Across the country, elementary principals are being asked to take on an impossible list of responsibilities. They are instructional leaders, talent managers, culture builders, and community partners — all while juggling the daily crises of school life, from finding substitute teachers to making sure buses run on time.
With pre-K now offered in more than 60% of elementary schools nationwide, early learning can no longer be treated as a peripheral concern — it should be at the core of what principals do. Too often however, it is still viewed as just one more task to add to their plates. In reality, supporting pre-K and the early grades is not “extra.” It is fundamental to their mission as leaders of teaching and learning.
The measures by which elementary principals are judged hinge on effective early education. Third grade reading and math scores are central to state accountability systems. Early literacy initiatives — such as the nationwide push to incorporate the “science of reading” into teaching practice — place additional responsibility on principals to ensure instructional quality in the early grades. Simply put, principals cannot meet their leadership mandate without the ability to align instruction, culture, and family engagement across pre-K and the early grades.
A national agenda for early learning leadership
The good news is that momentum is building. Across the field, researchers and practitioners are converging on a set of priorities to strengthen principal leadership in early learning.
1. Strengthen principal professional learning
Elementary principals need accessible, ongoing opportunities to deepen their knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practice. Too few systems currently provide this, but innovative approaches are emerging. In Chicago, for example, VOCEL’s Building Early Learning Leaders program combines high-quality learning materials with on-the-job coaching for school leaders.
2. Build pathways from early education into the principalship
Principals draw on their teaching backgrounds in shaping school leadership, yet few have early childhood experience. In a recent North Carolina survey, only 8% of elementary principals in the state had ever taught pre-K. Building pipelines for early educators to pursue leadership roles would bring vital expertise into the principalship.
3. Embed early education content in principal preparation programs
Nationally, only 4% of principal preparation programs require coursework focused solely on early childhood education or child development. By embedding early learning into preparation curricula, new principals can enter their roles ready to lead across pre-K and the early grades.
4. Align state licensure and standards with early education leadership
States set the bar for leadership expectations. Embedding early childhood competencies in certification and evaluation systems — drawing on models like Illinois’ inclusion of pre-K in its principal standards — ensures principals are prepared from the start.
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Strengthening principals’ early learning expertise is not just about improving outcomes in the early grades. The core elements of effective early education leadership — building strong relationships with teachers and families, cultivating inclusive school cultures, and promoting developmentally appropriate instruction — are the same qualities that drive successful leadership across the grade span. That is why this agenda is not about adding responsibilities, but about aligning preparation and support with what elementary principals are already accountable for.
What action is needed
This is not a job for one education sector alone. Moving from this agenda to impact will take an all-hands-on-deck effort, with every level of the education system stepping up.
- States should integrate early learning leadership into licensure, standards, and evaluation. They can also incentivize principal preparation programs and districts to do the same.
- Districts should embed early learning leadership in hiring, induction, and evaluation, and partner with universities or nonprofits for in-service professional learning.
- Preparation programs must require coursework and clinical experiences that explicitly address early childhood, ideally through partnerships with schools that include pre-K classrooms.
- Funders can catalyze change by investing in professional learning models, funding scholarships for early educators to pursue leadership pathways, and supporting research on what practices make the greatest difference.
- Federal policymakers should leverage Title II of ESSA, competitive grants, and research funding to embed early learning into principal pipelines and professional supports nationwide.
- Researchers must continue documenting how principals’ early learning expertise shapes practice and outcomes, helping refine what works in the service of high-quality professional learning and preparation.
- Families and communities should advocate for principals who understand early learning, pressing school boards to prioritize this expertise in hiring and to fund professional learning opportunities.
The bottom line
Strengthening principals’ expertise in early learning does more than elevate early education — it amplifies the existing levers of effective leadership across a school: deep relationships with teachers and families, inclusive school cultures, and developmentally appropriate instruction.
By acting now, we can ensure elementary principals are equipped with the preparation and tools they need to lead effectively, deliver stronger early learning experiences, and secure long-term gains for all students.
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