Superintendent Stress and Superintendent Health: A National Study

Abstract

Descriptions of the superintendency often highlight the pressure involved with being CEO of a complicated enterprise, responsible for millions of dollars, and multitudes of employees, at a time when districts are under added scrutiny. Stress has been proven repeatedly to effect worker health (Beehr & Newman, 1978; Cheng, et al., 2012; Hobson, Delunas, & Kesic, 2001). While there has been considerable research highlighting jobrelated stress in the public sector (Bacchus, 2008; Galanakis, et al., 2009; Monesh & Patil, 2012; Snapp, 1990), fewer studies have focused on education in general. The purpose of this study was to conduct a national survey in order to expand on previous research on stress in the superintendency by addressing the link between the superintendents' levels of stress and their health and well-being.

School Administrators’ Experiences in a 6-Month Well-Being Pilot Program

“…Although participants were not specifically asked how their life stressors influenced their health, many alluded to the toll of stress. Comparable to findings in other studies of school administrators (Boyland, 2011;Robinson & Shakeshaft, 2016), participants shared their experiences of poor sleep patterns, inability to find time to exercise, high blood pressure or cholesterol, and poor nutritional habits. Future studies should consider an explicit exploration of how participants see specific stressors affecting their health and job performance.…”

“…According to the School Leaders Network (2014), approximately 25% of principals leave their jobs each year, citing workload, long hours, and poor working conditions. These concerns may lead to increased blood pressure, cholesterol, obesity, insomnia, anxiety, and headaches (Robinson & Shakeshaft, 2016). Both the stress and greater health concerns of teachers and staff may lead to less productivity and to greater absenteeism (Alker, Wang, Pbert, Thorsen, & Lemon, 2015).…”

“…First, we were interested in discovering how participation in CatchLife influenced health, fitness, and sleep behaviors. Recognizing that school administrators experience significant stress (Boyland, 2011; Robinson & Shakeshaft, 2016), improving health and wellness is an important goal. To show engagement in and changes due to the program, brief synopses of four participants reflecting the experiences of the other eight participants were presented.…”

“…Demands on the leadership of principals and superintendents have increased significantly over the last several years. Not only does the U.S. workforce expect high school graduates to be college and career ready (Achieve, 2018), under the pressure of dwindling budgets, heavy workloads, long hours, and demanding parents (Robinson & Shakeshaft, 2016), administrators experience stress that can lead to poor decision-making (Bass, 1992). In a recent study of Indiana principals, over 50% reported moderate job stress, and nearly 40% reported high job stress (Boyland, 2011).…”

Integral Organizational Wellness™: An evidence‐based model of socially inspired well‐being

“…The largest financial investment is often for senior leaders and managers (Wentworth, ) and projected overall investment over the next 10 years is expected to increase (e.g., Sinar & Wellins, ). Most importantly, a diverse set of studies shows that managers and executives themselves are at considerable risk of poor mental health and cardiovascular disease, often due to high‐stressors of their roles (Jamal & Baba, ; Lu, Tseng, & Cooper, ; May, ; Quick, Bennett, & Hargrove, ; Robinson & Shakeshaft, ).…”