Turnover at the Top : Superintendent Vacancies and the Urban School

More than ever before, urban school districts are changing leaders at an alarming rate which makes it difficult for city schools to find stability. Turnover at the Top examines both the reasons for this turnover and its ramifications.

Leadership turnover in America''s largest school districts has increased so rapidly that the average urban superintendent tenure is roughly 2 years. Because many urban superintendents are hired knowing that they will either be terminated or forced to resign in a short period of time, this cycle has created a class of superintendents who leap around the country from job to job, with no real ties to the communities they serve. So why are big-city superintendents seemingly always on the hot seat? Urban superintendents regularly face vast academic, funding, and socioeconomic challenges, and school boards find it much easier to change the coach than to change the players. Turnover at the Top examines various reasons for this frequent turnover, as well and its ramifications. It includes first-hand accounts from parents, school board members, and urban superintendents and will be of great interest to administrators, elected officials, and superintendents.