In this episode of Build Momentum, we are joined by Dr. Rachel White, Founder and Lead Researcher at The Superintendent Lab, a hub for data, research, insights, and innovation on the public school district superintendency. She is currently the Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. White has also taught at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and Old Dominion University and has served as a school board member and volunteer coach at Van Wert City Schools in Ohio. She is a member of the University Council for Education Administration, the American Educational Research Association, and the Association for Education Finance and Policy.

Some Questions We Ask:

• Tell us about yourself and The Superintendent Lab. (01:31)
• How do you humanize the role of superintendents and incorporate that in your research? (04:26)
• In what ways did the RAND study inspire your research? (08:08)
• How has scrutiny of the superintendency changed over the years, and is turnover being addressed by retention programs? (11:52)
• In your research, have you looked at partnerships between superintendents and the community? (16:07)
• Which of your research findings are most alarming? (18:34)
• In your opinion, how will the new administration impact K-12 leadership? (24:48)
• How can the community support and advocate for superintendents? (28:06)
• Tell us more about your hopes for The Superintendent Lab. (30:26)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• All about Dr. Rachel White and The Superintendent Lab (01:40)
• Humanizing superintendents (04:34)
• Dr. White’s research (08:13)
• Scrutiny of the superintendency and retention programs to address turnover (12:22)
• Partnerships between superintendents and the community (16:33)
• Research findings that alarm her (18:40)
• Impacts of the new administration on K-12 leadership (24:58)
• Advocating for superintendents at the community level (28:22)
• Hopes for The Superintendent Lab in the future (30:32)

Quotes:

“Superintendents that have strong trusting relationships with their school board—and particularly their school board president—are significantly less likely to be job seeking.”

“What we know is that principal stability impacts teacher stability, and we know teacher stability does impact students outcomes and educational experiences, right? So it's sort of like doing a stepwise process to get to what is the impact of superintendent turnover.”

“Any sort of changes at the federal level may mean that superintendents really have to step up right and make sure that we continue to say, ‘We are going to serve every kid that walks in our door, and we're going to do whatever it takes to do that.’”

Stay in touch with Dr. Rachel White:
LinkedIn
The Superintendent Lab website
Email: rachel.white@austin.utexas.edu

Stay in touch with Sarah Williamson:
SWPR GROUP Website
LinkedIn

Stay in touch with Chad Bolser:
LinkedIn

About "The Secret to Transformational Leadership," which Sarah co-authored with Dr. Quintin Shepherd:
Transformational Leadership Secret website
Purchase the print or ebook