The Principalship: Less May Be More

By J. Casey Hurley

When 11 initiatives aimed at improving school leadership were outlined in these pages at the beginning of 2000, I, like many others, welcomed the news. ( "Policy Focus Converges on Leadership," Jan. 12, 2000.) Among those who would be addressing the issue were state legislatures, governors, business leaders, foundations, universities, professional organizations, school districts, and the Interstate School Leaders' Licensure Consortium. But when I began, a year later, to read the reports coming from the task forces formed to study the issue, my enthusiasm waned.

For example, in the preface to its interim report, "Leadership for Student Learning: Reinventing the Principalship," the School Leadership for the 21st Century Initiative says the following:

Being an effective building manager used to be good enough. ... And principals still need to do all those things But now they must do more .