School & District Management

What Teachers Think Makes a Principal Great

By Caitlyn Meisner & Hayley Hardison — July 26, 2023 2 min read
Image of teamwork with strong, collaborative leadership.
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Principals are a central figure in any school. Their job is to set the direction for the school, create a safe and healthy environment for students, and lead the teaching staff. But what makes a good principal a great one?

That timeless question was resurfaced on Education Week’s social media last week. After a 2009 Education Week Opinion piece on the topic was brought out from the archives, dozens of teachers flew to the comment section to share their thoughts on the qualities of a great principal.

Many of the teachers who weighed in commented on working with understanding and communicative principals and shared personal anecdotes of their experiences. Here’s a roundup of their thoughts.

Collaboration is key

Some educators pointed to a principal’s ability to foster a collaborative environment between school leadership and staff as one top-notch quality.

“The best principal I had was collaborative, not directive. Also, they created an environment of trust and teamwork. We need to get away from calling your workplace a family. We are a team that works together, helps each other, and supports each other.”

Denise C.

“A good principal is [one] you work with, not for. One is a leader who you follow willingly; the other is just a boss.”

Ernie B.

“Best principal I ever had said, ‘I’m here to make your job easier.’”

Suzanne L.

It’s important to value teachers and other staff

Educators also emphasized the importance of principals valuing teachers as professionals and trusting them to perform the responsibilities for which they were hired.

“A good principal listens to teachers, is kind, doesn’t stigmatize, and is professional.”

Mary D.

“A good principal hires well and then trusts who they hire to be professionals.”

Susan J.

“A good principal trusts the professionals he/she has hired to do their job. They do not micromanage or have control issues. Why hire the best and then tie their hands once they’re on the job?”

DeLa N.

Good principals are also good teachers

A principal’s proximity to the classroom can help sharpen their leadership skills, say some educators. Check out how teaching principals can foster trusting relationships with their teachers—and read why there’s a growing movement of teachers who feel that all principals and administrators should teach in some capacity.

“A good principal misses being a teacher.”

Jason M.

“It’s actually pretty simple. The BEST principals are the ones you can tell were super classroom teachers that you would want teaching your own kids.”

Maureen M.

“A great principal never forgets what it was like in the classroom.”

Heather M.

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
Assessment Webinar
Rethinking STEM Assessment: Strategies for Administrators
School and district leaders will explore strategies to enhance STEM assessment practices across their district, within schools and classrooms.
Content provided by Project Lead The Way
Federal Webinar Keeping Up with the Trump Administration's Latest K-12 Moves: Subscriber-Exclusive Quick Hit
EdWeek subscribers, join this 30-minute webinar to find out what the latest federal policy changes mean for K-12 education.
Artificial Intelligence Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table: Math & Technology: Finding the Recipe for Student Success
How should we balance AI & math instruction? Join our discussion on preparing future-ready students.

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 For Principals, Emotional Intelligence Is More Than Just Being ‘Nice’
Emotions are contagious. When leaders struggle, the school environment does, too.
Marc Brackett, James Floman & Robin Stern
5 min read
Juggling emotions control concept, businessman juggling emotions icons and mood control, mindfulness and psychology, techniques and techniques for managing anger
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Opinion How Can Principals Grow the Next Generation of Teachers? Listen to My Student
Here’s what made this high schooler want to become a public school teacher.
S. Kambar Khoshaba & Mina Etemadi
4 min read
Conceptual image of growing the next generation of teachers from students.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management How Los Angeles Schools Are Responding to the ICE Raids and Protests
The school year in Los Angeles is ending amid immigration raids, protests, and the activation of National Guard troops and Marines.
4 min read
Los Angeles police officers with batons and riot gear attempt to move back protesters in downtown Los Angeles on June 9, 2025.
Los Angeles police officers with batons and riot gear attempt to move back protesters in downtown Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Alberto Carvalho said the district's police force planned to set up "perimeters of safety" around graduation ceremonies this week amid immigration raids in the city, protests, and the activation of National Guard troops and Marines.
Eric Thayer/AP
School & District Management Download How to Boost Teacher Morale: A Guide for District Leaders (DOWNLOADABLE)
Our discussion guide for district leaders has three takeaways about teachers' attitudes toward their job. Use it to jump start PD with your team.
1 min read
A leader meets with their team. Superintendents, principals, schools leaders, district maps.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva