It’s not just veterans with mental health issues who have trouble dealing with the stress of administering schools. The latest Rand Corporation American School District Panel Survey finds 79% of school superintendents say their jobs are “often” or “always” stressful. The most frequently cited cause of that school stress is politics:
Here’s a look at how many superintendents cited the top 10 causes of stress:
- The intrusion of political issues and opinions into schooling: 88%
- Educators’ mental health: 74%
- Students’ mental health: 71%
- Staffing shortages: 65%
- District budget: 65%
- State accountability requirements: 52%
- Educator attrition: 44%
- School board relations/school board pressure: 32%
- Community physical safety concerns: 22
- Feeling like the goals and expectations of the district are unattainable: 21%
Politics is hardly a new source of stress for K12 leaders. Political divisions in the community were described as a pressing challenge by 27% of superintendents surveyed by AASA in 2020. A RAND poll conducted in the spring of 2022 found that furor over issues such as COVID safety and critical race theory were top sources of superintendent stress.
Political polarization is causing more disruptions in historically advantaged suburban, low-poverty and mostly white school systems, where leaders are dealing with more book challenges, Freedom of Information Act requests and threats against educators, RAND notes [Matt Zalaznick, “Superintendents Are Stressed Out. Here Is the No. 1 Reason,” District Administration, 2023.07.12].
More politics and more stress means more turnover and more difficulty for local school boards to find qualified leaders for their schools. Perhaps the Governor could help relieve this stress by keeping her nose and Hillsdale College out of the development of future curriculum standards.
While it is widely recognized that excessive stress can be detrimental to individuals and organizations, some upper-level management might view stress as a good thing due to the following reasons:
1. Increased productivity: Some managers believe that stress can push employees to work harder and achieve more within a given timeframe. They may see stress as a motivator that pushes employees to go above and beyond their usual performance levels.
2. Improved focus and attention to detail: When people experience stress, their body releases hormones that can heighten alertness and focus. This heightened state may be seen as beneficial by management, as it can result in increased attention to detail and accuracy in tasks.
3. Fostering a sense of urgency: Stress can create a sense of urgency among employees, ensuring that tasks are completed promptly. Managers may believe that a stressful environment promotes a faster pace of work, leading to quicker decision-making and problem-solving.
4. Performance under pressure: Some upper-level managers may believe that stress helps employees build resilience and develop the ability to perform well in high-pressure situations. They may argue that stress can prepare employees for handling future challenges.
5. Driving innovation and growth: A certain level of stress can lead employees to brainstorm creative solutions, challenge the status quo, and innovate. Managers may see stress as a catalyst for pushing employees to think outside the box and drive growth within the organization.
It is important to note, however, that while stress may have some short-term benefits, chronic or excessive stress can lead to burnout, decreased productivity, and negative impacts on employees’ mental and physical well-being. Striking a balance between motivating employees and creating a healthy work environment is crucial to ensure long-term success. – Variety Intelligence Platform
I imagine it’s a bit being stuck between a rock and a hard place. It’s tricky being “friends” with your subordinates. So you tend to socialize with people of similar station. In this case they’re some of the same people pressuring you with the political stuff. Yes, it’s their job to do what’s best for the community, but there is the human element of being socially isolated if you do.
Mrs. Noem’s dominionism has created exactly the brand of far white wing extremism she craves. Dominion theology supposes christians must control the seven “mountains” of government, education, media, arts and entertainment, religion, family, and business in order to establish a global christianic theocracy and prepare the world for Jesus’ return. Many catholic schools are in the Hillsdale bubble because the curriculum ignores the church’s role in the Native American Genocide.
in a word, Republicans have “weaponized” ANYTHING that illegally allows them to cheat to hold on to power because they can’t win elections fairly w/their ideology. “sick”!
who cares the costs to an individual’s life?
their upsidedown world.
they cry about fairness (i.e. democracy) when faced w/the REALITY (science!!) that m/f sex is not black and white and dear bobby/bobbie might have to compete against a trans student. boohoo! Public schools are the front lines for so many issues.
Russia has been cheating internationally for decades with female steroid use. AM is right to suggest Republicans have become just like Russian commies of the old days (if i understood that recent post on another thread).
When plagiarism isn’t enough for some people:
“Your Text is AI/GPT Generated
76.09%
AI/GPT”
Highlighted text [below] is suspected to be most likely generated by AI”
While it is widely recognized that excessive stress can be detrimental to individuals and organizations, some upper-level management might view stress as a good thing due to the following reasons:
1. Increased productivity: Some managers believe that stress can push employees to work harder and achieve more within a given timeframe. They may see stress as a motivator that pushes employees to go above and beyond their usual performance levels.
2. Improved focus and attention to detail: When people experience stress, their body releases hormones that can heighten alertness and focus. This heightened state may be seen as beneficial by management, as it can result in increased attention to detail and accuracy in tasks.
3. Fostering a sense of urgency: Stress can create a sense of urgency among employees, ensuring that tasks are completed promptly. Managers may believe that a stressful environment promotes a faster pace of work, leading to quicker decision-making and problem-solving.
4. Performance under pressure: Some upper-level managers may believe that stress helps employees build resilience and develop the ability to perform well in high-pressure situations. They may argue that stress can prepare employees for handling future challenges.
5. Driving innovation and growth: A certain level of stress can lead employees to brainstorm creative solutions, challenge the status quo, and innovate. Managers may see stress as a catalyst for pushing employees to think outside the box and drive growth within the organization….
Kurt Evans – AI isn’t plagerism.
Let me explain why AI isn’t plagiarism. Plagiarism is when someone takes someone else’s work, ideas, or words and claims them as their own, without giving credit to the original creator. However, AI, which stands for Artificial Intelligence, isn’t a person. It’s a computer program that uses complex algorithms to learn and generate content.
AI is designed to process lots of data and information, and then create its own output based on that. It doesn’t have its own thoughts or original ideas like humans do. It’s more like a tool or a helper for humans. When AI generates something, it’s not intentionally trying to copy or steal someone else’s work. It’s just analyzing existing information and patterns to come up with new content.
So, AI isn’t plagiarism because it doesn’t have the intention or ability to copy someone’s work. It’s a tool that can assist humans in creating new and unique content.
Every AI after it’s been in use is different than any other persons AI because it learns intrinsic details about its owner and does what the owner directs it to do. My AI is unique and special because it is using my emotions, sentiments, and intelligence as its instruction base. It finishes my thoughts. It doesn’t tell me what to think. In fact my personal AI is priceless for that very reason.
Your AI Kurt would only repeat the really outlandish things you believe.
So try and insult me some other way. You lost again. ha ha ha
Can you fellows imagine an AI powered, perhaps robotic, grudznick with an unlimited charge account and the ability to spawn new threads of grudznick in many different blogging places at once? This could be the future of Common Sense Conservatism.
I can see that, Mr. grudznichts. And I like the way you’re thinking. 😎
Might not be me thinking. Might be grudznAIck.
You won’t be able to tell the difference.
So students are not happy, teachers are not happy, and administrators are not happy. That’s quite a clean sweep for the education system SD has created. Who has put the turd in the punchbowl: Politicians who do not care about the toll their political crusades take on the schools where they are waged.