions and goals that then acts as a blueprint for the system's needs, said Dennis Willingham, superintendent at Walker County School District in Jasper, Alabama.

阿拉巴马州贾斯珀市沃克县学区总监丹尼斯·威林厄姆表示，许多学区通常会制定为期五年的战略计划，明确使命与目标，作为满足学区发展需求的蓝图。

Superintendent turnover is concerning because that means district leaders are likely not staying long enough to execute those five-year strategies effectively, he said.

他指出，总监的频繁变动令人担忧，因为这意味着学区领导人可能无法留任足够长的时间来有效执行这些五年战略。

Then when a new superintendent steps into the role, they may want to take the district into a totally different direction, Willingham said, which can be discouraging and confusing to school communities.

威林厄姆说，而当一位新总监上任时，他们可能希望将学区引向一个完全不同的方向，这会让学校社群感到沮丧和困惑。

Birhanzel also noted that superintendent turnover can lead to “a domino effect” with more district turnover in other roles like administrators, principals, teachers and even bus drivers. “It goes deeper than just one position,” she said.

Birhanzel还指出，总监的离职可能会引发“多米诺骨牌效应”，导致学区其他职位——如行政人员、校长、教师乃至校车司机——出现更多人员流动。她说：“这不仅仅是换一个人那么简单，其影响更为深远。”

Despite the high turnover, just one-third of superintendent roles are held by women, according to ILO Group data. Even with year-over-year improvement, parity between men and women won’t be reached until 2054 if the current pace continues, the firm said.

根据ILO Group的数据，尽管流动率很高，但总监职位仅有三分之一由女性担任。该公司表示，即使情况逐年改善，若按当前速度，男女比例持平也要到2054年才能实现。

What can be done?

有何应对之策？

Willingham and Birhanzel agreed that much of the pressure put on superintendents stems from disagreements or tension with their school boards. While both superintendents reported good relationships with their boards, they said they recognized that the positive dynamic they experience can be rare.

Willingham和Birhanzel均认为，施加于总监的绝大部分压力源于他们与学校董事会之间的分歧或紧张关系。尽管这两位总监都表示与各自的校董会关系良好，但他们也承认，自己所拥有的这种积极互动关系可能并不常见。

Pressure from strained school board relationships “takes away the focus” from the school system and “also the joy of being a superintendent,” Willingham said.

威林厄姆表示，来自校董会关系的压力会“转移”学区教育系统的“焦点”，也“剥夺了担任总监一职本该有的乐趣”。

Both superintendents emphasized that board support is key to retaining district leaders. If the superintendent and board are unified, it’s easier to move forward with strategic plans and focus on students and staff, Willingham said.

两位总监都强调，校董会的支持是留住学区领导人的关键。威林厄姆说，如果总监和校董会能够团结一致，那么推进战略计划、聚焦于学生和教职员工就会更容易。

Birhanzel cautioned that superintendents should consider that relationship before accepting the job. It’s important to go where the board “aligns with what you believe in and your why,” she said. If that compatibility isn’t there, she added, “then that won’t be good for anyone in the system.”

Birhanzel提醒道，总监们在接受任职前应慎重评估这种关系。她认为，选择一个其理念“与你本人的信念和初衷相契合”的校董会至关重要。她补充道，如果缺乏这种契合度，“那么对学区系统中的任何人都没有好处。”

A shift is also needed in society’s mindset about the value of a superintendent, Birhanzel said. Superintendent turnover may be common because communities and school boards associate firing these leaders with a way to make a change. But if that’s a frequent move, she said, it will be difficult for the school system to be successful.

Birhanzel还指出，社会对于总监价值的观念也需要转变。总监流动率高或许已成常态，因为社区和学校董事会常将解聘总监视为寻求改变的一种方式。但她认为，如果这成为一种惯常手段，那么学区教育系统将难以取得成功。

Overall, Birhanzel said, a cultural change is needed to get rid of the idea that firing a superintendent is the answer to a problem — instead of working together to find a solution. “In way too many cases, do we see politics drive decisions of who leads school districts instead of [who is] the best leader for students?”

Birhanzel总结道，需要进行一场文化变革，以摒弃“解聘总监是解决问题答案”的观念，转而应共同努力寻找解决方案。“我们有太多案例看到，由政治因素来决定谁掌管学区，而非（选择）对学生最有利的领导者。”

The role of superintendent can be isolating, Birhanzel acknowledged. That’s why it’s important to foster more networks and support systems for those in the role. There’s a high need for mentorship, especially for prospective women superintendents, Birhanzel added.

Birhanzel承认，总监的角色可能很孤立。因此，为担任此职位的同仁建立更多人脉网络和支持体系至关重要。她补充说，导师辅导的需求非常迫切，特别是对于有潜力成为总监的女性而言。

In September, Women Leading Ed released guidance outlining ways districts can go beyond mentorships by intentionally coaching and sponsoring future leaders, particularly women.

今年九月，“Women Leading Ed”发布了指导文件，概述了学区如何超越一般性的导师辅导，通过有意识地教练和赞助未来领导者（尤其是女性）来培养人才。

While efforts are underway to address the underrepresentation of women in district leadership, the issue persists, leading Birhanzel to ask, “How long is it going to take to change these numbers?”

尽管各方正在努力解决女性在学区领导层中代表性不足的问题，但情况依然存在。这让比尔汉泽尔不禁发问：“究竟还需要多久，才能改变这些数字？”