Principals

Education news, analysis, and opinion that focuses on principals and their roles in K-12 schools

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Left, Principal Michael C. Brown talks on a radio at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Md., on May 17, 2022. Right, Boone Elementary School principal Manuela Haberer directs students and parents in the pick-up line at the conclusion of the school day on May 19, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas.
Hour by Busy Hour: What a Principal's Day Actually Looks Like
From the time they wake up until they set the alarm at night, school leaders juggle the routine, the unexpected, and the downright bizarre.
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School & District Management A Big Gap in K-12 Leadership Prep: Teaching School Finance Skills
More than half of prep programs in a recent review did not prepare principals to master basic financial tasks.
Denisa R. Superville, July 12, 2022
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4 min read
Amber Estis, principal of The Shepard School of Ohio, poses for a portrait at her school in Columbus, Ohio on July 11, 2022. Estis, who has her concealed carry permit and believes in the right to have weapons, is opposed to educators carrying firearms in school settings.
Amber Estis is the principal of The Shepard School by Eagle Community Schools in Columbus, Ohio. Estis, who has a permit to carry a concealed weapon after receiving hours of training, is opposed to educators carrying firearms in schools.
Andrew Spear for Education Week
School Climate & Safety In Their Own Words Why This Principal Won't Carry a Gun in School, Even Though She Could
She's got a permit to carry a concealed weapon, but opposes arming teachers.
Catherine Gewertz, July 12, 2022
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3 min read
Image of a leader reflecting on past and future.
akindo/DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Why Principals Must Focus on SEL, School Climate Right Now
Principals need support in focusing on SEL, academic development, school climate, and community engagement, a new report argues.
Denisa R. Superville, June 30, 2022
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6 min read
Thu., June 23, 2022, 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. ET
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Principal Michael C. Brown, from left, talks to seniors Brady D’Anthony, 18, and Sydney Dryden, 17, at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Md., Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Principal Michael C. Brown, from left, talks to seniors Brady D’Anthony, 18, and Sydney Dryden, 17, at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Md., Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Steve Ruark for Education Week
School & District Management Photos What School Leadership Looks Like: A Day in the Life of a Principal
A look at a typical day for one elementary school principal in Texas and a high school principal in Maryland.
Jaclyn Borowski , June 20, 2022
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1 min read
Photo of wood blocks with icons.
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Recruitment & Retention Why Understanding Principal Turnover Is Important for Teacher Retention
A new study on principals in Texas argues that longer principal tenure can have positive effects on teacher retention.
Denisa R. Superville, June 15, 2022
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5 min read
Photo of teacher working at desk.
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Teaching Profession Stress, Burnout, Depression: Teachers and Principals Are Not Doing Well, New Data Confirm
They still love parts of their jobs—but feel anxiety and stress more than other working adults, a new study finds.
Madeline Will, June 15, 2022
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6 min read
Illustration of resume with large check mark.
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School & District Management What Happens When Districts, States, and Universities Collaborate on Principal-Prep?
A new report says broad partnerships can improve the learning experience for school leaders.
Denisa R. Superville, June 11, 2022
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6 min read
Illustration of a gun with a school and school bus resting on the barrel of the gun. Background full of speech bubbles.
Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week and Getty
School Climate & Safety Opinion Let’s Act to End School Shootings While We Still Can
Don’t give up on student safety when the spotlight fades on Uvalde, plead 17 principals who led their schools during or following shootings.
Principal Recovery Network, June 10, 2022
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2 min read
Principal Vernicka Rolle-Murray leads students to classrooms after breakfast, Tuesday, Aug. 10, 2021, during the first day of school at Washington Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla.
Principal Vernicka Rolle-Murray leads students to classrooms after breakfast on the first day of classes at Washington Elementary School in Riviera Beach, Fla., in 2021.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
Professional Development Principal Prep and PD: What Works and What's Being Left Out
Decades of research has clarified what effective principals need to know and where training programs succeed or lag.
Denisa R. Superville, June 7, 2022
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6 min read
An elementary school principal sits in a circle of chairs with two students. She holds a clipboard as she waves a finger at a student.
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School & District Management For Principals, Prep and PD Fall Short, New Report Finds
Training programs for principals are slowly, but unevenly, adapting to the research on how principals affect students and teachers.
Denisa R. Superville, June 2, 2022
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6 min read
conceptual illustration of flowers growing from gun barrels
Vanessa Solis/Education Week and iStock/Getty images
School Climate & Safety Opinion Responding to School Shootings Has Become Routine. It's Anything But
We can’t allow ourselves to become numb to the horror of increasingly common gun violence, urges one school leader.
Ann V. Klotz, June 1, 2022
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3 min read
Images shows colorful speech bubbles that say "Q," "&," and "A."
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School & District Management Opinion Advice for Principals: Empower Your Teachers
When principals develop partnerships with teachers, it helps them both.
Larry Ferlazzo, May 31, 2022
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9 min read
A woman kneels as she pays her respects in front of crosses with the names of children killed outside of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 26, 2022. Law enforcement authorities faced questions and criticism Thursday over how much time elapsed before they stormed the Texas elementary school classroom and put a stop to the rampage by a gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers.
A woman kneels in front of crosses with the names of children killed in the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. Despite the outrage and anguish over the killings of 19 children and 2 teachers by a gunman armed with an AR-15-style rifle, there's deep skepticism that state or federal lawmakers will enact new restrictions on guns.
Dario Lopez-Mills/AP
School Climate & Safety 'We Beg You. Do Something': Principals Who Lived Through Shootings Plead for Action
"We are members of a club that no one wants to join."
Lesli A. Maxwell, May 27, 2022
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1 min read
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