Study Finds Maine Principals Positive, but Working under Increased Pressure
Contact: Kay Hyatt (207) 581-2761
David Munson (207) 593-9295
ORONO, Maine — Most Maine principals continue to find their work energizing and rewarding, but the reality of a never-ending job and constantly growing responsibilities are beginning to chip away at the altruistic motive of making a difference for children and their education, according to the latest survey of the profession conducted by the University of Maine.
The majority of school leaders responding to the 2005 Maine Principal Study are over age 50, portending the retirement of many experienced principals within the next decade. At the other end of the scale, a greater number of younger educators, including more women at the high school level, are moving into the principalship. However, a high turnover rate continues, with over half of Maine principals staying in their jobs for five years and one-third leaving within two years.
“This is a warning signal about finding stable leadership to help our schools improve,” says Gordon Donaldson, professor of educational leadership in UMaine’s College of Education and Human Development. “It appears that wisdom and experience are being lost from leadership positions just when they might be most needed.” Report authors also include faculty member George Marnik, and Donald Buckingham, principal at Sedgwick Elementary School and UMaine adjunct faculty.
The third survey in a longitudinal study of Maine principals examines a range of issues influencing their ability as school leaders. The first two were done in 1997 and 2001.
The 2005 response rate of 43 percent (414), compared to 63 percent for the first study and 53 percent for the second, likely indicate the overload and time crunch principals are experiencing, according to Donaldson. While the latest findings reflect some patterns of change, they cannot determine how generalized these changes are for all principals. However, the number of female principals responding to the survey continues to increase.
The Maine Principal Study report, “Change and Stability in School Leadership: 1997-2005,” is on the Web at http://portfolio.umaine.edu/~edl.
“Being a principal is stimulating and rewarding work, but it is also fraught with impossible challenges,” the authors write. “Principals are expected to meet high standards for all children; placate every upset child, parent or teacher; keep abreast of changing requirements from the central office and state; and supervise an extraordinary number of staff, on average, as well as a broad span of educational, management and public relations activities.”
The study is providing needed data and insight into the workloads and high turnover among K-12 principals in Maine and nationwide, and the difficulty in filling these positions with qualified people. The Maine principalship, in general, is a transient position and is becoming more so, according to the report. Based on the 2005 data, the average length of time in a principal’s present position dropped from 8 years in 1997 to 6.9 years in 2005.
Maine educational leaders and policymakers must seriously consider how to improve the workload and pressure of the job in order to entice younger talented teachers to move into administration, but supports must also be in place to sustain and energize them in the position, the authors concur. The majority of principals reported their former experiences as a teacher contribute significantly to their success as a building administrator.
The Maine Principals’ Association (MPA) formed an Ad Hoc Committee to Promote the Principalship in 2004/2005. The results of that study revealed similar concerns. According to MPA Executive Director Dick Durost, “Time, stress, unreasonable expectations, and financial considerations consistently topped everyone’s list as to why many quality teachers are not interested in becoming principals. If time and expectations were appropriately addressed, stress and finances might become less of a concern. Inadequacies in state retirement and health insurance benefits cause many to avoid or leave the field of education.” The full MPA report can be found on the association’s website, www.mpa.cc, under late breaking news.
In the UMaine study, responding principals work nearly 60 hours a week, which includes attending school-related activities most nights and weekends, are expected to supervise an average of 40 professional and support staff and have overall responsibility for the learning and well-being of hundreds of children. Principals report spending the greatest amount of time on personnel matters, followed by student management and interacting with the education hierarchy or central office. They are increasingly engaged in public relations — dealing with parents and other stakeholders, including the media, to build, continue and promote mutual understanding of the school’s values and goals.
Principals’ strongest sources of support continue to be their secretaries and spouses or significant others. Teachers, other principals and, for 2005 principals, the district administrative team are also perceived as helpful resources. Seventy-six percent agree that central administration assists them in improving the school, but a quarter of the principals report no assistance from the district office.
The stress of being constantly on-call makes it even more difficult for a principal to strike a balance between job and home. This choice is a continuing concern, with half of the respondents finding it a difficult challenge and reporting that the long hours and intrusion on personal time reflect on their ability to function effectively at all times and in all of their varied tasks. Family responsibilities also reflect the aging of the principals, with fewer caring for children but more caring for elderly parents.
Given the workload, stress and unrealistic expectations, it is remarkable that 74 percent of principals, compared with 70 percent in 2001, said they would choose a career in public education if they had it to do over, according to Donaldson. While this speaks highly of their commitment, it also raises concerns about the one-quarter who do not feel positively about their careers. Between 25 and 30 percent of respondents consistently express dissatisfaction with or uncertainty about their choice of careers over the eight-year period.
Many feel that conflict and criticism characterize the job and that changing priorities and disagreement within the community make the work environment unpredictable and demanding.
The more principals experience overload and stress, the less rewarding their work. Their sense of reward and effectiveness is positively associated with school and community consensus. When principals perceive community pride in their schools and agree on goals and vision with faculty and staff, they report that they are making a positive difference and progress. The opposite is true for principals who experience shifting priorities, constraining rules and unworkable expectations. These principals report greater workload, fewer rewards and less consensus with their schools and communities.
“While the principalship is a wonderful fit for some, too many are feeling ‘worn down’ by an overwhelming workload and lack of balance in professional and personal life,” says Donaldson. “Someone has to help a really conscientious principal say ‘it’s time to go home.'”
So many mandates and changing priorities have been put on the backs of school in the last 10 years that change is needed in ways principals are prepared and supported, and certainly in the structure of the job, Donaldson says. “The job description is “open ended, and requirements are always being added on.”
The comparative data also reflect that the average Maine principal: