School leadership isn’t getting simpler—it’s getting more complex.
Every day, you balance student well-being, staffing, and systems with evolving expectations. Get a handle on it all at NPC27 this February in Tampa, FL.
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Make Your Case to Attend the 2027 National Principals Conference
5 Strategies to Support Mental Health in Elementary School
At Sward Elementary School in Oak Lawn, IL, supporting mental health is a yearlong goal we are always working toward. In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, I’m happy to share some strategies we’ve implemented in our school to ensure our students have the tools they need to foster self-awareness and self-regulation.
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5 Ways to Stay Inspired Through June
The end of the school year can bring up a variety of emotions. Many of us are relieved about the break ahead, but it’s also normal to feel sadness, frustration, and plain old fatigue—especially when testing, graduation, and perhaps a few behavioral spikes are on the calendar ahead.
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What I’ve Learned From Reading and Writing for “Syllabus”
Much of what I read as a principal is tied to immediate needs. Emails, reports, data, policies. Each requires attention and often a quick response. While necessary, this type of reading rarely allows time for reflection. Reading for the “Syllabus” section of Principal Leadership magazine has been different. It has created space to pause, think, and engage more deeply with ideas that shape our work in schools.
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5 Ways to Keep Everyone Engaged at Graduation
For schools that begin in August and end in June, the 2025–26 school year is almost over. That means that here at Kaʻiulani Elementary School in Honolulu, HI, we’ve already started planning our promotion ceremony. It’ll be a celebration that unites our Hawaiian ‘ohana (family) with a unique blend of history, hula, and chocolate haupia pie.
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5 Ways Our High School Celebrates National Student Leadership Week
Today, Liberty County High School in Hinesville, GA, is proud to begin celebrating National Student Leadership Week. Our school’s theme this year is “Lead the Way!” Events have been organized by our student council and National Honor Society (NHS) chapter. All clubs and student organizations are invited to participate in a week full of meaningful activities that promote leadership, unity, and school pride.
(more…)An Elementary School Principal’s Shoutout for Her AP
In honor of AP Week, April 6–10, School of Thought asked Jana Clark, the principal of Boyd Elementary School in Boyd, TX, to highlight the stellar work of Cortnie Bryan, the assistant principal. In many schools, it’s work that often goes unseen. But it’s vital to the success of all school communities PreK–12.
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Removing the Price Tag From Prom Night
Spring is a season of milestones in high schools across the country, and nothing captures that energy quite like prom. However, behind the excitement of venue reveals and grand marches lies a quiet anxiety for many of our families: the cost. At Harrison High School in Harrison, AR, where 60% of our student body qualifies for free or reduced-price lunch, formal events can quickly transition from a rite of passage to a heavy financial burden.
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3 Strategies for Elevating Student Voice
I’m a huge advocate for student voice and its impact on school culture. With National Student Leadership Week, April 20–24, fast approaching next month, I wanted to share my top three strategies for elevating student voice in school.
(more…)The Heart and History of NHS Induction
If you’ve ever stayed late at school for an NHS induction, you know the mix of nerves and excitement in the air. The lights dim. The room goes quiet. Students you’ve guided step forward, some with sweaty palms, some straightening collars, ready to take their place in a tradition more than a century old.
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What I Brought Home From LEAD
As students, we are frequently told, “You are the leaders of tomorrow.” Although a lovely sentiment, it ignores the fact that we are also the leaders of today. I used to passively accept that “tomorrow” timeline from others. However, it was not until I returned from the LEAD Conference earlier this month, carrying much more than I anticipated, that I truly understood the significance of leading in the present.
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4 Ways Principals Can Prioritize and Inspire Wellness
Student and staff wellness has become inseparable from academic success. Yet for principals, the demands of the job often leave little time or space to prioritize personal well-being.
(more…)What to Know About the All-New Second Step® Tiered Interventions
It’s not easy being in middle school. As students navigate an increasingly complex world, they’re also dealing with major changes to their bodies and brains. For kids with additional needs—be they academic, behavioral, social, or emotional—the stakes are even higher. The Second Step® team understands that while educators want to go above and beyond to give those students the extra support they need, the resources to do so aren’t always available—or affordable.
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Our Student Showcase for Black History Month
South Florida is a cultural melting pot, and Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL, is no different. Our 3,100 students represent a wide variety of cultures, which we celebrate intentionally 365 days of the year.
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5 Priorities for Healing-Centered Leadership
For more than a decade, trauma-informed practices have helped educators better understand how adversity shapes student wellness, behavior, and learning; this shift has been essential. Yet for many K-12 school principals, it is no longer sufficient. Trauma-informed approaches are largely reactive—focused on responding once harm has occurred. Healing-centered leadership moves further upstream, intentionally cultivating environments where students and adults experience belonging, agency, and collective well-being.
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Congress Funds Federal K–12 Programs for FY2026
After much deliberation and threats of significant funding cuts, Congress finally passed a bipartisan appropriations bill last week that will largely level-fund critical federal K–12 education programs in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Educators and advocates successfully pushed back attempts to cut funding, and almost every program including Title I, Title II, Title III, IDEA, CTE grants to states, Head Start, and other NASSP priorities will receive at least the same level of funding they have received for the past few years.
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Leadership Is a Funny Business
Humor has always been a part of my life. In fifth grade, I created my own joke book and sold copies to my friends for 25 cents each. In high school, they had to create an entirely new category just for me. I was voted “Class Joker”—because “Class Clown” didn’t fit. I told jokes; I didn’t make armpit noises.
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How Our NEHS Chapter Supports Students Experiencing Stress and Anxiety
As an adviser, I’ve always felt that I am not the driver of our National Elementary Honor Society (NEHS) chapter. Instead, I’m more like the bumper making sure that everyone is safe and then covering everything as an administrator. I let my students direct the path that our chapter takes in the way of service projects because I want the projects that we do to have meaning for them.
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When Student Voice Increased Our CTE Offerings
Several years ago, I believed our middle school elective program was meeting student needs. We offered band, choir, art, computers, and physical education. These are programs adults traditionally view as well-rounded and sufficient. When I asked students what they wanted from electives, I expected requests for better materials or more variety within those same offerings.
(more…)3 Reasons to Apply for the NASSP Board of Directors
Serving as a school leader means making decisions every day that impact students, staff, and communities. For many principals and assistant principals, there comes a moment when the question shifts from “How do I lead my school well?” to “How can my experience help shape the profession?”
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