Principals

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

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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.
A figure looking in the mirror viewing their previous selves. Reflection of school career. School leaders, passage of time.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion What a Conversation About My Marriage Taught Me About Running a School
As principals grow into the role, we must find the courage to ask hard questions about our leadership.
Ian Knox, January 27, 2026
4 min read
Photo of school officials having conversation.
iStock
School & District Management How Principals Are Coaching the Next Generation of School Leaders
Mentors give aspiring school leaders an unvarnished view of the principalship.
Olina Banerji, January 21, 2026
6 min read
Principal and apprentice having a conversation in school courtyard.
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School & District Management How These 3 States Are Building a Principal Pipeline
Principal apprenticeship programs aim to remove barriers to school leadership.
Olina Banerji, January 14, 2026
5 min read
Modern collage of a school leader contemplating an AI toolbox
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion Four Ways I Use AI as a Principal (and One Way I Never Will)
AI can’t replace the human side of school leadership, but it can give us more time in the day.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, January 13, 2026
4 min read
Collaged image of school principal resolutions for the new year
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion 14 New Year’s Resolutions to Inspire School Leaders
For inspiration on how to make the most of your second reset of the school year, we checked in with contributors to The Principal Is In column.
Mary Hendrie, December 31, 2025
1 min read
Illustration of a male figure juggling plates above him.
DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management Principal by Day, DJ by Night: What School Leaders Learn From Their Side Hustles
Paid or unpaid, side hustles can teach principals new skills that help them run schools.
Olina Banerji, December 31, 2025
5 min read
Photo of principals concentrating during training class.
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School & District Management These Are the New Skills Principals Want to Learn
Hint: It's not all about AI.
Olina Banerji, December 29, 2025
3 min read
A teacher sitting with a group of students with clearly marked boundaries around each of them.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion When Teachers Get in Trouble, It’s Rarely Bad Intentions. It’s Bad Boundaries
Here are 3 strategies principals can offer teachers to guide—not restrict—their care for students.
Brooklyn Raney, December 16, 2025
4 min read
Edenton, N.C. - September 5th, 2025: Sonya Rinehart, principal at John A. Holmes High School, stopped to briefly speak with former student (graduated) Jataziun Welch that is working with a local business downtown Edenton.
Sonya Rinehart, the principal of John A. Holmes High School in Edenton, N.C., stopped to briefly speak with former student Jataziun Welch, who is working with a local business in downtown Edenton on Sept. 5, 2025. School leaders have been viewed as community leaders, too. Here are five ways they can embrace the role.
Cornell Watson for Education Week
Families & the Community Five Ways Principals Can Act Like Community Ambassadors
Here are tips for how principals can best support their community.
Jennifer Vilcarino, November 26, 2025
3 min read
Illustration of a large hand in a business suit pulling a large blue ribbons away from a tiny silhouetted woman who is trying to prevent it from being taken away from her.
Collage by Gina Tomko/Education Week + Getty
School & District Management Q&A A Blue Ribbon Schools Winner Reflects on the National Program's End
The Trump administration abruptly canceled the program this summer.
Olina Banerji, November 21, 2025
5 min read
Yellow post it note paper with thank you message on blue background
iStock/Getty
School & District Management A Principal Publicly Thanked Each Staff Member. Here’s What Happened
Each November, this principal personally thanks every employee, from teachers to cafeteria workers.
Elizabeth Heubeck, November 20, 2025
4 min read
Collaged illustration of the 3 pillars of reviving school culture. 1. Build bridges with parents, not barriers. 2. Lead teachers with trust and renewal. 3. Inspire student voice, agency, and ownership.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion I Was a Turnaround Principal. Here’s How You Change School Culture
There are three questions that school leaders should ask themselves every day.
Demetria L. Haddock, November 11, 2025
5 min read
A principal looks through a telescope as he plans for the future school year based on test scores.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
Assessment Opinion Principals Often Misuse Student Achievement Data. Here’s How to Get It Right
Eight recommendations for digging into standardized-test data responsibly.
David E. DeMatthews & Lebon "Trey" D. James III, October 28, 2025
4 min read
Student Audreanna Johnson views her cell phone near a cell phone locker at Ronald McNair Sr. High School on Aug. 7, 2025, in Atlanta.
Student Audreanna Johnson views her phone near a cellphone locker at Ronald McNair Sr. High School in Atlanta on Aug. 7, 2025. Principals say cellphone bans are improving student behavior, according to a RAND study.
Mike Stewart/AP
Ed-Tech Policy Why Most Principals Say Cellphone Bans Improve School Climate
Nearly 3 in 4 principals believe banning cellphones has big upsides.
Alyson Klein, October 27, 2025
2 min read