| There is a crisis in education for city schools across America. The day-to-day realities of educating poor students in urban school districts, many of them minorities, have become increasingly challenging for city schools (Olsen & Gerald 1998). These schools, surrounded by decayed housing, abandoned businesses, underemployed and unemployed residents, high criminal activity, and neighborhood violence, have taken on the urban plagues (Kozol, 1991).; To meet these challenges for city schools, we need effective leadership. The importance of the school principal as leader has been well documented (Barth, 1990, Daresh & Playko, 1992). The process of effective leadership development for school principals is something that demands careful planning and focused attention. It does not simply "happen" without any thought by those persons responsible for directing such an effort (Daresh & Playko, 1992; Sergiovanni, 1991). This study explores the process of leadership development of eight city school principals. They were selected from 114 recipients of the National Association of Elementary Principals award for excellence in 1995 and 1996.; I interpret the practices of these principals within the context of a new urban paradigm which views their schools from an assets perspective, and views their practices as moral/transformational leaders. I have included a leadership development model in this study that promotes these ideals. These findings suggest new ways of designing principal leadership development programs for urban districts. The study uncovers urban capacities and resiliency competencies. To be effective in the fast-changing environment of urban centers, these school principals utilize an assets perspective, a caring ethic, a belief in human agency, and a desire to support the empowerment of others. They are social activists and change agents creating democratic school environments and communities.; The findings in this study suggest that principalships can improve if educators recruit talented leaders from the teacher ranks. Strong collaboration between urban school districts and colleges of education can create meaningful internships and relevant course experiences. School districts which provide continuous leadership development opportunities to principals throughout their careers sustain growth and productivity. Mentorships and networking are powerful forces for novice principles who are developing their leadership and veteran principals who are transferring leadership. These city schools in urban districts became sites of resistance to the status quo as the principals used an assets perspective and discover the attributes in their city school communities. |
