Stress on the Job

STATE OF THE SUPERINTENDENCY

The amount of stress experienced by superintendents in their work has increased over the past quarter-century, according to AASA national surveys in 2000 and 2025.

In the earlier study, 57 percent of the 1,942 superintendents surveyed pointed to considerable or very great stress. In the 2025 survey, 62 percent of the 1,092 respondents reported those stress levels.

In the recent study, stress feelings varied by location. Seventy percent of urban superintendents indicated considerable or very great stress, while 57 percent of those in small towns reported those levels.

Sources: “The 2000 Study of the American School Superintendency” and “The 2025 American Superintendent Study: Mid-Decade Update,” directed by Chris Tienken. Further survey information at www.aasa.org.