The concluding year of a lengthy career in school administration carries its share of emotional highs and lows. For those leaving the superintendency, it's also an opportunity to reflect on professional accomplishments, the chance to recount one's tangible impact on the lives of hundreds of fellow educators and thousands of school-age children…

After 38 years as a teacher and school administrator, including 24 years as the superintendent in Minnetonka, Minnesota, Donald Draayer, the author of this article, has discovered that retirement is not one transition, but many, affecting all aspects of life. He is finding that retirement is like virgin soil. The ground must be cleared, plowed and…

A retired superintendent decided to become an educational consultant. A thorough self-assessment convinced him that speaking in front of groups and running training sessions constituted a perfect occupation. After attending a National Speakers Association meeting, he learned entrepreneurial and self-marketing skills that have paid off handsomely.…

A "retired" school leader who has held five interim superintendencies explains why his unanticipated second career has been professionally and financially rewarding. Interims should maintain a daily log, greet staff and students, share what they know, set an example, be enthusiastic, support the incoming superintendent, and have fun. (MLH)

Retirement can be a time of pleasant anticipation--sleeping beyond sunrise, trying out new hobbies, reconnecting with family and taking long-planned trips. But superintendents face unique challenges as they move from frenzied morning-to-evening work schedules to relatively empty days. Many find the decision to retire bound up with the anxiety of…

Identifies common assumptions and fallacies that greatly increase superintendents' risk of job failure. Knowing how to enlist others to assist with a career crisis and designing a "golden parachute" retirement plan can make all the difference to a superintendent planning a career move. (MLH)

To ensure the quality of school leadership in the future requires the following: (1) improving financial incentives; (2) strengthening administrator training programs; and (3) raising certification requirements. (MLF)