Unpacking the issues: Researching the shortage of school principals in two states in Australia

Abstract

An investigation into the declining supply of principals in two states in Australia revealed that a mosaic of issues surrounds the overall trend towards fewer applications for vacant positions. Looking beyond systemic factors influencing this trend -factors such as the increasing workload of principals -this study discovered why some schools are more affected by a shortage of applicants than others. We found that one of four categories of deterrents was generally involved with declining numbers of applications: location, the size of school, the presence of an incumbent, or difficulties arising from local educational politics. We found, furthermore, that smaller numbers of applicants for vacant positions do not necessarily indicate a decline in interest in school leadership: interest in the principalship remains relatively high but principal aspirants have become increasingly strategic in their applications. Whilst drawing attention, in this paper, to the research finding that numerical interpretations of principal supply have serious limitations, we are keen to acknowledge, briefly, the research data that refers to (a) social and generational changes (b) demographic information, (c) teacher resistance to the modern principalship and how these data explain declining numbers. We also include information about recent changes that go counter to the trend.

Israel's Principal Preparation Policy

“…One of the goals set for principal preparation programs is to deepen participants' commitment to school leadership. All these measures combined help to cope with the shortage of candidates for principal positions sensed worldwide (Barty et al, 2005;Bush, 2011;Fenwick & Pierce, 2001;Pounder & Merrill, 2001;Quinn, 2002;Whitaker, 2001). …”

“…This shortage is attributed to the retirement of aging principals, to increased principal mobility, and to the accountability approach which "undermines the capacity of incoming and outgoing principals to lead their schools" (Fink & Brayman, 2006, p. 83). The shortage is felt in other countries too, such as in Australia (Barty et al, 2005) and England (Bush, 2011).…”

Sustainable leadership in small rural schools: Selected Australian vignettes

“…The first is their numerical significance: one quarter of all schools in the Queensland state education system are small, catering for fewer than 100 students, led by a principal who has a substantial teaching commitment (Lester, 2001). In Queensland the majority of these small schools are located in rural, remote and isolated environments, and a similar situation exists in South Australia (Barty, Thomson, Blackmore, & Sachs, 2005) and Western Australia (Wildy & Clarke, 2005). There are similar proportions of small schools in other Australian states (Murdoch & Schiller, 2002), and although not always in remote areas, they are still small by necessity, not by choice.…”

“…In this connection, Barty et al (2005) point to the unresolved equity issues arising from the difficulties in staffing remote schools, and The Bush Tracks Research Collective (2005) discusses the "very uneven" data on outcomes of schools in rural communities. Thus, from a social justice perspective it is vital that principals located in rural, remote and isolated environments are able to take advantage of powerful opportunities for change and improvement, because parents (and students) may have little option but to accept the educational provision on offer from the local school.…”

Introducing the concept of salutogenesis to school leadership research: problematizing empirical methodologies and findings

“…Turning back to the supply side, Barty, Thomson, Blackmore, and Sachs (2005) examined the declining number of applications for principalship in Australia, finding that location, size of school, the presence of an incumbent and local politics were key issues. Increased bureaucratic burden was explicitly ignored by Barty et al, but was considered by Kwan (2012) when researching the recruitment of principals in Hong Kong.…”