SECOND ARTICLE: CURRENT STATUS OF SCHOOL LEADERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES

Abstract

In the second of a three-article series, the power, and responsibilities of the public- school principal in the United States are explored. Unlike most other countries, the American school principal holds considerable decision-making control of the school where the belief that the principal’s decision is the final one. Though the immense latitude afforded the principal has clear benefits, the risks are many. Faced with declining parental involvement, learning losses caused by the coronavirus, immense teacher shortages, and increasing politicization of school curricula, school administration treads carefully. Also reviewed are the shifts in thought paradigms as they relate to school leadership which currently focus on servant leadership while eschewing the authoritarian management of the past.