Beyond the Three-Year Myth: The Truth About the Superintendency

If you feel like your "number one love"—instructional leadership—is constantly being pushed to the background by budget spreadsheets, you aren’t alone. I recently had a fantastic conversation with Dr. Anne LoBue (Columbia University's Teachers College) and Dr. Christopher Tienken (Seton Hall University) about the 2025 American Superintendent Study. We did some serious "myth-busting" that every school leader and board member needs to hear. Here are 3 themes from our talk to keep on your radar: The Money Matters Paradox: While most superintendents identify as instructional leaders, 54% reported that finance issues actually consume the bulk of their attention. In rural districts, that number jumps to nearly two-thirds. Curriculum and instruction? That ranked 10th on the list. As Anne put it, while instruction is the heart of the work, "it's money that matters" when it comes to daily time management. Shattering the 3-Year Tenure Myth: We’ve all heard that the average superintendent only lasts three years. It turns out that's true in some contexts. The actual reported aggregate average is 5.4 years. In fact, nearly 25% of respondents have been in their positions for nine years or more. Stability is possible! The Power of Complementary Associations: You don’t have to be the perfect leader who knows everything. Chris emphasized that one of the most important skills for a leader is knowing who to surround yourself with to fill your own gaps in expertise. Leading is a systems approach, not a solo performance. #SuptChat #EdLeadership #AASA #SchoolBoard #EducationFinance #AnImperfectLeader #K12Education #SuperintendentStudy ------- Follow Host Peter Stiepleman on: LinkedIn:   / peter-stiepleman-76004819a   Website: https://imperfectleader.com/ YouTube (video of conversation): https://youtu.be/VkKiXpczSEAhttps://w... Instagram:   / animperfectleader   Tiktok:   / animperfectleader   Follow Co-host Jamie Almanzán on: Connect with APC Leadership Collaborative for support in navigating complex leadership situations: https://www.apccollab.com ------- An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by IXL. Boost learning with a platform proven to deliver results. IXL gives educators a complete K–12 curriculum and personalized learning plans that adapt to every student. Trusted by over 1 million teachers and 96 of the top 100 school districts, IXL helps schools outperform on state tests, and helps teachers focus on what matters most. IXL: Powerful data. Personalized learning. Real progress. Discover what IXL can do for your school at IXL.com/imperfect ------- An Imperfect Leader is sponsored by Yondr. Schools around the world are seeing the damaging effects of phones on student engagement, social development, and mental health. Yondr has developed a unique product and program to allow schools to become phone-free, from arrival to dismissal. Learn why 3 Million Students use Yondr every day. MINIMIZE DISTRACTIONS. MAXIMIZE LEARNING POTENTIAL. Go to overyondr.com to learn more. ------ The Mosaic Project, one of our favorite organizations, has over 25 years of experience empowering students to celebrate differences, communicate assertively, and resolve conflicts peacefully at their outdoor school. Their innovative SEL curriculum is now available to An Imperfect Leader listeners at a 10% discount through their new documentary film-based Mosaic Classroom Project! The Project’s ready-to-use lesson plans include film, original music, “gametivities”, and real conversations. We’re proud to partner with The Mosaic Project in helping educators build inclusive, peaceful learning communities! Just mention An Imperfect Leader during the onboarding process to receive the 10% discount. Learn more about The Mosaic Classroom Project. ------ Think differently. Think in systems. Reach out to The Waters Center for Systems Thinking to learn more about how systems thinking capacity building can strengthen your team and organization. Homepage: www.waterscenterst.org Thinking Tools Studio: https://thinkingtoolsstudio.waterscen... ------ An Imperfect Leader: Leadership in (After) Action is supported by ILAA, LLC, a firm dedicated to supporting aspiring, new, and established leaders. For more information, please find them at imperfectleader.com. Music for An Imperfect Leader was written and arranged by Ian Varley. Sam Falbo created our artwork, a wood-print inspired daruma doll butterfly.