To Lead a Learning Community

Principals are like symphony conductors, skillfully directing people, data, and processes. Schools should be run like a business, with the principal as the CEO. Principals are school managers; they are instructional leaders; they should be entrepreneurial. As the philosophy of the principalship has shifted over time and the job has become more complex, NAESP has been right there at the forefront, shaping standards for what principals should know and be able to do.

This issue of Principal magazine commemorates the 2019 publication of NAESP’s Leading Learning Communities: Pillars, Practices, and Priorities for Effective Principals. In its third edition, this hallmark standards document is organized around three mutually supportive and mutually dependent pillars of the principal’s role: building culture, empowering people, and optimizing systems.

The articles in this issue drill down on corresponding practices that range from engaging with families in multiple generations to using data to assess student growth. They are meant to aid in your leadership development as you strive to impact educational equity, close achievement gaps, and deliver a safe and secure learning environment for the communities you serve.

— Kaylen Tucker, Ph.D.
@kaylentucker