Athens Journal of Education - Volume 5 - Issue 4 - Challenges of Principal Succession - Examining the Challenges of Hiring Internal vs. External Candidates

Oct 15, 2026

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School districts facing shortages of qualified principal candidates increasingly use internal succession planning alongside strategic external hires. Based on a multi-year study of five Central Florida districts, this paper analyzes benefits and tensions for administrators selecting internal versus external candidates for school leadership roles. It reviews related literature, applies Systems Theory and Person-Environment Fit Theory, and presents findings from twenty-one interviews in two actively planning districts, identifying key integration and culture challenges while outlining opportunities for districts and universities preparing leaders.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages21

Reading Time53 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Overview of Study

Athens Journal of Education-Volume 5, Issue 4 – Pages 375-396 Challenges of Principal Succession – Examining the Challenges of Hiring Internal vs. External Candidates By Lou L. Sabina 􀀍 Chris Colwell† As school districts face shortages of well-qualified and willing candidates to assume the role of school principal, the development of internal succession planning programs, along with the strategic use of external hires for school leadership positions is becoming more common. Based on a multi-year study of five (5) Central Florida school districts, this paper examines the benefits and tensions that district level administrator’s face when selecting internal or external candidates for school based administrative positions. We begin with a brief review of the literature regarding internal vs. external hiring. Data from the field is examined thorough the lens of the intersection between the theoretical perspectives of Systems Theory and Person-Environment Fit Theory. Detailed descriptions of findings from the analysis of twenty-one interviews conducted in two of the most active districts involved in formal succession planning work is included along with identified challenges associated with internal vs. external hiring, including resentment from internal candidates when external hires occur, district administration willingness to hire externally, and the challenges associated with recognizing and understanding the culture and climate of a district as an external hire. Opportunities for district leaders are also presented including an examination of the values of new practices that come with external hires, external candidate perspectives on the existing climate and culture of the district or school, and building new networks associated with external hires. Finally, future implications for school districts and universities who prepare school leaders are discussed. Keywords: external candidates, leadership, organizational theory, principalship, succession planning. Introduction School districts across the United States are either currently experiencing or facing a shortage of qualified and willing candidates to assume the role of building principal (Duke, 1988; McAdams, 1998; Papa, Lankford, & Wyckoff, 2002; Pijanowski, Hewitt, & Brady, 2009; Roza, 2003; Russell & Sabina, 2014). Because of this, many school districts have begun to deliberately plan for impending shortages of school-based administrators by beginning in-district programs to recruit and train new leaders to lead their schools. These programs, commonly described as "internal succession planning programs," operate in many forms, with some programs partnering with university preparation programs or 􀀍Visiting Assistant Professor, Stetson University, USA. †Associate Professor & Department Chairperson, Stetson University, USA. [https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.5-4-3](https://doi.org/10.30958/aje.5-4-3) doi=10.30958/aje.5-4-3 Vol. 5, No. 4 Sabina et al.: Challenges of Principal Succession … some handling their preparation internally (Augustine, Gonzalez, Ikemoto, Russell, & Zellman, 2009) . However, what happens when external school-based administrative candidates wish to become administrators in a district that is participating in internal succession planning? Will they face challenges competing for positions that others have been groomed for? Once hired, will they be either treated differently or unable to fit within the culture of their new school district? Or even more striking, will the district suffer because of failure to integrate out-of-district ideas in their preparation of school leaders? Some (Russell & Sabina, 2014) have identified this challenge as a major barrier to leadership preparation, which may end up being an "unintended consequence" of a dedicated effort to internally prepare leaders to assume in-district administrative positions. This paper examines this tension through the presentation of qualitative data gathered from a multi-

FAQs

Why are school districts using internal succession planning and external hires for principal roles?

Districts face shortages of qualified and willing principal candidates, so they develop internal succession planning programs while also using external hires to fill leadership needs.

What frameworks guide the analysis of internal versus external hiring in this paper?

The study examines tensions and benefits through the intersection of Systems Theory and Person-Environment Fit Theory.

What challenges does the paper identify when external candidates are hired into districts with internal succession planning?

Challenges include resentment from internal candidates when external hires occur, district willingness to hire externally, and difficulties for external hires in understanding and integrating into the district’s culture and climate.

Oct 15, 2026

Upload by Mimi