How to Become a Superintendent

As an experienced educator, you know how much effort and dedication it takes to provide an effective and enriching learning experience for your students. Throughout your years in the classroom, you’ve grown as a professional and mastered many important competencies that could serve you well in a leadership role. If you’re eager to shape the culture of your school district for the better, you might be well suited to take on the important superintendent responsibilities one day.

What Is a Superintendent?

A superintendent is essentially the chief executive officer of a school district, which includes elementary, middle, and high schools, plus other publicly funded education programs. Superintendents are hired by community education boards to create and execute a shared vision for their district.

To become a successful school superintendent, you must have a proven record of educational leadership, excellent interpersonal skills, a knack for coalition building, and the tenacity to tackle complex problems.

What Does a Superintendent Do?

There is no “average day” for these educational administrators. Superintendent responsibilities vary depending on the size of the district and the number of students, among other factors. Those in small districts might personally manage certain programs or departments, whereas leaders of large school communities must delegate accordingly.

Superintendents can expect to perform all the following tasks and more year-round:

• Establish and oversee organizational goals, policies, and procedures
• Hire and supervise district office staff and principals
• Work with the school board to implement a shared vision
• Maximize student achievement
• Define and meet key performance metrics
• Manage operations and school bus logistics
• Plan and adhere to budgets and financial plans

While these activities are crucial parts of the job, communication is perhaps the most essential, according to Dr. Kedziora, superintendent of the Moreno Valley Unified School District. As superintendent, Dr. Kedziora is responsible for the education of roughly 33,000 students.

Superintendent Responsibilities in Communication

A superintendent’s primary duties include listening to people, helping them build their capacity, and making sure they know how important they are to the district.

Good superintendents are liaisons who effectively communicate important information and facilitate conversations with a variety of stakeholders, including:

• Students and their families
• Teachers, principals, and educational staff
• Operations and administration staff
• Press and media
• School board
• Community organizations
• Government agencies
• Unions

Superintendent Pay Outlook in California

Superintendent salaries in California have increased significantly over the past decade, reflecting the need to attract and retain qualified candidates for these demanding roles.

Superintendent salaries vary widely across the state. In the 2021-22 school year, superintendents in unified districts with 10,000 to 20,000 students earned an average yearly salary of $278,268, while those in districts with 20,000 or more students averaged $319,443. Salaries in some districts have grown more than 60% over the last decade.

Beyond salary, superintendent contracts often include extensive benefits such as health insurance, retirement contributions, housing allowances, and performance bonuses.

How to Become a School Superintendent

If you don’t yet have all the qualifications to manage a school district, there are clear steps you can take according to California Education Code § 35028. While the exact process may look a little different for everyone, expect to go through these major phases to meet the typical superintendent requirements.

Gain Valuable Experience as a Principal

Serving as a school principal is a crucial step toward becoming a superintendent. While there’s no set timeline, gaining two to five years of experience in this role is generally recommended.

Being a principal provides excellent preparation for the superintendent position, which involves similar responsibilities on a larger scale. Principals hire and support teachers, while superintendents do the same for principals and other administrators. Managing a school's budget also prepares you for overseeing an entire district's finances.

To transition smoothly, focus on developing relevant skills. Engage with students and teachers to understand their goals and challenges. As a future superintendent who will frequently visit various schools, now is the time to build strong relationships with the community you will serve.

Obtain a Doctoral Degree

While a master’s degree is sometimes sufficient, most superintendent positions, especially in competitive districts, require a doctoral degree.

There are various doctoral study options in education. A Ph.D. involves extensive research and is not ideal for aspiring superintendents. An Ed.D., however, focuses on applying research practically and developing leadership skills, making it a suitable choice for future superintendents, who act as CEOs of their districts.

When pursuing an Ed.D., you can choose concentrations such as organizational leadership, educational leadership, or education administration. Core coursework typically includes subjects such as resource management, strategic thinking, and organizational communication.

You’ll also complete a dissertation on a relevant topic, involving research, analysis, writing, and defense. This process usually takes a year in addition to coursework. Some programs, like UMass Global’s Ed.D., allow students to start their dissertations immediately and work on them throughout their studies.

Pass Necessary Exams and Gain Superintendent Licensure

Superintendent requirements vary by state, but you will most likely need to pass an exam to obtain licensure that qualifies you for the position. This will be nothing new to an experienced educator like you. But you will need to prepare by familiarizing yourself with the exam format.

State-specific details may fluctuate, but the School Superintendent Assessment from the Educational Testing Services (ETS) is a common exam option many superintendent hopefuls will encounter. This specific assessment includes 120 multiple-choice questions that cover educational, instructional, and administrative leadership. There are also three written-response questions based on a case study. Though you will have to check with your state’s Department of Education for details on whether you’ll complete the ETS exam or a different test, this format gives you an idea of what you can expect.

Apply to Become a Superintendent

While a few superintendents are elected, the majority are appointed by their district school board. This appointment is one of the board’s most critical tasks, as they seek a candidate who aligns with their vision for success.

The relationship between the superintendent and the school board is akin to that of a CEO and a board of directors. Although the superintendent has the autonomy to make many decisions, they must collaborate closely with the board to achieve overarching goals. During the interview process, take the opportunity to understand the board’s expectations and their methods for measuring progress.

Given that there is only one superintendent per district, this position is highly sought after. To enhance your chances of securing this role, having substantial experience as a teacher and administrator, holding a doctoral degree, and being state-certified are significant advantages.

Start Leading Your District

The road to becoming a superintendent may take time, but the payoff is well worth it. In addition to hiring principals, traveling to different schools, and managing the district budget, you can tackle bigger initiatives that work toward improving education across communities.

Each school will have its challenges, but identifying areas for improvement and working with school staff to implement needed initiatives is one of the most important aspects of your job. You’ll have both the freedom and the authority to implement the changes you want to see in your district.

Begin Your Journey Toward Becoming a Superintendent

You’ve been in education long enough to know that it takes dedicated staff at every level to provide quality education to students. You also know that it takes an effective leader to drive everyone toward district-wide goals. You could be that person, the one who makes education more inclusive and accessible.

As you continue to gain valuable experience as a principal, you might want to start planning your next step. In many cases, that means pursuing additional education. To learn more about how you could begin working toward a career that allows you to make a real difference for numerous schools, check out UMass Global’s Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership.