In this article, the author has equated the principal's relationship with the president of the teachers' union as a dance where each wants to lead and yet there is, as in most relationships, a mutual dependency that makes each person realize that there is a time when one leads and a time when one follows. The author presents the details of when…

In existing school-based management models, the principal's role ranges from chairing the local council to being a coach/facilitator. With teachers and parents assuming greater control over governance, curriculum, and budgeting, paranoid principals may establish more formal bargaining relationships with district boards. Caution is advised, because…

Principals who survive can ride the rapids of unexpected events. To succeed, new principals must establish trust among staff, deal with staff perceptions of the principal as chief decision maker, recognize cultural differences among schools, and discover opportunities for change. Above all, principals must giver teachers permission to be critical…