A national narrative around a historically Black college and university (HBCU) presidential turnover rate crisis has emerged in the last few years. Much of the narrative around this story is absent or lightly nods to the contextual adversities facing historically Black colleges and universities and their decades of under-resourcing. Almost none of…

For this comprehensive literature review, we begin by framing our study with a scholarship review of the theorizing of place-based leadership and rural administrators. We then synthesize research on the practice and experiences of district administrators, including superintendents, school boards, and other ancillary leaders. We identify multiple…

This article presents the National Rural Education Association's Rural Research Agenda 2022-2027. In order to determine rural stakeholders' perspectives of research priorities, data collection included 328 surveys, six focus groups with 43 participants, and nine interviews with rural education practitioners, leaders, and policymakers. From a…

This article discusses the characteristics of rural versus nonrural principals in the High Plains states. It is based on data from the Schools and Staffing Survey, examining the differences in preparation and experience and the extent to which characteristics of the rural principalship (perceptions of autonomy, workload, etc.) predicted retention.…

Currently, we know very little about the mobility decisions of charter public school teachers and how these compare to the decisions made by traditional public school teachers. In addition, it is unclear whether the teachers who leave charter schools tend to be weaker or stronger than their peers. Using statewide administrative data, I begin to…

The importance of teacher quality for determining student outcomes is now well established. At the same time, the translation of what is known about teacher quality into effective policy is far from being institutionalized. The simplest summary of research into teacher quality is that some teachers are dramatically more effective than others but…

This article summarizes the results of a 2-part study using both state databases and teacher surveys to examine teacher retention and mobility in Washington's teacher workforce. The first part of the research examined individual teacher records during a 5-year period. Statewide analyses were conducted, and 20 districts were selected for in-depth…

In discussing school superintendent vulnerability, the paper addresses diverse meanings among scholars of Callahan's vulnerability thesis, highlighting other articles within this theme issue. The paper reflects on discussions of Callahan's "Education and the Cult of Efficacy" before its 1962 publication and investigates the relation…

Eastern Michigan University's provost presents a perspective on how the institution successfully increased its number of minority faculty members. The article describes ways to retain minority faculty members once they are hired, noting the importance of total public support of opinion leaders and policymakers. (SM)

The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 requires that every classroom be staffed with a "qualified teacher." A growing literature is focusing on what causes teachers to leave their jobs and/or the teaching occupation, rather than solely on factors influencing teacher recruitment. This article uses nationally representative data from the…

Summarizes the viability of the vulnerability thesis as a tool in accounting for school superintendent behavior today, suggesting how the thesis can be built on in order to better understand the political world of superintendency. The paper suggests some social and political theories that might extend the thesis, further clarifying the…

Two studies investigated the involuntary turnover of small-town school superintendents. The studies involved interviewing county superintendents and examining state financial records from Illinois. Results indicated that it was personal and political conflicts that most often dictated the high superintendent turnover (both voluntary and…

Discusses strategies to improve minority faculty representation in research universities, describing the University of Michigan's Six-Point Plan. Efforts begin in elementary schools; institutions of higher education are obligated to improve elementary education for minority students. A four-dimensional model for assessing institutional…