Relationships between and among school administrative team members are critical components of school culture. They serve as a guidepost for the behaviors and attitudes of staff and students. To invigorate these relationships, three embodied practices have high yield not only for the relationships among administrators, but also for fostering a…

One of the most devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic is the increasing hopelessness and despair experienced by many students, especially those living in poverty where the lack of resources prevents them from accessing high-quality learning, health care, and social programs. Bruce Barnett describes the enormity of the problems associated…

For a "Kappan" issue focusing on the job of the principal, this is an essay from a retired, longtime principal and superintendent. "I have notebooks full of advice that I've collected over the years: tips, mantras, cautions, and quotations appropriate for any occasion," the author says. "I learned to focus less on…

The Comprehensive Assessment of Leadership for Learning (CALL) is a formative assessment that provides feedback to schools on the research-based leadership practices necessary to improve teaching and learning. Instead of focusing on an individual leader, CALL measures leadership practices in tasks carried out by actors across the school and…

A lot has changed in the principalship since the principal was the head teacher in a school. Current principals are building administrators and that is likely to continue, the authors posit. Nonetheless, they report their study focusing on leadership's role in formative assessment concluded that in order to lead learning the principal must become…

A national survey of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) educators examined differences of perceptions within seven identified factors: homophobia, principal support, policies of bullying language, policies of human rights, job safety, personal safety, and outness. It found that safety is best understood in two dimensions: personal…

A personalized school is one in which each individual person, whether student or teacher, matters a great deal and has a program that is good for him or her. Today, schools are faced with an equally large transition from arbitrary grouping patterns to personalized learning alternatives. Unfortunately, they are also currently blessed with policy…

As a principal, Ms. Brown has firsthand knowledge of the pressures educational leaders face in the NCLB era. If administrators are going to perform effectively in today's school environment, she argues, the programs that prepare them will have to undergo significant reform. She urges university leadership programs to adopt four changes that will…

Profiles teachers' everyday experiences at a southeastern Texas middle school that mainstreams most of its special needs students. Classroom observations, accompanied by teacher and student survey data, showed that mainstreaming had deleterious effects. Since teachers spent a disproportionate amount of time serving special education students,…

Describes lively and attractive learning environment in halls, classrooms, playground, and even rest rooms of an Ohio elementary school on kindergarten assessment day. School's equally lively principal, a former classroom teacher, is seldom in her office, preferring to mix with teachers and students. Books are everywhere, and children with…

Five characteristics of schools that effectively teach self-discipline are discussed in this article. These schools do not rely on power or punitive models to enforce discipline but share decision making and maintain a positive school climate. (MD)

A retired elementary school principal, who first visited Cuba as an exchange student, returns 46 years later as an international consultant and finds that the Cubans have made health care and education the top priorities of their society with strong principals and a solid system of supervision and evaluation. (Author/MLF)

When four exceptional principals from the Northwest were interviewed, they described considerable job satisfaction. However, all were considering quitting because of dissatisfiers related to policy and administration, lack of recognition and growth opportunities, and too little responsibility. Role conflict, fatigue, personal awareness, sense of…

Reports the results of a study conducted from 1977 to 1980 that observed 24 building principals in the Chicago public schools in order to compile a picture of the principal's workday. Suggests ways in which training programs for principals could be redirected. (Author/WD)