Starting Point
Marking a Moment in Time
School Administrator, September 2021

EVEN JUST A FEW MONTHS into the coronavirus pandemic last summer, it was becoming clear to anyone who follows the state of the superintendency that school system leaders were experiencing quite extraordinary pressures. The sort of pressures that led superintendents to make announcements in September, the start of the school year, about their plans to retire the following January or June.

The early announcements rarely cited a particular reason for the pending departures, yet they signaled a wholesale movement of leadership talent. It’s been as striking as it’s been harsh.

We wanted to use this month’s issue to capture this historic moment when it comes to the superintendency field. We called on several distinguished, longtime practitioners, Carl Cohn, Max McGee and Terry Grier, as contributors on various pieces of the story that you’ll find beginning with Cohn’s “An Impossible Position."

I think it’s notable that this issue also carries a conversation between distinguished book author Jon Gordon (who writes about positivity in leadership) and Jill Siler, who is moving this month from the superintendency into a new role with the Texas Association of School Administrators. It’s the latest installment of our magazine’s Thought Leadership Series. Editor, School Administrator
Voice: 703-875-0745
E-mail: jgoldman@aasa.org
Twitter: @JPGoldman