Career factors which lead to success in urban school district leadership

This paper explores the current traditional/non-traditional superintendent debate with a study of six successful urban superintendents who followed different career paths. The participants, who each improved student achievement as an urban school district leader, represent the different backgrounds which are generally referenced when discussing the benefits and shortcomings of traditional and non-traditional preparation. They include a career educator who served as superintendent in multiple districts; a district insider who spent her entire career in one school system; a high-profile corporate executive; a military general; a lawyer who changed careers to become a teacher and school administrator; and a community activist who worked in higher education and served on the school board. Based on in-depth interviews and following Johnson's (1996) framework for the superintendency, this paper presents a case analysis of each participant's prior career experiences. The paper proceeds to expand on the individual case analyses with a cross case analysis which unpacks the common themes that emerged in the participants' interview responses. Drawing connections between their experiences, a framework was developed for understanding the personal qualities and professional skills required in order to be successful as an urban school superintendent. Overall, this study suggests that there may not be an advantage to either a traditional or non-traditional career pathway and presents evidence that there are specific personal qualities and professional skills - which can be garnered through a variety of career paths - that lead to success in urban school district leadership. The paper concludes by outlining the implications of the findings and addressing the limitations of the research design.