Principals Share What Keeps Them in the Profession
July 22, 2019
By: Roger Riddell
Source: Education Dive
As the need to recruit and retain high-quality teachers has gained the spotlight amid shortages nationwide, so too has the need to reduce turnover among principals. According to research from the Learning Policy Institute (LPI), produced in collaboration with the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), 35% of principals stay at their school for less than two years. Just 11% stay for a decade or more.
Additionally, nearly one in five principals leaves each year. “That means you’ve got to reboot those schools every time that happens,” LPI President and CEO Linda Darling-Hammond said, summarizing researchers’ findings in a session at the 2019 National Principals Conference last week.
Just like their counterparts in the classroom, the factors leading to principal turnover are largely related to support, recognition and salary. For example, teachers in the U.S. generally earn about 30% less than their counterparts in other Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development nations, and principal salaries track similarly, Darling-Hammond said.