In today’s world of education, principals face many issues in developing and overseeing a successful school. No longer is the responsibility solely on the teacher for ensuring that students are achieving to his or her full potential. Principals need to be involved in guiding the school with meaningful professional development for teachers, effective academic programs for students, and communicating in a way that all teachers and students understand the mission and focus of the school.

Waldron, McLesky, and Redd

The authors Nancy Waldron, James McLesky, and Lacy Redd all hold different levels of expertise in the field of education. Nancy Waldron is an associate professor at the University of Florida in the School of Education. She holds a doctoral degree with an emphasis in special education, Psychology and early childhood education. James McLesky is a professor also at the University of Florida and holds a doctoral degree with an emphasis in the same field of study as Dr. Waldron. Lacy Redd is a Principal at Newberry Elementary School in Newberry, Florida. Though their experiences vary, they all collectively believe that in order for schools to be successful the principal must be actively “collaborating with teachers to set the direction for the school; redesigning the organization; improving working conditions; providing high-quality instruction in all settings; and using data to drive all decision making” (Waldron, McLesky, Redd, pg 1, 2011). The research for this article was conducted by faculty at a reputable university along with an individual who has field experience in the role of being a principal. Together with their qualifications and experience along with the appearance of their research in a peer-reviewed scholarly journal makes this reference a credible source for research on the topic of the role of principals.
Nidus and Sadder