Superintendent Selection in Tennessee - The Case for Appointed District Leaders

Taking Note

FEBRUARY 2012

Examining Key Education Reform Ideas in Tennessee

Superintendent Selection in Tennessee:
The Case for Appointed District Leaders
During the late 1980s and early 1990s, elected officials in Tennessee
engaged in a vigorous debate over the best method for selecting school
district superintendents. Through the Education Improvement Act (EIA)
of 1992—a key initiative of Governor Ned McWherter supported by
leading Republicans and Democrats in the General Assembly—the
state phased out the election of superintendents and instituted a system
in which all superintendents are appointed by locally elected school
boards. Although many proposals have come before the General
Assembly since 1992 to enable districts to elect superintendents, none
have gained significant momentum. Support has generally increased for
appointed superintendents at the state level. In the 2010 gubernatorial
campaign, for example, both the Republican and Democratic nominees
were on the record opposing elected superintendents.i The business
community and other key education stakeholders have also been vocal
opponents of electing superintendents.ii
Maintaining the appointment system enacted by the EIA protects
the time of superintendents by eliminating pressures elected officials
face, including fundraising, campaigning, and addressing patronage
requests. SCORE believes superintendents should have one primary
area of focus: Ensuring a high quality education for every student in
their districts. In the absence of compelling research indicating student
performance improves when superintendents are elected, the state
must focus on the critical work of implementing its ambitious education
reform agenda, rather than disrupt local district governance models.
We base this position on four supporting principles:
•

Elections limit eligibility and the talent pool from
which to draw district leaders

•

The appointment model draws on standard business
practices that enhance accountability

•

Appointment of superintendents is recognized as a
best practice in state laws nationally

•

School boards and superintendents have distinct roles
and responsibilities

Elections Limit the Available Talent Pool
Cultivating strong leaders has been a key priority for SCORE since the
release of the 2009 report, A Roadmap to Success. The debate over

1207 18th Avenue South, Suite 326, Nashville, TN 37212 — tel [phone] — fax [phone] — www.tnscore.org

whether districts in Tennessee should elect superintendents carries
direct implications for the ability of districts to recruit high quality leaders
to serve as chief administrators—an ability that would be limited by an
election-based model.
Many districts with elected superintendents in other states require
candidates to reside in the district to be eligible for office. Although this
approach is necessary for elected representatives—such as school
board members, local council members, and representatives in state
and national legislatures—it inhibits the ability of communities to select
a school system administrator from a wide pool of capable, qualified
leaders. As an example, superintendents serve as elected officials
in 65 out of 149 districts in Mississippi. In 2007, 20 candidates for
superintendent ran unopposed, and in one district, no candidate filed
to run at all.iii Some of these candidates may be highly effective leaders,
but if supporters of electing superintendents contend communities
should have a choice of system leaders, Mississippi’s experience
indicates many voters in a recent election had no choice because of a
lack of willing or eligible candidates. This lack of available candidates
would likely be reflected in many Tennessee communities with elected
superintendents, especially in the state’s most rural and geographically
isolated areas.

Appointed superintendents offer
professionalism, accountability,
and a management focus to
running our school systems.
- Knoxville News Sentinel, March 24, 2011
Superintendents must bring a broad skillset to their positions, as they
may serve on a given day as financial analysts, curriculum evaluators,
personnel managers, logistical coordinators, student advocates, and
even weather forecasters. Communities need the ability to conduct
broad searches for district leaders that bring high levels of competency
across the skillsets from which superintendents must draw. Elected
school boards can set qualifications for candidates and conduct
comprehensive searches to find the right leader for their districts.

1207 18th Avenue South, Suite 326, Nashville, TN 37212 — tel [phone] — fax [phone] — www.tnscore.org