The Apprenticeship

Apprenticeship as the Vehicle
Aspiring Principals work closely and continuously with a distinguished principal for a sustained period of time.

The School as the Locus of Leadership Development
The school is the most dynamic context for the development of school leaders. The core of the Aspiring Principal’s work is in the school guided by the Mentor Principal.

One Set of Books
The experience of Aspiring Principals is focused on a set of integrated practices within the school context and aligned to theory and best practice that include individualized learning plans, inquiry projects based on the school’s mission and vision and the school’s improvement plan, research and writing, teamwork, school visits, leadership presentations, and portfolios.

Responsibility for Learning
Each principal-in-training is ultimately responsible for designing, fostering, and assessing his or her own learning. It is the responsibility of the program to support this learning through a network of Aspiring Principals, mentoring, reflective conversations, collective experiences, seminars, and careful advising.

The Power of Diversity
The corps of Mentoring and Aspiring Principals represents men and women from many different racial, cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds, with a particular commitment to groups that may be traditionally underrepresented in the field of school leadership. Sites and leaders are chosen from among all kinds of schools that can demonstrate a commitment to school transformation, equity, and democratic school practices.

Personalized Learning Environment
PRN is committed to small schools and personalized learning environments. An individual learning plan (ILP) designed to respond to the unique demands of small, personalized, and democratic schools is co-created by the Mentor Principal and the Aspiring Principal. The ILP must meet the leadership learning needs of the Aspiring Principal and benefit the school as well as address the state standards for school leadership.

Mid-Course Corrections
The best organizations are reflective and self-correcting. Similarly, individual learning plans are evaluated and revised regularly through consultation with the Mentor Principal and PRN directors, as well as with colleagues in the leadership presentation process. Periodically, there are also adjustments in the course content and program design elements to reflect the changing educational landscape, the particular needs of the cohort, and the emerging needs of the schools and communities.