The purpose of this study was to (a) determine the frequency of prior dismissal or reassignment as site administrators as experienced by sitting California school district superintendents, (b) determine the opinions of California district superintendents about the lack of due process rights of school site administrators about support systems and…

As the chief executive officer, the superintendent must demonstrate high quality performance at every level in order to impact student achievement. In order to be an effective superintendent, the individual must have knowledge and skills in educational leadership and be able to articulate information clearly and precisely about the school…

The authors' recent study of all published decisions in state and federal courts concerning superintendent termination led to a surprising finding: The decisions overwhelmingly favored school districts. In this article, the authors examine several superintendents' intriguing cases. The authors also discuss practical lessons for superintendents.

Whatever the reason for the firing, the most confident of administrators will encounter feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy upon being dismissed. It will naturally raise feelings of anger, spite, vindictiveness and bitterness. The first reaction of anyone is typically to look outside of oneself for "the real reason" or for someone to blame.…

Superintendent dismissal cases may be grouped into two major categories (nonrenewals and terminations) that can be divided into three levels: cases based primarily on the contract, on legislation, or on constitutional rights. Superintendents have been much more successful in challenging terminations than nonrenewals. Numerous issues and cases are…

Captures the shock, pain, and disappointment of a superintendent who was abruptly fired by his board president. Advice hinges on bettering one's bargaining position, developing an action plan, and learning to anticipate people problems before they arise. Lacking meaningful employment, the former superintendent has become a writer and house…

The naivete this superintendent displayed was in not asking his school board to put its directives in writing. (IRT)

With tongue in cheek, a suburban school superintendent presents tips he has developed himself and gleaned from his fellows on how not to get fired. Included are: cultivate a "low-brow" image, blame the Feds, and schedule your contract renewal meeting to follow a state championship. (SJL)

Major causes of "sudden-death syndrome" for superintendents include mismatched priorities, unseen problems, interference from special-interest groups, and misdirected disagreements. Beleaguered superintendents should be positive and proactive, act and speak as one person, understand agreements, seek help, listen, rewrite personnel…

You can see it in their eyes--the hurt, the doubt, the humiliation, the embarrassment. They are "broken wing" superintendents, those who have hit the glass wall of rejection and failure. They flew, some with no warning, smack into the window pane of contract buyouts or termination. The high flyers have flopped from the sky, dazed onto the deck,…

Once the decision has been made to dismiss a school executive, the relationship should be concluded in a private manner with adequate severance pay and outplacement services provided. Preparation for potential dismissal can help executives avoid some employment crises and ease the impact of others. (MLF)

A board member describes the aftermath of a Connecticut district's decision to dismiss a superintendent hired speedily during the previous summer. The board hired a newly retired interim superintendent, formed a search committee, found an excellent taker who lasted seven years, then began the process all over again. Superintendent turnover is a…

Employee turnover contributes to lost production, disrupts normal business practices, and is expensive. This literature review examines turnover of three administrator positions: the school superintendent, the executive director of nonprofit agencies, and the chief executive officer of for-profit corporations. The most cited reason for turnover of…

Although South Bronx Superintendent Felton "Buddy" Johnson has cut student failure rates, budgets, and teachers' resistance to change, his school board has terminated his contract. Known as an activist administrator who refused to cut deals with a historically corrupt school board, Johnson has substantially retrained teachers and…

With patience and savvy, superintendents can recover from the sting of dismissal. Incumbents should be alert to warning signs, such as decreasing board-superintendent communications and board rejection of superintendent recommendations. Sidebars offer tips on fighting back with good cause, obtaining legal support, and surviving the endgame. (MLH)