Writing Guidelines
If you have an idea for an article, NAESP wants to hear from you! NAESP accepts article submissions for its blog, Principal magazine, and Communicator e-newsletter. Before you begin writing, read a sample article from these publications to get an idea of what the editors are looking for—practical, jargon-free articles that address a variety of educational issues for a principal or assistant principal audience.
Popular areas of focus include school equity, early career principals, assistant principals, mentoring, women in leadership, early childhood learning, social-emotional learning, mental health and school safety, and innovation.
Submit articles as a Word document to publications@naesp.org. Include your full title, affiliation, and contact information, with your mailing and email address. Please consult the guidelines below prior to submission.
Editorial Calendar
Sept/Oct 2023
Student Leadership, Student Voice. A focus on improving student feedback, engagement, and motivation; strengthening student leadership in classrooms, student councils, and out-of-school time; and best practices in leveraging surveys and focus groups.
Submission Deadline: June 9, 2023
Nov/Dec 2023
Ethical Principal Leadership. This issue touches on professional standards related to teaching, leading, and learning, as well as moral reasoning and equity-based decision-making.
Submission Deadline: July 7, 2023
Jan/Feb 2024
Data-Driven Decision-Making. Covers topics such as collecting data and conducting data talks, raising schoolwide assessment literacy, explaining student achievement data to parents, and working with teachers on data privacy.
Submission Deadline: August 7, 2023
March/April 2024
Math Instruction. This issue will cover the principal’s role in math instruction, including aligned math experiences, designing innovative lessons, strategic technology use, and recruiting and retaining math instructors.
Submission Deadline: October 2, 2023
May/June 2024
Impactful Professional Learning. This issue focuses on best practices utilizing communities of practice, strengthening instructional feedback, and leveraging federal funding for targeted professional learning supports.
Submission Deadline: Dec. 1, 2023
Principal magazine also seeks articles on the following topics
- Early career principals
- Assistant principals
- Aligning pre-k-3 learning experiences
- Professional ethics
- Social-emotional learning
- School safety
- Equity Leadership