Superintendent Stress: Identifying the Causes and Learning to Cope

The superintendent position comes with a variety of challenges that may have devastating effects on the superintendent and his or her family. This quantitative study surveyed superintendents across a rural state in the Midwest and examined the perceived stressors that superintendents and their families encountered and what coping methods they used to alleviate that stress. The study also examined if any demographic differences contributed to higher or lower levels of stress.

The study found a lack of camaraderie and peer-to-peer support in the superintendent profession. Although the stress is high for many superintendents, some have found a method for coping with the stressors of the position.