To Stand as Principals: Developing Assistant Principal Leadership Identities

Well-trained, diverse principals are a critical element in building equitable schools and strengthening the principal pipeline. Often neglected, Assistants Principals (APs) have great promise in meeting these qualifications. This case study of an urban district shows how a research-practice partnership can support the recruitment and training of a diverse, equity-centered cohort of APs. We found that our participants entered with doubts about their competency, but engaging with authentic learning experiences led to powerful shifts in leadership identities. Leveraging an equity focus, we describe how a program can develop APs well positioned to become transformative principals.