The Cost of Carrying It All

Every few months, a new headline confirms what many district leaders already know: the job of a superintendent is becoming harder to sustain.

RAND’s 2025 State of the Superintendent survey found that fewer district leaders believe the stress is worth it. Only about half of the respondents agreed that the challenges of the role feel worthwhile, representing a sharp drop from previous years, ultimately leading to the question: why stay? It’s a sentiment growing across roles in the education field.

So, what’s happening?

RAND researchers highlight a potential disconnect: many superintendents are spending time on tasks that don’t align with their vision of leadership, such as facility management, budgeting, and addressing daily operational issues that keep districts running. The irony is that while district size and local politics may shape the pressures of the job, the purpose remains the same across contexts: to create the conditions where great teaching and student learning can thrive.

Burnout Isn’t About Weakness. It’s About Structure.

At Mira Education, we often say burnout isn’t a sign that leaders are doing something wrong. Rather, it’s a sign that the system isn’t built to share leadership well. When too many critical functions run through the central office, the system itself weakens. In most districts, even well-run ones, leadership systems are designed around one singular hub, and every challenge, from staffing shortages to school safety, runs through a narrow channel. Unsustainable pressure isn’t a reflection of an individual leader or office, but a system that is stretched too thin. 

It’s no wonder the work feels unsustainable. When leadership isn’t shared, that pressure compounds.

But what if the solution isn’t just more self-care or “work-life balance” training? What if it’s reimagining how leadership itself works?

What Sustainable Leadership Looks Like

In our work with districts nationwide, we’ve seen this come to life in three powerful ways:

1. Clarifying Work Structures – Superintendents and cabinet teams co-create decision-making practices that clarify who leads, who contributes, and how information flows. These structures make collective leadership possible without chaos or duplication. They also allow the superintendent to focus on strategic leadership rather than operational triage.

Tool Spotlight: The Collective Leadership Conditions Matrix: Team Discussion Tool helps teams identify where decision-making or communication bottlenecks exist and how to share ownership more effectively.

2. Strengthening Communication Routines – The most effective leaders co-create predictable, shared rhythms for communication, ones that keep teams aligned without constant check-ins. When communication becomes routine rather than reactive, superintendents regain time and mental bandwidth to think deeply about system improvement.

Tool Spotlight: The Inclusive Communications Discussion Tool guides teams in co-creating norms and channels for clear, purpose-driven communication.

3. Aligning Time and Purpose – Time is a mirror of system design. When superintendents spend most of their days putting out fires, it signals that the leadership structure, rather than the individual, is out of balance. By using tools like improvement cycles, role mapping, and self-reflection, leaders can ensure that time and effort align with district priorities.

Tool Spotlight: The Educator Time Tracker guides superintendents through a three-day self-reflection on time use, enabling them to understand better where and how they spend their time. This allows them to identify trends and make adjustments aligned with their daily and weekly priorities. 

Collective leadership offers a structural alternative. Rather than concentrating authority and problem-solving at the top, it creates conditions that enable leadership to be exercised across roles and levels.

When a superintendent leads within a collective leadership framework, they don’t carry every responsibility alone. Instead, they build clear, collaborative systems that distribute thinking, decision-making, and communication in ways that make the district more adaptive and far less fragile.

How are district leaders responding?

We’ve asked current and former district leaders in our network to share how they’re sustaining good work even in high-stress contexts. Their reflections reveal a common thread: sustainable leadership is about intentional structure, connection, and purpose—not heroic endurance.

Dr. Almudena (Almi) G. Abeyta, Superintendent, Chelsea Public Schools, emphasized that the work’s meaning sustains her even on the toughest days:

“For me, especially on the hard days, I remember that I choose to do this job—and that it’s a calling. When the days are hard, whether it’s upset community members or difficult negotiations, I remember it’s about the kids we’re able to impact as a team and the lives we’re changing. In our district, we talk about knowing our students by name, strength, and story… and that’s why I continue to fight and do what I do.”

Dr. Shelly Armstrong, Supervisor of Student Support, shared a simple but powerful weekly structure she calls her “three P’s”:

“A routine that I practice weekly is my three P’s: Priorities, People, and Personal.  

I look at what actions directly support district priorities such as student achievement, staff development, or family engagement. I intentionally check in with teams or individuals who may need extra support, encouragement, or recognition. Sustaining good work is about maintaining morale and relationships. I exercise daily, practice gratitude, plan trips, and nurture my relationships.

This structure helps keep me grounded, focused on what’s best for students, and hopefully provides a model for other staff.”

Dr. Kevin Gilbert, Assistant Superintendent, Howard County Public School System, noted that consistent reflection and data review are critical to keeping the system aligned:

“Constantly reviewing data like enrollment, budget, academic, discipline, and more helps me stay focused on district priorities.” 

Dr. Carol Kelley, Superintendent, Salem City School District, shared how staying grounded in her “why” and her support network keeps her centered:

“I think you have to remember your why—literally every moment of the day. And I think it’s probably the number one. And then number two, you really have to depend on your support and be intentional about that. And support means your team, yes, but also that group of people who get it, and are a safe space for you. So, literally every Wednesday morning, I have a call with a superintendent friend of mine. It’s our opportunity just to vent… remembering your why and having that circle of support.”

Dr. Ethan Lenker, former Superintendent and current Mira Education partner through STEM East, spoke to the discipline of decision-making in high-pressure moments:

“During stressful situations, people tend to get tunnel vision and rely on gut feelings. Using all available resources—data, colleagues’ expertise, policies, and networks—brings multiple viewpoints into the process. It leads to more strategic, well-supported decisions and models collaborative leadership. Over time, people feel empowered to contribute ideas and support one another during challenges.”

Patrick Miller, former Superintendent and Mira Education partner through STEM East, reflected on leadership through connection and presence:

“One thing that I always tried to do and push on my leadership team is complain up. I encouraged my team and principals to come to me to discuss or vent, not to their subordinates. [The unexpected], such as COVID, book challenges, and budget constraints, all affect people differently, and they needed a safe place to share. For me, being level-headed helped give my staff reassurance. During tense times, I spent more time in schools and community functions—being visible helped people feel at ease.”

Looking Ahead

If fewer superintendents are saying the job feels “worth it,” maybe that’s not a signal for leaders to leave, but a signal for systems to change.

The future of sustainable leadership isn’t about building more personal resilience. It’s about building collective capacity so that the weight of leadership doesn’t crush the people holding it. Because sustainable leadership isn’t about surviving the job, it’s about building systems where thriving is possible.