PROVIDENCE — Michael Sollitto, the principal of Mount Pleasant High School, said he is taking a similar job in Scituate because of the constant turnover at the top in the Providence schools.

Sollitto, who was appointed principal of the 1,500-student school a year ago, is considered one of the district’s most promising new leaders, so much so that both Mayor David N. Cicilline and incoming Supt. Thomas Brady called and asked him to reconsider his decision to resign.

But Sollitto, who is leaving Providence after 14 years to become principal of Scituate High School, said their kind words weren’t enough to persuade him to change his mind.

“The number-one reason I left is that it’s not very stable here,” Sollitto said in an interview yesterday. “There have been six superintendents here in the last 14 years. And there has been a high turnover of staff.”

Sollitto said it’s difficult for school principals to set a course when the district’s mission keeps shifting with each new superintendent. Under former Supt. Melody Johnson, for example, teachers taught English using a lot of original texts. Under outgoing Supt. Donnie Evans, teachers who work with struggling readers have been asked to rely on a specific curriculum that spells out exactly what should be taught and when.

“I’m not leaving because I’m bitter,” Sollitto said. “I was happy at Mount Pleasant. I loved the faculty, the staff and the kids. But this kind of opportunity doesn’t come up very often.”

Sollitto is part of a larger exodus of administrative talent from Providence. This summer, five administrators are resigning or retiring: Sollitto; Nicolau Amaral, an assistant principal at Central High School; Lucille Furia, principal of William D’Abate Elementary School; and Cheryl Gomes, principal of Classical High School. In addition, Brian Baldizar is stepping down as principal of E{+3} Academy, one of the city’s new smaller high schools.

Last summer, two principals and three assistant principals, including the principal of Mount Pleasant, Maureen Crisafulli, and an assistant principal of Mount Pleasant, Michelle Natalizia, resigned or retired.

But Providence school spokeswoman Christina O’Reilly said that these numbers aren’t unusual given the size of the district, which has 36 schools and 2,600 teachers. Of the 78 administrators who work in school buildings, only 5 percent left last year and 6 percent left this year, O’Reilly said.

“Of course, we are sad to see any [highly qualified] administrator leave,” she said, “but these numbers are part of the natural course of organizational turnover. This is not something that will disrupt the continuing delivery of education in Providence.”

Steve Smith, president of the Providence Teachers Union, disagrees. Since 2000-2001, only three administrators still occupy their original positions, he said.

“There have been an unprecedented number of administrators retiring or leaving for other districts,” Smith said. “The district has to rethink leadership structure in the schools. It has to create leadership positions for teachers. If you feel you’re not going to be promoted, you will take your skills elsewhere. The district has to get better about how it treats its employees. People don’t feel valued.”

Actually, the district does have a path of promoting teacher-leaders, the Aspiring Principals Program, which pairs teachers with experienced principals in addition to the requirement that they take specific courses.

Nationally, two trends are converging to produce a high turnover of school administrators: the baby boomers are retiring in force and the federal No Child Left Behind law is putting more pressure on novice principals, who no longer have the luxury of growing into their jobs.

“Not only are we seeing more retirements, we’re seeing a lot of movement, only some of which is voluntary,” said John Nori, director of program development for the National Association of Secondary Principals. “And the urban schools seem to be impacted to a greater degree.”

lborg@projo.com