Arne
Duncan the Secretary of the United States Department of Education has
succinctly stated “There are no good schools without good principals. It simply
does not happen” (2009, n.p.). This
statement sums up why many schools are struggling to survive and thrive in the
21st century. For the past several decades states, school districts, individual
schools, and national entities have struggled to find ways to fix the ailing
education system. When the No Child Left
Behind Act (NCLB) was passed in 2001, it upped the ante for school
administrators to show rapid results by meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)
goals. This new system of metrics and
oversight added another layer of stress to an already challenging job.
Robert
Rammer (2007) describes how public school systems and principals are contending
with intense scrutiny that is “coupled with demands for accountability and
increased student achievement” (p. 67).
Much of this scrutiny can be attributed to the NCLB. Before 2001, the federal government paid
little attention to the daily operations of public schools, but with the NCLB
firmly in place, all public schools now must test students in core content
areas in grades three through eight, and in grade ten (Rammer, 2007). NCLB
dictates that each school must demonstrate yearly progress toward the national
goal that “all students perform on standardized tests at a proficient or
advanced level in the content areas by 2014” (Rammer, 2007, p. 67). States are
tasked with creating grade-level benchmarks that their students must achieve. Schools that fail to meet the accountability
standards of NCLB face harsh consequences, including the removal of the
principal.
Being
a K-12 principal in the No Child Left Behind era, when budget constraints are
at all-time highs creates unique stressors that make a difficult job incredibly
challenging.
Rammer,
R.A. (2007). Call to action for superintendents: Change the way you hire principals. Journal of Educational Research, 101(2), 67-76.
Let
us examine some of the root causes of stress for current-day principals, please
discuss why many educational administrative leaders decide to leave their
posts, and critique the principal preparation programs.
What
are some key changes that need to made?
What
are the challenges in creating the effective principal preparation program?
