Survival at the top: Factors impacting tenure and reasons for departure of the international school head

The international school market has grown significantly over the past two decades. This has provided tremendous opportunities for school leaders to take on leadership positions around the globe. Existing literature notes short tenure in many cases, suggesting that many international school heads may not have developed the requisite skills to successfully lead an international school. However, significant gaps in the literature exist, most notably current data on tenure and reasons for leaving the position. To address these gaps, this study, through a mixed methods design, examines the current length of tenure of international school heads and issues impacting tenure. A total of 177 international school heads completed a survey and 9 in-depth interviews with heads of school were conducted. Results from both the quantitative and qualitative components indicate that while tenure is now higher than the average of 4.8 years reported in a previous study conducted over a decade ago, heads of school face many of the same issues. The top three reasons noted for head turnover reflected issues related to i) governance, ii) salary and career considerations, and iii) family and personal issues. This study offers recommendations for current and aspiring international heads of international schools in addressing important structural challenges which may impact their ability to remain in post.