Rebounding from Burnout

Abstract

Life as a school principal is intense. Burnout and high turnover are realities for many principals. Student deaths, school shootings, and other emotionally heavy scenarios can be challenging for administrators to navigate. Throughout this article David Luongo shares his personal encounters with burnout. Principal Luongo makes the claim that the educational system is lacking structures to support principals with the weight of the job, particularly in underserved communities of color. He argues that school districts need to design systems of support for administrators to work through the emotional stress and impacts of trauma that the school setting creates. Principal Luongo acknowledges the importance of individual resilience, but he argues that resilience in isolation is not enough to ensure the longevity and health of principals.