Op-Edit by Sen. Al Franken -- The American Dream, and its promise of prosperity, has long been predicated on the simple idea that opportunity is a right, and not a privilege, and that every individual should be afforded a level playing field on which to set out into the world.

To fulfill this promise to our children, we must close the school achievement gap that is leaving so many of our children behind.

Yet reversing decades of educational inequality is no easy task. There are exemplary schools scattered across the country that are proving every day that while they cannot solve all of their students’ problems, they can push them to increasingly higher levels of achievement under the most trying of circumstances.

One of the most common features of successful schools in high-needs communities is the presence of an effective school principal This is a matter of common sense, and in fact, research shows that school leadership is second only to teacher quality in its impact on student learning.

That’s why I’ve introduced the School Principal Recruitment and Training Act. The bill will create a pipeline of effective principals for high-need schools by providing high-quality programs with funding to recruit and train principals to take on the challenge of leading those schools.

We need to provide principals with more intensive and hands-on training than most of them currently receive so they will be ready to tackle the challenges of leading high-need schools.  They need to be ready to lead and inspire staff, create a positive atmosphere for students, engage families, and use data to drive a continuous process of improvement.

We owe it to our children to provide the resources necessary to recruit, train, and support more principals of this caliber so every school, and particularly those in greatest need, can benefit from effective leadership.

< Prev		Next >