All Things to All People: Special Circumstances Influencing the Performance of African American Superintendents

When confronted with the problems of urban school districts, such as an ever-increasing achievement gap, the underfunding of school districts, increased shortages of qualified teachers, greater emphasis on accountability, and the loss of public confidence, African American superintendents have consi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Education and urban society 2005-08, Vol.37 (4), p.419-430
Main Authors: Hunter, Richard C., Donahoo, Sarah
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Academic Achievement
African Americans
Black American people
Educational leadership
Educational policy
Educational sciences
Job Performance
Leadership
Minority education
North America
Policy, reform, legislation
Racial Composition
Resource Allocation
School administration
School Districts
School superintendents
Schools
Sociology of education
Superintendents
U.S.A
United States
Urban areas
Urban Schools
Urban studies
USA
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Summary:When confronted with the problems of urban school districts, such as an ever-increasing achievement gap, the underfunding of school districts, increased shortages of qualified teachers, greater emphasis on accountability, and the loss of public confidence, African American superintendents have considerable difficulty leading their school districts. This article begins with a discussion of urban school district funding disparities and their impact on district operations. The article then discusses stakeholder expectations and how they affect the job performance of these superintendents. The text also describes what politicians, school boards, the media, parents, community members, and school district staff want superintendents to do and how they make it difficult for them to meet these goals. In addition, the article discusses recent changes that could serve as a harbinger of the future regarding the racial composition of superintendents in both traditional settings and reformed school districts.
ISSN:0013-1245
1552-3535
DOI:10.1177/0013124505277740