School & District Management Photos

What School Leadership Looks Like: A Day in the Life of a Principal

By Jaclyn Borowski — June 20, 2022 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

For school principals, no two days are the same. Here is a photographic look at just one day in the life of two campus leaders.

Michael C. Brown, Principal, Winters Mill High School | Westminster, Md.

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, left, talks with athletic director Jen Gosselin at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Md., Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Principal Michael C. Brown talks with a student and her mother at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Md., Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Principal Michael C. Brown, left, speaks with Assistant Principal Maria Martin at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Md., Tuesday, May 17, 2022.
Principal Michael C. Brown, left, chats with art teachers at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Md., on May 17, 2022.
Principal Michael C. Brown, right, watches a U.S History lesson where students are demonstrating line warfare at Winters Mill High School in Westminster, Md., on May 17, 2022.

Manuela Haberer, Principal, Boone Elementary School | San Antonio, Texas

Manuela Haberer, center, principal at Boone Elementary School, talks with Norma Farrell, left, principal of Colonies North Elementary, at the conclusion of the Communities In Schools of San Antonio’s Keeping Kids In School Luncheon at the Westin San Antonio North in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, May 19, 2022. At right is Salma Cuellar, the Communities in Schools site coordinator for Boone Elementary.
Manuela Haberer, principal of Boone Elementary School, visits with kindergartners Amalia Cavazos, 6, and William Dyas, 6, during the Pennies for Literacy event in the school library in San Antonio, Texas on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
Manuela Haberer, principal of Boone Elementary School, takes a selfie with Whataburger’s mascot, Whataguy, during the school’s Pennies for Literacy event in San Antonio, Texas on May 19, 2022.
Manuela Haberer, principal of Boone Elementary School, moves tables back into place after the Pennies for Literacy event at the school on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
Manuela Haberer, principal of Boone Elementary School, changes from high heels into sandals in her office before heading outside to direct parents and students in the pick-up line at the conclusion of the school day on Thursday, May 19, 2022 in San Antonio, Texas.
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.
After directing students and parents in the pick-up line outside in 100 degree heat, principal Manuela Haberer fans herself as she speaks with her secretary, Laura Stiles, outside Boone Elementary School’s main office in San Antonio, Texas, on Thursday, May 19, 2022.
Principal Manuela Haberer works on emails in her office at Boone Elementary School in San Antonio, Texas, at the end of the school day on May 19, 2022. Inspirational words and Wonder Woman stickers adorn her laptop. One of the Wonder Woman stickers includes the words “Love, Truth and Justice” and it was Wonder Woman’s motto that drew her into becoming a fan. “I put love into my work, live my truths, and my passion is working towards social justice each day,” Haberer said.

See Also

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.
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.
From left, Steve Ruark and Lisa Krantz for Education Week

Events

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
Beyond Teacher Tools: Exploring AI for Student Success
Teacher AI tools only show assigned work. See how TrekAi's student-facing approach reveals authentic learning needs and drives real success.
Content provided by TrekAi
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
College & Workforce Readiness Webinar
Building for the Future: Igniting Middle Schoolers’ Interest in Skilled Trades & Future-Ready Skills
Ignite middle schoolers’ interest in skilled trades with hands-on learning and real-world projects that build future-ready skills.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Artificial Intelligence Webinar
AI in Schools: What 1,000 Districts Reveal About Readiness and Risk
Move beyond “ban vs. embrace” with real-world AI data and practical guidance for a balanced, responsible district policy.
Content provided by Securly

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

School & District Management Opinion My Surgeon Gave Me a Lesson in School Leadership
When a personal health issue forced me to get vulnerable with my staff, I learned a lot from my doctor.
Sarah Whaley
3 min read
Allowing for vulnerability while leading a team.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion School Leaders Must Protect Their Own Well-Being. Here Are the 3 Areas to Watch
Principals are under enormous stress. Don’t downplay it.
4 min read
Screen Shot 2026 03 08 at 9.29.05 AM
Canva
School & District Management Q&A How a School District Handled 3 Straight Years of Campus Closures
Amid 11 closures, a superintendent shares her advice for leaders in similar situations.
7 min read
HOUSTON, TEXAS - AUGUST 20: Students walk through the hallway to their next class at Cypresswood Elementary in Aldine ISD in Houston, Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. Aldine ISD is one of the most improved school districts in the Houston area in 2025 TEA A-F ratings, increasing the district's overall score by 10 points in two years.
Elementary students walk to their next class in the Aldine Independent school district near Houston on Aug. 20, 2025. The district has decided to close 11 schools over the past three years due to a sharp enrollment drop.
Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images
School & District Management Epstein and School Photos? How a Social Media Controversy Pulled in K-12 Districts
Districts have had to respond to a social-media fueled controversy about the sex offender and financier.
6 min read
A document that was included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, photographed Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026, shows a photo of Epstein on a inmate report from the Federal Bureau of Prisons .
A document included in the U.S. Department of Justice release of the Jeffrey Epstein files, shown in a Feb. 10, 2026, photograph. A social media-fueled controversy drawing a shaky connection between the sex offender and a major school photo company used by 50,000 schools has led to calls for school districts to reexamine their use of the company.
Jon Elswick/AP