What happens when leaders from the central office to the classroom create the space and trust for deep learning together? At the UW Center for Educational Leadership (CEL), our Principal Supervisor Professional Learning and Coaching (PSPLC) helps principal supervisors...
Principal Support
Closing the Distance Between Students and School System Leadership
Feb 15, 2022
Students know an equity champion when they see one. In recent CEL equity leadership focus groups, our CEL team asked students to describe their “hero principal.” Students shared attributes of a hero principal like “a history of fighting for social justice” with the...
A Throughline of Caring
Jan 11, 2022
I spent much of 2021 engaging deeply with leaders across the country about the transformational power that school leaders hold for leading equitable school communities. What I learned is that, when positioned properly and truly empowered to lead, principals are the...
3 Things All Principals Need From Their Central Office To Be Successful
Jan 28, 2016
A quick scan of education news headlines shows: the role of school principal is less satisfying and attractive than it has ever been. Whether you look at principal job satisfaction surveys or the data on principal tenure, education leaders need to wake up and figure...
How to Help Teachers Find an Area of Focus
Apr 30, 2015
Teachers have always set goals for their students and for their teaching. But what used to be a fairly open-ended conversation in the principal's office or staff room has now become a critical component of a teacher's professional development. Driven by student and...
4 Steps of Inquiry That Help Principals Improve Instruction
Apr 1, 2015
When I ask principals what prevents them from focusing on instructional quality in their school, the number one answer I get is: time. It’s true, time is always a concern for principals, but it is not the only one. I have found that even when principals carve out the...
Recent Posts
Approaching Classroom Observations as a Coach
Mar 17, 2026
Principal supervisors play a key role in strengthening instructional leadership across a school system. Their primary responsibility is not to be a “super principal” but to build the capacity of principals. One powerful way to do this is by approaching classroom...
From Closed Doors to Collective Growth
Feb 19, 2026
For many educators, classroom visits carry emotional weight. Too often, being observed has meant being evaluated, corrected, or quietly judged. Walkthroughs have been experienced as punitive rather than as opportunities to learn together on behalf of students, but we...
CEL’s Top 10 Most-Accessed Tools & Resources 2025
Jan 15, 2026
The start of each new year offers an opportunity to take stock of what is working, name what needs attention, and clarify how to keep students at the center of instructional leadership practice. Over the past year, hundreds of educational leaders turned to our...
Helping Teachers Set Goals Grounded in Student Learning
Jan 5, 2026
In this current environment where goal-setting is central to professional learning, this post helps leaders work with teachers to set goals that are grounded in student learning and connected to instructional practice.
The Power of Celebrating Small Wins
Oct 21, 2025
Creating school cultures that elevate students’ belonging and agency is inspiring but challenging work. Shifting a school’s culture doesn’t happen overnight; it happens step by step. Each step up the staircase represents progress toward the ideal state, and recognizing those steps matters. While the ideal state often feels far away or even unattainable, celebrating small wins keeps momentum going. These celebrations remind everyone—leaders, teachers, and students—that the climb is worth it, and that each step is a small victory on the way to the top.