Poor relationships with school-board members are among the major factors contributing to decisions by North Carolina superintendents to quit their jobs, according to a study by a former University of North Carolina doctoral student who is now a school principal.
Steve F. Dalton surveyed 37 superintendents who left their positions between 1980 and 1982; 17 of them, or 47 percent, left because of their relationship with the school3board. The turnover rate for superintendents of the state’s 144 districts was above 30 percent. Some 33 percent of the superintendents also cited changes in school-board philosophy as a factor in their decision; 28 percent cited changes in what was expected of them and 28 percent attributed their decision to a desire for early retirement. The findings indicate that boards and officials should talk with each other about standards, Mr. Dalton said.
