School Leadership

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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.
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Positive and emotional interaction with a group of students. The struggle is part of the joy.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Canva
School & District Management Opinion Embrace the Struggle: How I Find Joy as an Educator
Many of the most meaningful moments in my career started with a difficult conversation.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, June 16, 2026
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4 min read
Georgia preschool students listen to a teacher read a book Wednesday, April 22, 2026, at The Capitol Hill Child Enrichment Center in Atlanta.
Georgia preschool students listen as a teacher reads a book April 22, 2026, at the Capitol Hill Child Enrichment Center in Atlanta. Many principals now oversee preschool programs but often lack training in early childhood instruction.
Alyssa Pointer/AP
Early Childhood More Principals Now Lead Preschools. But Are They Ready for It?
Strong efforts to train principals in early-childhood education are still scattered and scarce.
Olina Banerji, June 16, 2026
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6 min read
Screenshot 2026 06 08 at 7.13.09 AM
Canva
School & District Management Opinion The 3 Predicable Struggles That Thwart Education Leadership Teams
Even highly capable leadership teams can struggle to translate their strengths into school impact.
Peter DeWitt & Michael Nelson, June 8, 2026
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4 min read
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, January 22, 2026: Students move through the halls at Washburn High School in Minneapolis, MN.
Students move through the halls at a high school in Minneapolis, Minn., on Jan. 22, 2026. Principals play a central role in shaping school environment, from staff support to overall school culture.
Caroline Yang for Education Week
School & District Management Q&A Why Principals Are Key to Solving Schools’ Biggest Problems
Improving school leaders can improve schools. Why aren’t states making the connection?
Olina Banerji, June 3, 2026
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6 min read
Improv group image in a school yard with a background of "yes, and" sticky notes. Flexibility, quick thinking.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week + Canva
School & District Management Opinion What Happens When an Improv Comedian Runs a School
My side job on the comedy stage has made me a stronger principal.
Josh Roberts, June 2, 2026
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3 min read
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
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
Teaching Opinion ‘That Was a Mistake’: The Education Ideas That Teachers Learned to Reject
Experiences have taught educators not to cling too tightly to their approaches to schooling.
Larry Ferlazzo, May 15, 2026
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13 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