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.
Photo of stressed teacher.
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Teaching Profession How School Leaders Can Help Teachers Avoid Burnout
Administrators share insights on preventing teacher burnout and supporting staff well-being.
Elizabeth Heubeck, October 7, 2025
5 min read
A leader standing at the bow of a ship looks into a telescope and through the fog.
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School & District Management Opinion 3 Tips to Help Principals Handle the Government Shutdown
When the federal government shuts down, the ripple effects eventually reach schools.
Meagan Booth, October 2, 2025
3 min read
Adults using their smartphones at work.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion There's a Generational Difference in How Teachers Use Cellphones
Mistaking this as generational fragility or resistance to professionalism is an oversimplification.
Meagan Booth, September 30, 2025
4 min read
Motivating teachers through appreciation.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion 3 Simple Ways to Celebrate the Great Work Happening in Your School
This principal is trying to tap into intrinsic motivators rather than just bringing another box of donuts.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, September 16, 2025
3 min read
Edenton, N.C. - September 5th, 2025: Sonya Rinehart, principal at John A. Holmes High School, walks downtown Edenton.
Sonya Rinehart, the principal at John A. Holmes High School, walks downtown in Edenton, N.C., on Sept. 5, 2025. In small towns, principals balance school management with ambassadorial acts, forging ties that support students and local growth.
Cornell Watson for Education Week
School & District Management In Small Towns, Principals Wear Many Hats—Including 'Ambassador'
Small-town principals juggle daily duties with serving as ambassadors to their communities.
Elizabeth Heubeck, September 9, 2025
5 min read
Screenshot 2025 09 01 at 8.12.20 AM
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Professional Development Opinion We Asked 100 Leaders for Their Top Challenges. Here's What We Learned
There are 10 major patterns to the problems in their schools.
Peter DeWitt & Michael Nelson, September 9, 2025
5 min read
Principal and teacher walking through a school hallway.
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School & District Management How Principals Can Help Teachers in a New School Year
Teachers say more classroom autonomy is key to boosting morale and job satisfaction.
Jennifer Vilcarino & Edér Del Prado, September 2, 2025
1 min read
A group of teachers and school leaders at the starting line of a new school year full of opportunities.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion ‘Happy New Year’: How to Embrace the Return to School
Every September, teachers and school leaders get something not many other professions offer: a fresh start.
Sarah Berman, September 2, 2025
3 min read
The United States Capitol building as a bookcase filled with red, white, and blue policy books in a Washington DC landscape.
Luca D'Urbino for Education Week
School & District Management Opinion How Can Education Leaders Actually Achieve Their 'Ambitious Goals?'
What is strategic leadership? Here are the five essential elements.
Rick Hess, September 2, 2025
8 min read
A team of people, employees carrying giant pencil, study time. Get to work. Growing knowledge. Contemporary art collage.
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School & District Management Opinion Public Education Is in Trouble. Here's Who Can Help
Here’s how K-12 leaders can work together more effectively.
Jennifer Perry Cheatham, Sophia Roy & Leah Rubin, August 29, 2025
5 min read
Hans and Michael at Hans's leadership bbq in Washington state. 8/25
Hans and Michael at Hans's leadership bbq in Washington state. 8/25
Michael Nelson
School & District Management Opinion What I Learned About School Leadership at My Italian Nonna's Table
This principal's annual barbecue became a blueprint for building culture, community, and collective learning.
Michael Nelson, August 28, 2025
3 min read
Students from Food and Finance high school serve foods during a summer block party outside the Barclays Center, Thursday, July. 11, 2024, in New York.
Students from Food and Finance High School serve foods during a summer block party outside the Barclays Center, July 11, 2024, in New York. Career-connected learning not only prepares students for future job prospects but also makes their K-12 experience relevant.
Jeenah Moon/AP
Professional Development Q&A Why Principals Are Essential in Connecting Classrooms to Careers
The NASSP launched a course that helps principals integrate relevant skills and career exposure into their existing curriculum.
Lauraine Langreo, August 21, 2025
4 min read
A special education teacher helps a student with their work.
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Special Education 4 Ways Principals Can Better Support Special Education Teachers
Special education teachers need support from their principals to avoid burnout, says a researcher. Here's how to offer it.
Jennifer Vilcarino, August 21, 2025
3 min read
Amber Powell, a first grade teacher, and Dr. Vera Triplett, CEO/Founder, of Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning.
Vera Triplett, the CEO and founder of Noble Minds Institute for Whole Child Learning, right, walks with Amber Powell, a 1st grade teacher, on Aug. 6, 2025. The school, located in the East Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans, will convert to a private, independent school this school year.
L. Kasimu Harris for Education Week
School & District Management Q&A This School Leader Still Sees the Effects of Hurricane Katrina, 20 Years Later
Vera Triplett is concerned about the number of schools that have shut down in her city in the years since Katrina.
Caitlynn Peetz Stephens, August 19, 2025
6 min read