The principalship

This study seeks to understand the evolving role of the elementary school principal. The study examines the history of the principalship, the role of today\u27s principal, how principal education programs prepare students, and the best practices of effective principals. The motivating factor for this capstone was a desire to better understand the roles and responsibilities of today\u27s principal. The researcher\u27s personal experiences with both effective and ineffective leaders also further motivated her to acquire a deeper understanding of the complexities of the position. This narrative study explores the principalship through the experiences and insight of three principals who have reputations for being effective leaders. Through interviews, the researcher discovers common themes of feeling under prepared, principal as manager and leader, changes to the principalship, personal and professional challenges, and best practices