Perhaps more than any other part of schooling, making a school feel safe, welcoming, and uplifting to students really hinges on the principal.
It’s the principal, after all, who sets the tone for a school’s culture by his or her everyday actions and interactions with teachers, families, and students, and who sets into motion the core elements of school climate work: Social-emotional learning, youth voice and leadership programs, and restorative practices.
Now principals face the added challenge of doing that across remote and hybrid learning systems, not just for in-person learning.
While the logistics are trickier, experts say, the core tenets of school climate work are unchanged. Students will still need to feel safe and connected to their schools even when they are only there a few days a week—or only connected through technology.