Beyond appointing principals

Why do we need excellent school leaders? The quality of an educational institution cannot be measured based on the success of some of its high-performing graduates but rather its ability to serve the varying needs of its entire student group. Research shows that effective principals can proactively introduce evidence-based interventions that adapt to the student body’s needs, improving teaching, and learning outcomes. Unfortunately, the opposite is also true. Poorly prepared principals cause school performance to stagnate and perpetuate cycles of student underachievement.

This makes the findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education Year 2 report alarming: 24,916 public schools have been operating without a principal. In response, the Department of Education (DepEd) has announced its plans to promote qualified teachers and deploy them to areas without school heads, aiming for a 1:1 principal-to-school ratio. The DepEd is also considering offering the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads more frequently and expanding training opportunities.

While these efforts acknowledge the urgent need for leadership, it is equally important to ensure that newly appointed principals are well-equipped and prepared to lead effectively. Once chosen as a school head, many of them will hold this position for years. Given that the quality of school leadership is directly linked to student performance, it would be a mistake to fill vacancies with a school leader in name but not in skill.

Some may argue that appointees can receive basic training and learn the rest on the job. However, research shows that this kind of thinking is a key reason why many school improvement efforts do not take root. New principals face complex instructional and managerial responsibilities, and without adequate preparation, they struggle to drive meaningful school reforms. To succeed, they cannot just rely on their own field-based experiences but should have insight and exposure into how other high-quality schools approach this challenge.

Building on this, training new principals should not be limited to theoretical seminars but an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in the many facets of instructional leadership. This includes learning to analyze student data and providing teachers with meaningful instructional guidance to inform and improve curriculum, teaching, and assessment strategies. They should receive intensive workshops that would not merely introduce critical concepts but incorporate real-world scenarios where they would actively problem-solve student achievement issues.

Despite widespread agreement on the importance of instructional leadership, many principals are often too overwhelmed with administrative responsibilities to focus on improving teaching and learning. New school heads must be equipped with essential management skills, such as budgeting, scheduling, as well as time and energy management strategies. At the end of the training, their skills must be tested and assessed to understand their strengths and areas of improvement, with individualized development plans guiding their growth.

A best practice worth replicating from other countries is requiring aspiring principals to intern in high-performing schools before being deployed to their sites. This allows them to gain practical experience under the guidance of expert school heads. Given the scale of the challenge, however, rolling out an internship program for 25,000 new principals may take time. In the meantime, pairing them with strong mentors could be a key alternative.

These mentors should be professional practitioners with the expertise and commitment to provide constructive feedback to help the new school heads cultivate the necessary leadership skills and behaviors to create a positive, high-performing school culture. The structured mentorship program could include virtual check-ins and occasional physical visits, ensuring that the new principals have access to continuous training and support. These long-term, peer-to-peer relationships will help new principals navigate the complexities of their positions over time.

School leadership is the foundation of academic success and DepEd’s plan to address the leadership gap is a necessary step. Still, without a well-designed training program, structured mentorship support, and continuous professional development, we risk setting up new principals for failure, and we might not achieve the improved educational outcomes we hope for. We owe it to students to ensure that every school is led by a competent, well-prepared leader who can drive that transformative change. Let’s not just fill principal vacancies—let’s fill them with excellence.

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eleanor@shetalksasia.com