Principals who engage in wellness strategies can both enhance their holistic wellness and leadership abilities. These strategies may include engaging in physical activity, seeking personal counseling, having a sense of purpose, and maintaining professional and personal relationships and support systems (Visger, 2016). However, like principals,…

This empirical qualitative study of 62 new principals was conducted over several years to determine what challenges they face, how the principalship compares with their expectations, and what their long-term career aspirations are. The findings indicate that the challenges experienced by new principals pertain to instructional leadership;…

Influential texts have long identified principals as being essential to school success. Accordingly, high expectations and pressures have attended the principalship and affected the professionals who occupy it. This exploration asked three interrelated questions: What pressures have urban school principals typically faced, in the past and today?…

Restructuring efforts in Australia are changing the nature of principals' and teachers' work. Describes current Department of Education policies intended to change schools in Queensland and links these policies to microrestructuring reforms, focusing on strategies to change school staffing configurations, redesign teacher aide responsibilities,…

Over the past 20 years, the status of women in higher education has marginally improved. This status report focuses on affirmative action's role in hiring and retaining women in higher education, the hostile work environment facing women and minorities, adverse policies affecting African-American women faculty, rank and salary inequities,…

Experience and research on superintendents reveal the enormous conflict and tension in a changing, ambiguous position. This article discusses the significance of "outsider" superintendents. It examines how outsider status (negatively) influences superintendents' effectiveness, how these effects can be reduced, and whether women and minorities…

Argues that existing accountability standards for educational leaders are inadequate to accommodate the diverse contextual realities of working life. Raises critical questions concerning the most appropriate philosophical views of contemporary educational leadership and how to assess such leadership. Organizations as open systems are superior to…

Explores 40 urban principals' perceptions concerning obstacles to school effectiveness. Schools as organizational workplaces are plagued by stress, frustration, and alienation. There is a growing gap between school culture and the larger society. Kids who no longer buy into the American dream often fail to meet educator-imposed expectations.…