Supporting Principal Resilience and Sustainability: Change Making in an Age of Attrition

• In Event: Finding Resilience During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Perspectives From Different Stakeholders in Schools

Abstract

Objectives
This study investigates principal resilience by exploring factors which contribute to leader stress. While school leadership typically involves heavy stress and high rates of attrition, the current global health and social pandemics, as well as state budget reductions and school closures amplifies the need to better understand the realities facing principals and support their retention. In response we implemented a two-pronged approach, convening a group of practicing principals to explore burnout and test interventions and conducting a statewide survey on principal critical resiliency. These two efforts yield important insight towards supporting the resiliency and impact of social justice school leaders and calls for districts and education policymakers to improve working conditions for school leaders.

Perspectives/Frameworks
This work draws upon theories of leader burnout and principal turnover (Goldring & Taie, 2018; Levin & Bradley, 2019) which demonstrate alarming rates of leader attrition due to rising stress levels, poor working conditions, and insufficient professional support. Principals working to enact social justice are particularly susceptible to high levels of stress whilst challenging systemic inequities. We seek to advance resilience theory (Traynor, 2018) by moving beyond individualistic and blame-oriented conceptions towards a collective and critical model of resilience (Blanca, 2010).

Methods
Utilizing both qualitative and quantitative approaches provided a comprehensive picture of principal stress and professional supports. The Change Makers Project, a community of practice, employed ethnographic and participatory action research methodology in exploring principal burnout and testing strategies to increase critical resilience. Our second effort involved a state-wide quantitative resilience survey and utilized multiple regression to analyze data in order to uncover emergent themes.

Data
Through observational field notes, document analysis, session surveys, and semi-structured interviews, this study offers first-hand accounts of the nuanced challenges of social justice school leadership. Written narratives produced by participating principals painted a picture of a committed group of leaders who are working in often untenable circumstances. These findings are corroborated by quantifiable data generated by183 California principals who participated in the quantitative survey.

Results
Both survey respondents and participants in the community of practice emphasized the importance of seeking support from colleagues and mentors. Our investigation revealed that attending to the cognitive, social and physical aspects of resilience was an effective way to support principals in dealing with job-related stress. Participants reported that engaging in dialogue with fellow principals, self reflective writing, and practicing various forms of self-care contributed to their sense of critical resilience.

Survey data revealed that levels of principal stress increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic compared to prior pandemic levels and showed an increase in stress related to personal and familial health and well being. This increased stress level was most prevalent in principals with 3-5 years experience.

Significance
Given the global pandemic and the increased pressure on leaders to redesign schools in a virtual space, now more than ever we need to improve principal retention. A focus on principal sustainability demonstrates that leadership development extends far beyond preparation and induction, and that school principals benefit from ongoing support.

Authors

• Soraya Sablo Sutton, University of California - Berkeley

• Rebecca Cheung, University of California - Berkeley

• Nathan Gong, University of California - Berkeley

• Meg Stomski, University of California - Berkeley