School Leadership

Learn more about the work of school-level leaders including principals, assistant principals, and other administrators

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The Principal Is In: Advice for Principals
In a biweekly Education Week column, experienced principals and other school leadership experts offer advice for their peers.
California principal and NASSP Advocacy Champion award winner Terri Daniels poses with NASSP President Raquel Martinez and NASSP CEO Ronn Nozo.
Terri Daniels, the principal of Folsom Middle School in California, poses with National Association of Secondary School Principals President Raquel Martinez and NASSP CEO Ronn Nozo. Daniels was named the 2025 NASSP Advocacy Champion of the Year and recognized in Washington, D.C., on April 11.
Courtesy of NASSP
School & District Management Q&A Speaking Up for Students Is Part of This Principal's Job
Terri Daniels, the National Advocacy Champion of the Year, says principals must advocate on behalf of their students.
Olina Banerji, April 18, 2025
6 min read
Illustration collage of the U.S. Capitol steps with numerous silhouetted people walking up the steps. There is a yellow halo around them to show the collective power. In the background behind the U.S. Capitol is the back of a young school girl with her hand raised.
Gina Tomko/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion Lawmakers Don’t Know What Happens in Schools. Principals Can Help
School leaders must fight to take education funding off the political battlefield.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, April 15, 2025
3 min read
The concept of joint teamwork, building a team. Working people connecting pieces of puzzles. Metaphor of cooperation and staff partnership.
Anastasiia Boriagina/iStock
School & District Management Principals Can't Manage Teacher Morale Alone. Enter the Go-Between
Principals can't check in with every teacher. Can a go-between leader help them out?
Olina Banerji, April 14, 2025
6 min read
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School & District Management School Leaders Look Out for Students as Trump Steps Up Immigration Enforcement
Experts say there are steps schools can take to proactively address mental health concerns stemming from ramped-up immigration enforcement.
Ileana Najarro & Caitlynn Peetz, April 10, 2025
6 min read
Photograph of sunglasses and a smartphone with an orange towel on the beach
iStock/Getty
School & District Management Work or Play? How Principals Are Spending Spring Break
Some principals are catching up on TV and traveling, while others are preparing for the last stretch of the school year.
Olina Banerji, April 3, 2025
1 min read
A blue balloon rises above a group of orange balloons. Metaphor for leadership finding themselves alone at the top.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion You Shouldn’t Have to Sacrifice Your Health to Be a Good School Leader
Far too many principals suffer from trying to carry a crushing responsibility alone. I was one of them.
Joshua Ray, April 1, 2025
4 min read
Image of leaders traveling to a door made out of an upward arrow.
Yutthana Gaetgeaw/iStock/Getty
School & District Management What These New Principals Did to Get the Hang of Being in Charge
Three new principals share their tips to tackle the tricky first year on the job.
Olina Banerji, March 31, 2025
7 min read
A teacher teaches the Korean alphabet to kindergarten and first-grade students in a dual-language immersion class.
A teacher teaches the Korean alphabet to kindergarten and first-grade students in a dual-language immersion class.
Allison Shelley for All4Ed
School & District Management How 2 School Leaders Limited Distractions and Carved Out More Time for Learning
They removed extra responsibilities from teachers' days and carved out a dedicated academic intervention time.
Caitlynn Peetz, March 26, 2025
3 min read
Oversized leader holding his oversized ear to better listen to the 4 smaller individuals talking to him.
iStock/Getty Images Plus
School & District Management ‘Slow, Steady, Daily’: The Secrets to Better Principal-Teacher Relationships
Building trust is key. But it isn't always easy.
Olina Banerji, March 24, 2025
4 min read
School & District Management Webinar Fostering Productive Relationships Between Principals and Teachers
Strong principal-teacher relationships = happier teachers & thriving schools. Join our webinar for practical strategies.
March 20, 2025
Elementary, middle, high school principals from Missouri met senior staffers at R-Rep. Eric Schmitt's office on March 12, 2025.
Principals from Missouri met senior staffers at Republican Rep. Eric Schmitt's office on March 12, 2025. School leaders say advocacy is an important part of their job.
Courtesy of Jenny Hayes
School & District Management How Principals Are Shaping Education Policy Through Advocacy
Principals share advice for advocating to state and federal lawmakers on behalf of schools.
Olina Banerji, March 19, 2025
6 min read
A man in a suit exudes confidence and authority.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion I Wear a Suit to School Every Day. Here's Why
You can suit up, dress down, or mix it up—but remember that what you wear sends a powerful message.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, March 18, 2025
2 min read
031425 Principal Hill Visit 4 BS
Monique Vaz, a legislative aide for Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., meets with Massachusetts principals Stephen Wiltshire, Andrew Rebello, Chris LaBreck, and Mike Rubin (from left to right) on March 12, 2025. Principals across the country were at the U.S. Capitol to ask their representatives to protect school funding.
Courtesy of Mike Rubin
School & District Management Principals Make Nervous Appeals on Capitol Hill: Protect Our Funding
On Capitol Hill, school leaders advocated to sustain federal funding that helps the most vulnerable students in their schools.
Olina Banerji, March 14, 2025
7 min read
Conceptual illustration of classroom conversations and fragmented education elements coming together to form a cohesive picture of a book of classroom knowledge.
Sonia Pulido for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion Education Leaders Share Their Ideas for Handling Political Uncertainty
If you lead long enough, chaos will find you. Here's how to manage it.
Larry Ferlazzo, March 13, 2025
8 min read