School principals’ experience during the COVID-19 pandemic: leadership values and well-being supports that guided principals through the crisis

Date
2023
DOI
Authors
Downey, Jessica R.
Version
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
School principals experience an emotional toll as they respond to crises for individuals, groups, schools, and communities. Little research and guidance exist on how to support building principals as they shoulder the pain and trauma of the school communities they serve. Dr. Mark Greenberg of Penn State University shared during an EdWeek webinar in October, 2020, “Being a principal is a highly stressful profession...Their ability to manage this stress is the best predictor about how well their teachers feel, the trust that develops in the school, and as a result we know that the principal actually affects student achievement outcomes.” The greater the stress a school principal experiences without attending to their personal well-being can negatively impact the health and success of the schools they lead. However, research does indicate that principals’ increased state of well-being can positively impact the school communities and educational experiences for children. The Wallace Foundation published the report, How Principals Affect Students and Schools: A Systematic Synthesis of Two Decades of Research, and notes previous findings that school principals are only second to classroom teachers in impacting student achievement may have understated the importance of a quality school principal. While the teacher can directly impact that one student, the building principal has the power and influence to establish equitable schools and student outcomes for an entire community. In order for principals to be the best leaders they can, for as long as they can, this phenomenological study will examine the experience of school principals through the COVID-19 Pandemic, and what leadership values and well-being supports guided them through the crisis. As the need for quality leadership continues to grow, articulating the experiences and lessons learned from experienced leaders can support the training, mentoring, and growth of new and aspiring leaders. Results of this study may be applied to developing professional networks, addressing gaps in leadership preparation programs, examining the scope and job responsibilities of the school principal, and recommending practices for district leaders to examine.
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