Book Description
This study examined the perceptions of veteran principals regarding the challenges they faced when they were new principals, the strategies they implemented to overcome those challenges, and the prior professional experiences they thought were most beneficial to their preparation for the principalship. Data were collected from veteran elementary, middle, and high school principals from across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, representing 45 of the 67 counties in the state. This qualitative study incorporated the use of an electronic survey, open-ended responses, and one-on-one phone interviews with willing participants. The findings of this study suggested that veteran school principals felt unprepared for their jobs in their first year and faced numerous challenges that complicated an already complicated task. These challenges were exacerbated by the increasingly high-stakes environment in which school leaders currently must function. In Pennsylvania, the relatively new principal evaluation tool, known as the Act 82 Framework for Leadership, reflects a time of high accountability for both new and veteran school leaders. Participants revealed that they coped with the challenges presented to them in a number of ways, but primarily through networking, developing relationships with mentors, and working longer hours. In this study, veteran principals also addressed the professional experiences they believed were most beneficial to their preparation as school leaders, which included mentorships, internships, and informal administrator experience.
