ERIC Number: ED470950
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2002-Dec
Pages: 4
Abstractor: N/A
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
Recruiting and Retaining Rural School Administrators. ERIC Digest.
Howley, Aimee; Pendarvis, Edwina
School districts nationwide, but especially rural districts, are finding it hard to recruit and retain administrators. In the past 25 years, administrators have had to address increasing demands for special programs, collaborative decision making, and accountability. In addition, potential for conflict with school boards and various constituencies is greater in the face of the heightened diversity of many rural communities. Long hours and relatively low salaries add to problems in recruiting and retaining new leaders for rural schools. Recent research offers some strategies for addressing the problem. Publicizing the satisfactions of the job is suggested for recruiting new administrators. Recruiting more women and minorities and improving salaries and benefits are other recommended strategies. Increasing access to formal professional development programs through distance learning and paid leave may be effective in attracting new applicants as well as sustaining the enthusiasm of veteran administrators. Access to less formal programs, especially those that focus on networking, also seems to be important for increasing the competence and job satisfaction of rural administrators. (Contains 16 references.) (TD)
Descriptors: Administrative Problems, Administrators, Collegiality, Elementary Secondary Education, Job Satisfaction, Labor Turnover, Quality of Working Life, Recruitment, Rural Schools, Work Environment
AEL, P.O. Box 1348, Charleston, WV 25325-1348. Tel: 800-624-9120 (Toll Free). For full text: http://www.ael.org/ERIC/digests/edorc02-7.pdf.
Publication Type: ERIC Publications; ERIC Digests in Full Text
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: Office of Educational Research and Improvement (ED), Washington, DC.
Authoring Institution: ERIC Clearinghouse on Rural Education and Small Schools, Charleston, WV.
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A