Dive Brief:
- As the job of state schools chief has become increasingly high-profile and high-stress, a few state superintendents have stepped back into district leadership roles.
- Earlier this year, for example, Rhode Island state superintendent Deborah Gist stepped down to take a job running the Tulsa, OK, school district.
- In Iowa, the last two state education chiefs have stepped down to take jobs running districts; Jason Glass in Eagle County, CO, and Brad Buck in Cedar Rapids.
Dive Insight:
In some cases, it’s clear that personal factors were at play. Education Week points out that both Gist and Buck are now back in their hometowns. But Paul Hill, the founder of the Center on Reinventing Public Education, also told the publication that it may be a sign of how grueling the role of state schools chief can be.
"You can't understand how weak and unreliable the policy tools at the state are until you try to use them," Hill said.
In some cases, it also means a return to long-standing education work that involves more close connections with teachers and students.
"I appreciated the opportunity to be a state chief for many years, and that work is really important," Gist told Education Week. "However, the work that occurs in our districts has a dramatically more direct role in improving student success."
