Shaping Strong School Leaders
January 21, 2015
The principal's job is often called the loneliest in K-12 education, but it's just as fitting to call it the toughest. Hours are long. Demands come from all directions. And no one else in a school has the same responsibilities. Who would want the job? And who is cut out to do it successfully, year in and year out?
This Education Week special report examines how educators and policymakers are tackling critical issues facing principals already on the job and helping districts build a bench of strong school leaders.
School & District Management Maryland Grooms Assistant Principals to Take Schools' Top JobsState leaders work to upgrade the principal ranks through training and coaching of talented administrators looking to move up.School & District Management Report Summary: Do Principals Have an Impossible Job?In this special report, we examine how educators and policymakers are cultivating principals who can be the kind of political, managerial, and instructional leaders the profession now demands.School & District Management For Principals, Continuous Learning Critical to Career SuccessThe need for more high-quality professional development for school leaders is gaining traction in local districts and with state and federal policymakers.
School & District Management Districts Redefine Role of Principal SupervisorsSchool districts are working to retool the responsibilities of principal supervisors, who have traditionally been charged with making sure principals—and the schools they run—comply with rules and regulations.School & District Management School Districts Turn to Teachers to LeadAs demands of the job grow, principals are tapping into the talents of the teacher corps to serve in meaningful leadership roles that support management and improve instruction.
School & District Management KIPP Principal Training Rooted in 'Real-World' PracticeThe nation's largest charter network annually prepares principal candidates with intensive training and support.School & District Management Building a Principal From Start to FinishThe Denver public school system has made developing its own school leaders a priority for more than a decade. The district has more recently intensified its efforts to expand—and strengthen—its principal pipeline by focusing on how it trains, selects, and supports school leaders.Education Photos: A Day in the Life of a PrincipalIn this special photo project, we asked principals who use Twitter and Instagram to share images that capture their daily lives as school leaders.
Coverage of leadership, expanded learning time, and arts learning is supported in part by a grant from The Wallace Foundation, at www.wallacefoundation.org. Education Week retains sole editorial control over the content of this coverage.