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.
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School & District Management Opinion Instructional Leadership. Easy to Talk About. Hard to Do?
Instructional leadership has been around for 50 years, but it's still not easily practiced. Here are a few reasons why and how to change it.
Peter DeWitt, March 9, 2021
6 min read
School & District Management One District's COVID-19 Journey: A Year of Upheaval and Unexpected Insights
The Everett, Wash., school district was among the first in the nation shuttered by the pandemic. Educators and parents share and reflect.
Denisa R. Superville, March 5, 2021
9 min read
School & District Management Video An Elementary School Principal Looks Back on the Pandemic Year
For Heather Paddock, an elementary school principal in Everett, Wash., the last year has been unlike any she’s experienced in her career. Here she talks about her last moments with students before schools shut down in March 2020, the challenges with pivoting to remote learning, and what it’s been like welcoming some students back to the building this winter, after nearly a year.
Kaylee Domzalski, March 5, 2021
4:32
illustration of hiring.
Nadia Bormotova/iStock/Getty
Job Hunting Tips & Advice Want to Be a Principal? How to Prove You're Right for the Job
What it takes to attract the attention of K-12 recruiters looking for their schools' next principals.
Elizabeth Heubeck, February 26, 2021
5 min read
Carrie P. Meek/Westview K-8 Center principal Marchel Woods, center rear, greets parents dropping off their children for class on Oct. 5, 2020, at the Carrie P. Meek/Westview K-8 Center in Miami.
Principal Marchel Woods, center rear, greets parents dropping off children at the Carrie P. Meek/Westview K-8 Center in Miami. A new study quantifies the connection between principal effectiveness and students' academic achievement.
Wilfredo Lee/AP
School & District Management Top-Tier Principals Spark Big Gains in Student Learning. A New Study Shows How Much
Replacing a below-average principal with an effective leader means nearly three more months of math and reading gains.
Denisa R. Superville, February 16, 2021
7 min read
Equity & Diversity Live Online Discussion A Seat at the Table With Education Week: Leading for Racial Equity
What are the skills and dispositions necessary for education leaders to create racial equity in their schools and districts? In this episode of a Seat at the Table, we will focus on how to build
February 10, 2021
Image of a classroom.
miljko/E+/Getty
School & District Management How One Principal Keeps His School Safe From COVID-19 During In-Person Schooling
Wes Kanawyer, principal of Woodgate Intermediate School in Waco, Texas, has been an advocate for in-person learning during the pandemic.
Denisa R. Superville, February 5, 2021
9 min read
Dave Steckler, principal at Red Trail Elementary School in Mandan, North Dakota, got and recovered from COVID and has dealt with the logistical issues around staff and students who were infected.
Dave Steckler, principal at Red Trail Elementary School in Mandan, North Dakota, got and recovered from COVID and has dealt with the logistical issues around staff and students who were infected.
Tom Stromme for Education Week
School & District Management Collection Leading Through COVID-19: How 5 Principals Confronted Infection in Their Schools
Here are the stories of how five principals confronted the coronavirus when it came into their schools.
January 14, 2021
Nigena Livingston, founder and head of School at the URBAN ACT Academy in Indianapolis, Ind.
Nigena Livingston, founder and head of school at the URBAN ACT Academy in Indianapolis, makes swift decisions in responding to the threat of COVID-19 in her school community.
Courtesy of Nigena Livingston
School & District Management A School Leader Who Calls Her Own Shots on Battling the Coronavirus
A charter school founder uses her autonomy to move swiftly on everything from classroom shutdowns to remote schooling.
Denisa R. Superville, January 14, 2021
3 min read
Herb Cox, principal of Midway Middle School in Hewitt, Texas, credits stringent safety measures for the low number of coronavirus cases at his his.
Herb Cox, principal of Midway Middle School in Hewitt, Texas, credits stringent safety measures for the low number of coronavirus cases at his school.
Courtesy of Herb Cox
School & District Management Color-Coded Tracking Sheets and Swift Isolation: One Principal's COVID-19 Approach
In a sort of honor system, a principal relies on parents to flag COVID-19 infections at home. Then the staff swings into action.
Denisa R. Superville, January 14, 2021
3 min read
Authorities stand guard outside the U.S. Capitol after supporters of President Donald Trump gathered on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington.
Authorities stand guard outside the U.S. Capitol after supporters of President Donald Trump gathered on Jan. 6, 2021, in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
School & District Management Opinion How Some Principals Responded to the Violence at the U.S. Capitol
Principals and teachers share how they're talking (or not talking) with each other following Wednesday's insurrection.
January 8, 2021
5 min read
School & District Management Live Online Discussion Ethical Leadership: What Does That Really Mean?
In 2019, Andy Hargreaves wrote, “One way to think about ethical leadership is that while morality is about right and wrong, ethics is about how to judge what’s right and wrong, and how to do
December 1, 2020
Image shows a speech bubble divided into 4 overlapping, connecting parts.
DigitalVision Vectors/Getty and Laura Baker/Education Week
School & District Management Opinion 4 Questions Every Leadership Team Must Ask
School leadership teams vary in size & structure, but there is one area that they should all focus on, and that is their instructional core.
Peter DeWitt, November 22, 2020
5 min read
School & District Management Opinion My District Reversed Course on the Implicit Bias Training We Need. What Now?
The principal advice column takes on communicating district decisions you disagree with, optimizing virtual lunch bunches, and more.
Tamara McWilliams, November 19, 2020
5 min read