21CSLA (21st Century California School Leadership Academy)

The high rates of principal turnover coupled with the increasing levels of isolation and burnout in the profession exemplify the urgent need for cultivating self-care as an essential practice for equity-focused educational leaders. The national attrition rate for school principals reached a staggering 11% between the 2020–2021 and 2021–2022 school years, and despite a slight stabilization, the 8% turnover rate in the 2023–2024 school year remains significantly higher than pre-pandemic benchmarks. This instability is most acute in high-poverty and rural schools, where the loss of experienced leaders further marginalizes vulnerable student populations. The high turnover rate coincides with continuously increasing demands on school leaders, including expectations that they address needs not otherwise met in the school system, and the superhero principal narrative persists. Additionally, recent upheavals including the COVID-19 pandemic, immigration enforcement, a youth mental health crisis, and attacks on public education continue to have a significant impact on leaders. For example, about 72% of principals nationally identified burnout as a moderate or major job concern during the pandemic. Principals reported more than double the stress levels of other working adults (85% vs. 35%) and significantly higher rates of depressive symptoms and burnout.