Administrators: How are you supporting yourself and your school?
Three years into the pandemic, the teacher shortage shows no signs of abating. But now, another educator shortage looms. A February 16, 2023 Edweek article asks, Is This The Beginning of the Principal Exodus? Unsurprisingly, it points to pandemic stressors and increased responsibilities as reasons for administrator burnout, but I think there were already other factors that were exacerbated in response to recent years’ events. Just like teachers, administrators are human beings who are vulnerable to stress. National Association of Elementary School Principals ED David Griffith states, “I think the other part of that is that leaders are also burned out … They have been on the go for three years. That’s also been an under-appreciated part of the pandemic. The increased job demands, staff shortages, and politicization of education have also all contributed to a decline in job satisfaction and job retention. Griffith went on to say that, “district officials and policymakers have t