The Moral Imperative of School Leadership

The time has come to change the context of school leadership!

The role of the principal is pivotal to systemic school change. That is the fundamental message of The Moral Imperative of School Leadership, which extends the discussion begun in Fullan's earlier publication, What’s Worth Fighting for in the Principalship? The author examines the moral purpose of school leadership and its critical role in "changing the context" in which the role is embedded. In this bold step forward, Fullan calls for principals to become agents as well as beneficiaries of the processes of school change. In an effort to make the position more rewarding and exciting, he shifts the principal’s role from one of a site-based superman or superwoman, and recasts it as one in which principals figure prominently both within their school and within the larger school system that surrounds them.

Concepts explored in-depth include:

• Why "changing the context" should be the main agenda for the principalship


• Why barriers to the principalship exist


• Why the principal should be seen as the COO (chief operating officer) of a school


• Why the role of the principal should figure more prominently within the system


• What individuals and the system can do to transform school leadership to a powerful new force

The challenge, and moral imperative, for today's principal is to lead system transformations to resolve the top-down/bottom-up dilemma that exists in systemic change. To end the exodus from the principalship, and for great school leaders to evolve in large numbers, the time to redefine the position is now!