School administrators know their jobs are tough, and the stats show why. With increasing demands and dwindling budgets, a lot of work goes into being a school administrator, and it can sometimes feel like an impossible job.
Fewer School Administrators to Go Around
US Department of Labor population statistics showed that in 2015, there were about 928,000 education administrators in the country, representing a 10.5% decrease since 2010. There are simply fewer school administrators present in the population.
Student Enrollment is Increasing Nevertheless
While there may be fewer school administrators, the opposite is true of students. The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) predicts public school enrollment will grow by 3%, to 51.4 million by the 2025-2026 school year. So, with fewer school administrators to go around, they’ll carry more of the load of an increased student population.
Budgets Are Decreasing
In The MetLife Survey of The American Teacher: Challenges for School Leadership, half of the principals surveyed said their budgets had decreased in the 12 months prior, posing challenges for resources and staffing.
Job Satisfaction is Declining
The same survey also showed a 9% drop in job satisfaction over that same time frame. Overall, school administrators are feeling less happy with their work situations, perhaps owing to the increased workload, and decreased budget.
However: School Administrators Have a Huge Impact
If those statistics feel depressing or daunting, it’s understandable. School administrators have a big responsibility, and not a lot of resources. However, this is the stat that proves it’s worth it, despite the challenges — according to the Wallace Foundation, “There are virtually no documented instances of troubled schools being turned around without intervention by a powerful leader (Leithwood, et al. 2004).”
While teachers are individually likely to influence students greatly, large-scale student achievement takes place when administrators head up several positive in-school factors. Effective principals run schools with higher performance ratings, fewer student absences, and strong graduation rates. The academic impact of a school administrator cannot be denied, and that’s an impact that will last through a student’s entire life.