Principals Aren't Ready for Public Pre-K — EdWeek

"While policymakers debate the best training approaches for pre-K teachers and states tweak their early-childhood rating systems, a key piece of the quality puzzle is too often overlooked. Public school principals, superintendents, and instructional leaders, whose responsibility for pre-K classrooms is growing, have little or no training in how they should guide and evaluate teachers of young children. 

"Before the 1990s, most preschool programs were housed in community centers and overseen by directors with backgrounds in early-childhood education. Although many children continue to enroll in such programs, more than 1 million children annually attend public school pre-K programs overseen by elementary school principals. And many of those veteran school leaders weren't trained to oversee these programs and likely never expected they would be responsible for them. "

This one is a thinker, and a must-read for those of you really committed to developmentally appropriate practice (DAP). Read more at EdWeek.

Illustration: Jonathan Bouw for Education Week