Motivating the Motivators: An Examination of High School Principals' Drive to Succeed

• In Event: Understanding Stressors and Motivators of School Principals

Abstract

While much has been written about how principals motivate teachers (e.g., Eyal & Roth, 2007), there is little research on what motivates principals themselves. This is an especially pressing issue since one quarter of all principals in the United States leave their jobs each year (SLN, 2014). Some leave the profession, while others move to different schools, tending toward schools with higher incomes and fewer minorities (Van Cleef, 2015). Because a principal significantly impacts the academic achievement of students (Branch, Hanushek, & Rivkin, 2013), and turnover disproportionately impacts low-income schools, it is imperative that we keep principals feeling motivated. In this paper, we examine what principals say motivates them, what hinders them, and how close they might be to burning out.

Authors

• Brian Blaum

• Kerri Tobin, Louisiana State University - Baton Rouge