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.
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.
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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
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School & District Management Opinion Want to Become a More Agile School Leader? Try This
School leaders need a new way to address the volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity of the modern world.
Michael Cornell, January 23, 2024
4 min read
Illustration about warnings, with a businessman and woman each holding a with megaphone in front of a caution symbol.
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School Climate & Safety Opinion How to Strengthen the Safety and Security of Your School
Resources, guidance, and best practices can help leaders feel ready and empowered to improve their school’s safety and security.
Lindsay Burton & Michelle Kefford, January 22, 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
Opinion Licensed Not for Reuse Emotional Intelligence FCG
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School & District Management Opinion To Be a Great Educator and Leader, Emotional Intelligence Is Essential
Emotional intelligence might trigger an eye roll, but every leader needs it. Here's why.
Limary Trujillo Gutierrez, 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
Illustration of hand and walking figures.
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School & District Management Opinion 8 Leadership Pitfalls to Avoid in 2024
These traps can jeopardize school and district leaders’ goals if they aren’t navigated skillfully, writes a former education leader.
Brandi Chin, January 12, 2024
4 min read
School & District Management K-12 Essentials Forum How School Leaders Can Build Emotional Intelligence
Attend this virtual event to discover what emotional intelligence is, why it’s valuable for school and district leaders, and how you can develop it.
January 11, 2024