Are Changing School Needs Reflected in Principal Job Ads?. (March 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Richardson, Jayson W.; Watts, Dana Specker; Hollis, Ericka; McLeod, Scott
• Is Part Of: NASSP bulletin. Volume 100:Number 1(2016:Jan.)
• Page Start: 71
• Page End: 92
• Publication Date: 2016-03
• Subjects: leadership -- hiring -- principals -- career; High schools -- Administration -- Periodicals; School management and organization -- United States -- Periodicals; High school principals -- United States -- Periodicals; High school principals -- Periodicals; Education, Secondary -- Periodicals; 373.12097305
• DOI: 10.1177/0192636516656797
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0192-6365

Abstract

The roles of the school principal continue to evolve due to shifting demands as well as ever-changing organizational needs. As new leadership skill sets emerge, we might expect school systems to respond by actively seeking different credentials, experiences, and dispositions of their principal candidates. This study of 279 principal job advertisements from 7 states showed little reconceptualization of building-level leaders' roles and responsibilities. The number of job advertisements that merely noted traditional, management-oriented responsibilities dwarfed those position announcements that mentioned more future-oriented job roles. Potential implications of the ubiquitous similarity of principal job advertisements include failure to adequately match candidates with organizational needs and an inability to sufficiently adapt to changing societal contexts.