NEWNAN, Ga. — Over the last year, Georgia has seen an uptick in superintendent turnover, according to the Georgia School Superintendents Association.
The executive director of GSSA, John Zauner, has spent his entire life working in education which is why he is so passionate about helping other leaders.
Zauner said, "I tell new teachers, you’ve got to have a story that you tell yourself periodically. Because you’re going to hit those days where you ask 'why am I doing this?'"
Over the last year and half, Zauner said they've seen the number of superintendents leaving their positions nearly double. While its unclear why so many superintendents are leaving the field, the former superintendent believes some of it has to do with how the landscape of teaching has changed and there are more unique challenges.
“I would say we normally, we have 28 to 30 superintendents that change their role in the state on an annual basis. But this past year, we’ve seen the change rise to 51," explained Zauner.
In the metro Atlanta area, DeKalb County, Clayton County and Atlanta Public Schools have seen superintendent turnover in the last 15 months.
The director said GSSA works with Georgia superintendents to help prepare them for the role and keep them in the role through development and support programs.
"My role now is to support superintendents and their role because I know how difficult it is and it’s not getting any easier," added Zauner.