Pathways to the Principalship in the Charter and Traditional Public School Contexts: Evidence from Texas and Michigan

Abstract

Effective school principals have large impacts on students, teachers, and school communities. As a result, identifying and attracting potential principals, developing their leadership skills, and retaining them in the principalship are crucial for school improvement. This study examines the career trajectories of charter principals to better understand how the pathway to the charter principalship compares to the principal pathway in the traditional public school (TPS) sector. Evidence suggests that TPS principals’ prior career and personal experiences shape their preparation for and effectiveness as principals. Understanding how and to what extent professional experiences along the pathway to the principalship influence charter school principals provides key insights into the development and retention of high-quality leaders. While much is known about the career pathways of TPS leaders, there is limited empirical research about charter leaders’ past career decisions, pathways, and preparation. It is unclear if there is a consistent leadership pathway to the principalship in the charter context and (if so) the extent to which the pathway to the principalship functions differently in charter and TPS settings. Using statewide administrative data from Texas and Michigan, I examine the past professional experiences of charter school principals, the extent to which these experiences compare to those of TPS principals, and the factors that inhibit and predict movement into the charter and TPS principalship. My results suggest that—similar to the TPS sector—the pathway to the charter principalship often involves time as an assistant principal. However, charter principals are less likely to have AP experience than TPS principals. Charter principals also frequently have experience in the TPS sector, which has implications for school leadership practice and for educator labor markets more broadly. Finally, charter principals ascend to the principalship more quickly than TPS principals, and men are more likely than women to move into the charter principalship. This study has implications for identifying, supporting, and developing future leaders in both charter and TPS contexts.