In a continued effort to illuminate the principalship during National Principals Month, senior officials from the U.S. Department of Education will be learning this week directly from principals about the complex role of leading schools and the myriad of demands principals face daily.

Starting today, over twenty Department of Education officials, including Assistant Secretary Deb Delisle, will be shadowing elementary, middle, and high school principals in the Washington, D.C., Virginia, and Maryland area.

The shadow program will culminate in a briefing October 12 with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan to discuss what officials learned during the shadow experiences. This first-hand experience will ideally help key leaders shape federal policy to better support principals in their service to all students.

The resolutions S. Res 552, approved by the Senate, and H. Res 781, introduced in the House of Representatives, designated October as National Principals Month, continuing a three-year tradition launched by NAESP and the National Association of Secondary School Principals. These resolutions encourage the nation to recognize the role of school leaders play in ensuring that every child has access to a high-quality education.