Considering a Lead Principal Role?

April 21, 2025

Posted By: Dana Schon, Ed.D. in Mentoring Matters, Asst/Assoc Principals,

Focus on these three practices. (Synthesis of several articles generated by NotebookLM.)

Demonstrate your capacity for visionary and strategic leadership by taking ownership of a significant data point and showcasing measurable impact. It is crucial to move beyond operational tasks and focus on how you have influenced student achievement. As Erica Jordan-Thomas states, when seeking a principalship, people will want to know how you moved student achievement. You should find at least one data point to own, such as a content area, grade level, attendance, or suspension data. Then, you need to be able to tell a story about the strategic leadership moves you made to create systems, manage people, analyze data, provide feedback, and create a clear positive change in that numeric data point. Ahmed Adelekan also emphasizes the importance of leading initiatives that hone your ability to vision-cast and gathering feedback to quantify the impact of those initiatives on student and staff experience and outcomes. This will equip you with foundational experience for leading as a principal.
Actively seek opportunities to experience and learn about the broader responsibilities of a principal by fully engaging in your current role as the "#2" and understanding the scope of accountability. Erica Jordan-Thomas advises APs to "Play the hell out of your #2 spot". This means recognizing that your principal relies on you and that you gain valuable leadership experience whenever you are in charge. You should also proactively take on tasks that relieve your principal and view your time as an AP as training for the principalship. Understanding the difference in accountability is critical; as a principal, you are responsible for everything that happens in your building. Ask your principal for feedback on your leadership, specifically what makes them nervous when you are leading in their absence. By understanding these broader responsibilities and accountabilities, you will be better prepared for the comprehensive nature of the principal role.
Intentionally build relationships and seek support from key stakeholders, especially your current principal, to build champions for your leadership. Erica Jordan-Thomas emphasizes the importance of building champions, with your first champion being your principal. Have open conversations with your principal about your desire to become a principal, which can lead to them providing you with more leadership opportunities and connections. Be direct in soliciting your principal's support, asking for connections, resume proofreading, and role-playing for interviews. Ahmed Adelekan also highlights the importance of building trust through daily presence and authentic interactions as you step into a leadership role. By building these relationships and having advocates who can speak to your abilities and impact, you increase your visibility and chances of a successful transition to principalship.