Professional Development-Key to Retention of Rural Principals?

Building principals wear many hats, not the least of which is instructional leader. Leading curriculum, instruction and school improvement efforts can be overwhelming to leaders who must also tend to the management and operational demands of the job. Rural leaders are often expected to assume even greater responsibilities with considerably less support. Although expected to design and provide professional development for others, insufficient time and funding often prevent the leader from engaging in his/her own learning and growth.This article describes the efforts of one university to provide relevant, low-or-no-costprofessional development opportunities as a service to building leaders and the schools they serve, to provide networking opportunities to reduce isolation and burnout among rural leaders, and to provide a structure for school and district teams to collaborate with one another about best practices for school improvement