Leaders We Need Now

This first-of-its-kind research shows the impact of the unprecedented crises of 2020–2021 on the principal profession and what principals need to help students and schools recover and succeed.

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Brief 1

Leaders in Tumult: Schooling Innovations and New Perspectives From a Year Interrupted

In this brief, principals recount how their schools changed in 2020–21 and reflect on which changes might endure.

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Brief 2

Evolution of the Principalship: Leaders Tell Us How the Profession Is Changing Through a Most Difficult Year

The second brief examines the shifting priorities that confronted principals in 2020–21, including addressing the mental health needs of students and staff, managing multiple crises simultaneously, and communicating with increasingly politicized communities during a time of ambiguity and uncertainty.

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Brief 3

Principals’ Perspectives on Policy: What Education Leaders Seek Through Policy

The final brief details the policy actions that principals say are needed to address these new realities, help schools reset after the 2021–22 school year, support students, and build better schools for the years to come. The brief is accompanied by a short guide on the principal’s role in shaping policy.

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