Principals

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

Interactive

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.
President Ronald Reagan addresses the National Association of Secondary School Principals convention in front of an old fashion red school house, background, Feb. 7, 1984 in Las Vegas, Nev. Standing behind Reagan are NASSP officials.
President Ronald Reagan addresses the National Association of Secondary School Principals convention in front of an old fashion red school house, background, Feb. 7, 1984 in Las Vegas, Nev. Standing behind Reagan are NASSP officials.
Doug Pizac/AP
School & District Management Q&A Meet the National Principals Association: Why the 110-Year-Old Org. Rebranded
Elementary school leaders will add new priorities for the national organization.
Olina Banerji, March 17, 2026
6 min read
Successful male and female in leadership achieve target. Embracing success confidence holding winner flag on top of mountain peak.
Education Week + iStock/Getty
School & District Management How Top Principals Are Improving Schools Across the Country
Principals must empower student and teacher voices.
Olina Banerji, March 13, 2026
7 min read
Image of a group of students meeting with their teacher. One student is giving the teacher a high-five.
Laura Baker/Education Week via Canva
School Climate & Safety What 3 Top Principals Do So Students Feel Like They Belong at School
Principals use belonging, mentorship, and creative incentives to boost attendance.
Olina Banerji, March 10, 2026
5 min read
Screen Shot 2026 03 08 at 9.29.05 AM
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.
Michael Nelson & Peter DeWitt, March 8, 2026
4 min read
Damon Lewis.
"We're going to get to the standards ... but we have to make sure that our kids feel safe enough to come into our building," said Damon Lewis, the principal for Ponus Ridge STEAM Academy in Norwalk, Conn., and the National Middle Level Principal of the Year in 2025.
Allyssa Hynes/NASSP/NASSP via reporter
School Climate & Safety Q&A This Principal Puts Relationships Ahead of Content. Here’s How
A school leader discusses how he and his staff create a safe and supportive learning environment.
Lauraine Langreo, March 6, 2026
5 min read
Image with icons for "i" information, email, eye for "watch", and locks.
Collage via Canva
Privacy & Security How School Leaders Can Combat Rising Cyber Threats
Continuous training and student engagement can be key in protecting schools.
Olina Banerji, March 5, 2026
4 min read
A school leader changes their perspective and focuses on the positive parts of their career.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion The One Word That Educators Can Use to Reclaim Their Joy
The work may not change, but your perspective can.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, February 24, 2026
3 min read
Valley View Elementary School principal Jason Kuhlman delivers food donations to families from the school Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minn.
Valley View Elementary School Principal Jason Kuhlman delivers food donations to school families on Feb. 3, 2026, in Columbia Heights, Minn. School leaders in the Twin Cities have been trying to assuage the fears of over immigration enforcement.
Liam James Doyle/AP
School & District Management What School Leaders Should Do When Parents Are Detained (DOWNLOADABLE)
School leaders are increasingly in need of guidance due to heightened immigration enforcement.
Ileana Najarro, February 17, 2026
1 min read
In this image provided by NAESP, elementary school principals gathered on Capitol Hill recently to meet with their state's congressional delegations in Washington
Elementary school principals gathered on Capitol Hill on Feb. 11, 2026,<ins data-user-label="Madeline Will" data-time="02/12/2026 11:53:27 AM" data-user-id="00000175-2522-d295-a175-a7366b840000" data-target-id=""> </ins>to meet with their state's congressional delegations in Washington. They advocated for lawmakers to protect federal K-12 investments.
John Simms/NAESP
School & District Management On Capitol Hill, Relieved Principals Press for Even More Federal Support
With the fiscal 2026 budget maintaining level K-12 funding, principals look to the future.
Olina Banerji, February 12, 2026
7 min read
Photo of group meeting with questions and answers session
iStock
Professional Development Principals Need PD, Too. Here’s What They List as Top Priorities
Teacher retention and improving academic performance often top the list.
Olina Banerji, February 5, 2026
5 min read
Businesswoman and businessman HR manager interviewing woman. Candidate female sitting her back to camera, focus on her, close up rear view, interviewers on background. Human resources, hiring concept
iStock/Getty
Recruitment & Retention Principals Can Make or Break Schools. How Districts Find the Right Fit
Gauging job candidates' readiness for the challenges of running a school is not easy.
Olina Banerji, January 30, 2026
5 min read
High school students protest during a walkout in opposition to President Donald Trump's policies Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026, in Los Angeles. A survey published in December shows how the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda is upending educators’ ability to create stable learning environments as escalated enforcement depresses attendance and hurts academic achievement.
High school students protest during a walkout in opposition to President Donald Trump's immigration policies on Jan. 20, 2026, in Los Angeles. A survey published in December shows how the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement agenda is challenging educators’ ability to create stable learning environments.
Jill Connelly/AP
School & District Management Heightened Immigration Enforcement Is Weighing on Most Principals
A new survey of high school principals highlights how immigration enforcement is affecting schools.
Ileana Najarro, January 29, 2026
5 min read
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