Why Principals?
Research and experience tell us that the formula for sustaining and accelerating gains in Chicago’s public schools must include investment in the principals leading transformational change.
- Elementary schools with strong leaders are seven times more likely to improve in reading and four times more likely to improve in math.
- Principal leadership accounts for 25 percent of the total school influence on a child’s academic performance.
- 24 out of 25 teachers say the principal is the number one reason they stay in or leave a school.
A principal’s impact is even more profound in Chicago, where principals have more control over budget, curriculum and staffing decisions than their peers across Illinois and in other major cities.