Why Not Allow School Boards to Choose Alternatives to Traditionally Trained Superintendents?

This paper was prepared as a response to:

1. A national trend towards lessening the requirements to become a public school superintendent and hiring non-traditional superintendents. State and national approaches to alternative licensure for public school superintendents are reviewed, including the lessening or abolition of standards. This is of concern to those aware of the need for highly qualified school leaders.

2. A national trend linking effective practices of school district leaders to improvements in student achievement. Well-prepared superintendents have been tied to high student achievement. A key part of this response involved pairing Educational Leadership Constituent Council’s (ELCC) “District Level Standards,” with five key responsibilities Tim Waters and Robert Marzano (2006) fulfilled by superintendents who positively impacted student test scores (p. 11-13). Profiles from the Wallace Foundation, national groups, and district level studies are cited to establish a foundation regarding the impact of highly trained on student success.