Principals

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

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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.
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.
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A high school principal gives a high-five to an incoming junior at the school, as upper-level students return on their first day of school in Brattleboro, Vt., on Aug. 28, 2025.
A high school principal gives a high-five to an incoming junior at the school, as upper-level students return on their first day of school in Brattleboro, Vt., on Aug. 28, 2025. Principals need access to frequent and relevant professional development opportunities to tackle the rising complexities of the job.
Kristopher Radder/The Brattleboro Reformer via AP
Professional Development Practical and Paced: How Principals Like Their PD Served Up
Principal PD must reflect the demands and constraints of the job.
Olina Banerji, May 22, 2026
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5 min read
Edenton, N.C. - September 5th, 2025: Sonya Rinehart, principal at John A. Holmes High School, coordinates with other faculty members on a walkie talkie during in the hallway during class change.
A principal at a high school in Edenton, N.C., coordinates with other faculty members on a walkie talkie during in the hallway during class change on Sept. 5, 2025. School leaders in the state say they are happy with their districts but need more support and learning opportunities.
Cornell Watson for Education Week
School & District Management A New Survey Shows What a State Gets Right and Wrong for Its School Leaders
The group behind it hopes statewide results help district leaders do their jobs better.
Olina Banerji, May 20, 2026
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5 min read
A leader isolated on a floating dock in the center of an empty expanse.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Canva
School & District Management Opinion School Leadership Can Feel Painfully Lonely. It Doesn’t Have To
Here are three ways I’ve learned to stave off the isolation of being a principal.
Nicole Forrest, May 19, 2026
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4 min read
People Crossing the Book Bridge in the Cliff Valley
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty
School & District Management Opinion Our Schools Are Breaking Educators. We Can Fix It
Making the teaching profession more sustainable starts with a new school leadership architecture.
Lindsay Whorton, May 18, 2026
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5 min read
4 Principals need PD too DEF
Edmon de Haro for Education Week
Professional Development Lessons Learned About Effective Professional Development for Principals
The best professional development for principals has a lot in common with the best PD for teachers.
Olina Banerji, May 18, 2026
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7 min read
From left: Heather Johnson, Terri Daniels, and Tom Brenner.
From left: Heather Johnson, Terri Daniels, and Tom Brenner.
Gina Tomko/NASSP
School & District Management Q&A Three Retiring Principals on What’s Changed in Schools
These principals reflect on the rising challenges reshaping school leadership.
Olina Banerji, May 15, 2026
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4 min read
Figures are swept up to a large magnet outside of a school. Teacher retention.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Canva
School & District Management Opinion If We Want Teachers to Stay, Principals Must Lead Differently
Here are three ways school leaders can make teaching feel more sustainable.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, May 5, 2026
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4 min read
Rod Sheppard, former principal of Florence Learning Center in Florence, Ala., Angie Charboneau-Folch, principal of the Integrated Arts Academy in Chaska, Minn., and Chase Christensen, the principal of Arvada-Clearmont school in Wyoming, share strategies on how to advocate for public schools at the National Education Leadership Awards gathering in Washington, D.C. on April 17, 2026.
Rod Sheppard, former principal of Florence Learning Center in Florence, Ala., Angie Charboneau-Folch, principal of the Integrated Arts Academy in Chaska, Minn., and Chase Christensen, the principal of Arvada-Clearmont school in Wyoming, were interviewed by Chris Tao, a National Student Council member, on stratgies to advocate for public schools at the National Education Leadership Awards gathering in Washington on April 17, 2026.
Allyssa Hynes/National Association of Secondary School Principals
School & District Management How Top Principals Advocate for Their Students and Schools
Principal-advocates coach and encourage others in schools to speak up
Olina Banerji, May 4, 2026
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5 min read
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Sonia Ruiz, the 2026 Middle School Principal of the Year.
Sonia Ruiz, the 2026 Middle School Principal of the Year, celebrates with colleagues on Apr. 17, 2026, in Washington.
NASSP
School & District Management ‘We’ve Got to Do It With Love’: How This Principal of the Year Fosters Belonging
Sonia Ruiz has been named the 2026 Middle School Principal of the Year.
Olina Banerji, April 24, 2026
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4 min read
High school principal of the year Jason Johnson.
Jason Johnson receives the 2026 National High School Principal of the Year Award at a National Association of Secondary School Principals event April 17, 2026, in Washington.
NASSP
School & District Management Q&A 'We’re Going Grassroots': How a Principal of the Year Is Boosting AP Enrollment
Jason Johnson, the high school principal of the year, wants every student to succeed.
Olina Banerji, April 22, 2026
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5 min read
Teachers and school leaders meeting to inspire confidence. accountability doesn't have to mean fear
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Getty
School & District Management Opinion A Heartbreaking Meeting With a Teacher Changed How I See Accountability
Too often, principals confuse accountability with fear.
Katy Myers Allis, April 21, 2026
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4 min read
Democratic Senator Raumesh Akbari hugs a young demonstrator as people gather to protest an immigration bill outside the Senate chamber at the state Capitol Thursday, in Nashville, Tenn. The bill would allow public school systems in Tennessee to require K-12 students without legal status in the country to pay tuition or face denial of enrollment, which is a challenge to the federal law requiring all children be provided a free public education regardless of legal immigration status.
Democratic state Sen. Raumesh Akbari hugs a young demonstrator as people protest an immigration bill outside the Senate chamber at the state Capitol on April 10, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. The legislation is part of a broader push in Tennessee to require schools to collect students’ immigration status, raising concerns among educators about trust, access, and compliance with federal law.
John Amis/AP
States 'Not Our Job': Principals Decry a Proposal to Track Student Immigration Status
A principals group has publicly opposed efforts to require schools to track immigration status.
Ileana Najarro, April 17, 2026
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5 min read
Student feedback. Teens holding empty colorful speech bubbles.
Getty via Canva
School & District Management How 4 Principals Use Student Voice to Improve School Culture
Principals share how to ensure students are true partners in shaping their schools.
Lauraine Langreo, April 14, 2026
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5 min read