In a conversation once the superintendent of schools for the Diocese of New Hampshire told me that the single largest change one can make to a school is to replace the principal. The principal is the CEO, where the E stands for Education, of a school and their attitude, policies, training and character really go a long way towards defining the way a school works. Or in some cases, doesn’t work.
It looks like the Philadelphia school system is taking this attitude to heart. According to an article in the Philadelphia Enquirer he district is replacing seven principals over the summer. These new principals are first being sent to a special program at the University of Virginia that trains principals to be “turn around” specialists. Previous graduates of this program have a pretty fair set of results to show so far. According to the article 7 of ten pervious graduates oversaw schools that showed improvement toward goals.
It remains to see how well this works in Philadelphia. While the principal can do a lot they really require the support of their teachers and staffs. Some of the teachers at these schools are unhappy about losing their principals. Will they be willing to work with their new principals? That will probably depend on a lot of factors. In any case it will be interesting to watch. If it is successful with other principals be similarly trained in Philadelphia and other places? That seems likely given the drive to improve results under No Child Left Behind. A lot of districts are looking for the “magic bullet” that will keep the state and Federal government away.