School Leadership 2.0
A Network Connecting School Leaders From Around The Globe
Carol Ann Tomlinson Recalls Four Outstanding Principals
April 2013 | Volume 70 | Number 7
The Principalship Pages 88-89
One to Grow On / Freed from the Box
I was talking recently with a colleague whose specialty is school administration about how the role of the principal so often falls short of its massive potential. She nodded, paused, and then said, "I fear the system shuts principals into a box and then says, 'Now, claw your way out.'"
I think she's correct. Mushrooming mandates from local, state, and federal governments; irrational pressure to elevate test scores; single-minded special interest groups; and challenging economic conditions are a few of the wedges that push principals into increasingly smaller boxes, constricting their leadership and creativity. I'd think a long while before signing up to be a principal these days.
But many principals do fulfill their potential to make schools places of learning and caring. Their vision frees them.
The Weak, the Good, and the Golden
I've worked for and with a host of principals. A few, in my opinion, should not have signed on for their roles. They discouraged or demeaned teachers, harmed student prospects, and made schools bad places to spend time.
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