Why they leave: A study of Jewish day school administrators who left Jewish education

The purpose of this study was to determine turnover trends of administrators in Florida's Jewish day schools, and to ascertain the reasons Jewish day school administrators leave the field despite the demand for professionals in that field. The study fills a gap in available data and research in this area, and helps shed light on a serious leadership crisis in Jewish education from the perspective of the administrators. A survey of documents and a series of interviews with school officials revealed that 105 administrative positions turned over in Florida's 36 Jewish day schools during the 1994-2004 school years. A third of those who left their positions opted to leave the field of day school administration entirely. Utilizing qualitative methodology, the researcher interviewed 11 of the administrators who left. The study found that day school administrators who leave the field are motivated and growth-oriented individuals who do not actualize their personal challenges in the field. Day school administrators who leave are disillusioned by what they find in the day school system, from the way administrators are treated by the various constituents of the school to the values under which the day school system operates. The study also found that there are no clear predictors of which administrators will leave the field; however, circumstances that lead to departure are similar.