Spousal Impact

When asked about changes to personal lives that their spouse/partner made to accommodate the demands of the superintendent’s job, 46 percent of all respondents to AASA’s national survey reported having moved to a new location as the primary factor.

Slightly fewer than a third of superintendents (31%) reported their spouse/partner changed jobs to support the work of the superintendent. Disaggregated data by type of community showed a far greater impact on rural couples than urban or suburban school leaders.

Other factors included impact on the spouse’s own work duties, the postponement of career advancement and the need to leave the workforce.

Source: “The American Superintendent: 2020 Decennial Study,” editor Christopher H. Tienken, co-published by Rowman & Littlefield and AASA.