The Role of the Principal
The importance of viewing the principal as a leader among leaders has been well documented:

In successful schools, principals aren't threatened by the wisdom of others; instead they cherish it by distributing leadership. The principal of a successful school is not the instructional leader but the educational leader who mobilizes the expertise, talent, and care of others. He or she is the person who symbolizes, supports, distributes, and coordinates the work of the teacher as instructional leader.

   Pilot School principals are able to take shared leadership further because autonomy gives them the tools to shape staff roles and allocate time for meetings and professional development. Peggy Kemp, principal of Fenway High School, speaks to the delicate balance of this role as she considers herself 'just a member' of the Teaching and Learning committee, but a member with additional accountability. With autonomy, Pilot School principals have a greater voice in decisions on their school's budget, staffing, curriculum and assessment, and schedule. Rather than the principal's taking on these decisions alone, schools create structures for staff input. For example, at the Harbor School a Planning and Management team exists to 'figure out the budget and election-to-work agreement together' in a 'very open process' that is representative of both staff and administration, according to a staff member.
    Different configurations of the role of the principal are common in Pilot Schools. Several schools currently or in the past have developed a coprincipal model, where two or more principals lead a school. Mission Hill, a school of only 150 students, is a 'staff run' school, as described by teacher and Pilot School Staff Network member Ann Ruggiero. Mission Hill's core faculty is responsible for all major curriculum, staffing, and scheduling decisions. The faculty consists of one administrator, one administrative assistant, and 11 classroom teachers. All staff are involved in weekly meetings to make and review decisions together.

Pilot School principals:

• Keep the school's mission at the forefront of all decisions and practices, using the mission to guide the development of goals.
• Work closely with the governing board to ensure the school stays on track with its mission and goals.
• Lead the effort to create a budget, schedule, and staffing pattern that best serve teaching and learning.
• Ensure a focus on high academic expectations, challenging curriculum, effective instruction, and support for all students.
• Ensure the financial well-being of the school, including responsibility for fundraising.
• Mobilize and support teacher leadership through a team and committee structure.
• Build strong relationships with teachers, students, families, and community members, and immerse themselves in the daily life of the school.

Preparing Pilot School Principals
   Being a Pilot School principal or a teacher-leader requires a particular set of skills, which led to the development of a different kind of leadership preparation program. The Greater Boston Principal Residency Network (PRN)-is an apprenticeship-based program developed by the Center for Collaborative Education and Northeastern University. Through the program, participants, also known as 'aspiring principals,' complete projects and handle challenges that they will encounter as principals. They do so while paired with a 'mentor principal' who has distinguished him/herself in the leadership of a small school. Most graduates have gone on to serve as principals, and some have assumed teacher-leader roles. PRN has utilized the experience of existing Pilot leaders to train new ones.