Earning an advanced degree in educational leadership equips graduates with the skills and knowledge to pursue an array of school leadership roles, including school district administrator. The school district administrator plays a critical role in managing schools and the school district. According to ZipRecruiter, the average annual compensation for this job is $86,712, with some administrators earning up to $132,000.
For those who want to be a school district administrator, an online Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership – Professional Track program from Southeastern Oklahoma State University (Southeastern) can further develop your understanding of the education system and learn the inner workings of school finance and administration. Before jumping into this career, you should know the key responsibilities, essential skills and challenges of the school district administrator career.
Responsibilities of School District Administrators
The school district administrator has various responsibilities that impact the school district and its educational populations, such as students, faculty and other school leadership. According to Indeed, common responsibilities include:
- Managing the school or distinct budget
- Overseeing professional development opportunities for staff
- Assisting with recruiting and hiring new staff and faculty members
- Leveraging new technology to maximize resources and student success
- Helping create the safest environment possible for faculty, staff and students
One can easily be overwhelmed by the amount of work that falls onto the school district administrator’s shoulders, but with the proper education and experience, professionals can confidently take on this role and positively impact schools or a school district.
What Are the Essential Skills for School District Administrators?
If you’re interested in becoming a school district administrator, you should take stock of your capabilities and recognize which to strengthen. Since this role involves diverse responsibilities, it requires certain skills. Examples of necessary skills for school district administrators include:
- Interpersonal skills: If you’ve begun your career as a teacher, you may be aware of the need to develop relationships with students, parents and other educators. This essentially helps strengthen your interpersonal skills. As a school district administrator, you’ll collaborate with school boards, supporting staff, faculty and other administrators. This requires even more interpersonal skills.
- Organization skills: Being detail-oriented and organized is a must for school district administrators. Within this role, you’ll manage curricula, coordinate with educators to achieve common goals and be accountable for delivering quality instruction.
- Budgeting skills: Managing the budget for the school district is one of the primary responsibilities of a school district administrator. Budgeting skills are vital to managing funding, handling cuts and allocating resources properly.
- Leadership skills: The ability to motivate teams is crucial for great school district administrators. As leaders, they know their team will face challenges, need to work toward a specific vision and accept inevitable changes. An effective leader helps teams through these situations and helps them learn from experience.
Most importantly, this role requires facing and overcoming challenges such as funding decreases, lack of resources and managing student behavior.
Challenges School District Administrators Face
Dr. Kim Moore’s article sheds light on school administrators’ toughest challenges. According to Moore, a superintendent at Richland School District Two, “It is crucial to address these challenges to create a positive and effective education system that benefits all students.”
These challenges consist of managing limited resources, staying current with education landscape changes, ensuring their school provides equal access to education for all students, managing student behavior and promoting student success.
Earn Your M.Ed. in Educational Leadership Online
Pursuing an advanced degree in educational leadership without interruption to your work or other responsibilities is possible through online graduate programs, such as Southeastern’s M.Ed. in Educational Leadership – Professional Track.
This program prepares students for the school district administrator role through courses such as School and Community Relations or Student and Program Assessment and Evaluation. Furthermore, this master’s degree strengthens your theoretical and practical knowledge and deepens your understanding of education policy and research.
The flexibility of an online curriculum allows you to earn your degree from anywhere and at any time. Students can complete this program, which consists of 30 credit hours, in as few as 12 months.
Learn more about Southeastern Oklahoma State University’s online M.Ed. in Educational Leadership – Professional Track program.