Principals

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

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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.
Image of an educator greeting students for the day with a special handshake.
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School & District Management Songs, Hugs, Haircuts: How Principals Make Morning Greetings Fun
How principals set the tone for the day with their morning announcements.
Olina Banerji, February 9, 2024
2 min read
Two hands put together the pieces of an arrow puzzle that resembles a red brick schoolhouse.
iStock/Getty Images
School & District Management When Schools Merge, Principals Must Forge a New Culture. Here’s How
Principals must focus on building new relationships, inside and outside the school.
Olina Banerji, February 8, 2024
7 min read
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School & District Management Opinion How About an 'Un-Resolution'? 10 Low-Value Practices School Leaders Should Abandon
Educators seem to be better at adding to their workload instead of subtracting. Make this year one that focuses on de-implementation.
Peter DeWitt, January 31, 2024
4 min read
A group of silhouettes looks across a grid with a public school on the other side.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion Your School Improvement Plan Will Only Work If You Do This
A school improvement plan shouldn’t just be an afterthought. Here are four essential questions to make it count.
L. Sha Fanion, January 30, 2024
4 min read
Free gun locks at the Meriden, Conn. police department, June 21, 2019. Police are providing free cable-style gun locks to residents through a partnership with a child safety organization. Some advocates say schools could be distribution sites for gun locks to families, too.
Free gun locks at the Meriden, Conn. police department, June 21, 2019. Police are providing free cable-style gun locks to residents through a partnership with a child safety organization. Some advocates say schools could be distribution sites for gun locks to families, too.
Dave Zajac/Record-Journal via AP
School & District Management White House to Principals: Talk to Parents About Gun Safety
One principal advised being practical, not political, in messaging to parents about firearms.
Olina Banerji, January 29, 2024
5 min read
High School Tutor Giving Male Student One To One instruction At Desk
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School & District Management Fitting Tutoring Into the School Day Is Hard. How 3 Principals Made It Work
Three principals persist with high-dosage tutoring, using creative strategies to fit it into busy school schedules.
Olina Banerji, January 24, 2024
6 min read
Image of an exterior school door and shadows of student crossing the view.
Collage by Laura Baker/Education Week and Getty
School & District Management How These Principals Nip Apathy in the Bud After Winter Break and Long Weekends
Cellphone bans, Instagram posts and shout-outs are small fixes to the growing problem of student apathy.
Olina Banerji, January 19, 2024
6 min read
Illustration of two silhouettes in a school hallway having a conversation about the future.
Vanessa Solis/Education Week via Canva
School & District Management Opinion Why I Told an Excellent Teacher It Was Time to Leave Teaching
Leadership means being honest, even when it might go against the immediate needs of your school.
Matthew Ebert, January 16, 2024
4 min read
Illustration of a male figure juggling plates above him.
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School & District Management What Principals Can Do to Fight Misperceptions About Their Jobs
Principals can take steps to make what they do more transparent despite how complex the job can be.
Olina Banerji, January 12, 2024
8 min read
Teamwork and leadership.
DigitalVision Vectors
School & District Management What a Principal Learned From Conflict With His Teachers
Scott Tombleson's first year as principal brought some critical insights on how to make changes.
Olina Banerji, January 5, 2024
7 min read
 Female teacher works one-on-one with teen student
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School & District Management Principals Are Key to Making Tutoring Work. Here’s Why
Schools leaders do the critical work of convincing and building trust in the process.
Olina Banerji, January 3, 2024
4 min read
Illustration of woman with mirrors.
F. Sheehan for Education Week via Canva / Getty
School & District Management Opinion How Principals Can Grow Professionally This Year
We need to take a long look in the mirror this year to make sure we’re not stuck in a rut. Here’s where to start.
S. Kambar Khoshaba, January 2, 2024
4 min read
Student Well-Being Reports Student Mental Health: Survey Results from Students and Education Leaders
This report presents findings on student mental health based on survey results from educational administrators and high school students.
December 29, 2023
Pins free for students to take sit on a table as the Miami Arts Studio mental health club raises awareness on World Mental Health Day, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at the public 6th-12th grade magnet school in Miami.
Pins free for students to take sit on a table as the Miami Arts Studio mental health club raises awareness on World Mental Health Day, Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2023, at the public 6th-12th grade magnet school in Miami.
Rebecca Blackwell/AP
Student Well-Being How Can Schools Support Student Mental Health? 2 Principals and a Psychiatrist Weigh In
Youth mental health has become a top priority for schools. This is how two leaders of rural schools are addressing it.
Libby Stanford, December 27, 2023
2 min read