2025 Theses Doctoral

Pressing Challenges: A Qualitative Study of How Nine Principals Describe and Understand Their Pressing Challenges

Nelmes-Stoughton, Anna

Principals are responsible for leading schools through difficulties and challenges. As the dilemmas facing the world have increased, the growing number of problems and the more complex nature of those problems have transferred to schools (Drago-Severson, 2004a, 2004b, 2009, 2012, 2016). Therefore, as noted by Drago-Severson, a principal’s ability to work in and with complexity and ambiguity are necessary skills for navigating this unprecedented change (Bouffard, 2020).

Eleanor Drago-Severson (2004a, 2004b, 2009, 2012, 2016) has argued that supporting principals begins with understanding the challenges they face. Drago-Severson and Maslin-Ostrowski (2018) sought to provide support to school leaders by understanding what school leaders name as their most pressing challenge (Drago-Severson et al., 2018, 2019, 2021a, 2021b, 2022). A pressing challenge is defined as a “difficult and important [problem] leaders identified in their work” (Drago-Severson & Maslin-Ostrowski, 2018, p. 3).In this qualitative study, I utilized a modified version of Seidman’s (2013) three-part interview series to learn about the pressing challenges nine urban elementary school principals faced.

The principals in this study had completed an elite professional learning and mentoring fellowship called the Cahn Fellowship program and currently served as principals of urban elementary schools in the New York Metropolitan Area (defined as the five boroughs of New York City—the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, Staten Island). Through this qualitative approach, I collected 31.5 hours of interview data and completed an artifact collection. I answered three research questions and learned what these Cahn Fellows graduates serving in urban schools named as their most pressing challenge, and how, if at all those challenges were aligned with Heifetz’s descriptions of adaptive, technical, and mixed challenges (Heifetz, 1994, 2004, 2009; Heifetz & Linsky, 2017). I also learned what, if anything, these urban principals do to manage their pressing challenges and what they described as helpful and hindering to them now and in the future as they manage their pressing challenges.

I learned from the participants that their pressing challenges were complex and interconnected to many elements of their daily work (9/9). All nine principals described challenges that included adaptive components, whether their challenges were purely adaptive challenges (5/9) or mixed challenges (4/9). I also found that these principals used both external and internal strategies to manage their pressing challenges. The external management strategies included strategic decision making (9/9), strategic communication (9/9), and strategic use of resources (9/9). The internal management strategies included leading with core values (9/9), maintaining a growth mindset (9/9), and taking perspective on themselves and the system in which they work (9/9).

For these nine principals, my research showed that they identified elements helpful in managing their pressing challenges including having predictable and shared routines and schedules (3/9), developing shared values and expectations in the school community (9/9), and time for reflection (7/9). They also identified elements that hindered their management of their pressing challenges including the focus on urgent concerns (7/9) and the emotional toll of the principal job (9/9).

In response to these findings, I recommend that school districts carve out time for collegial inquiry groups to allow principals to talk to each other, share about and reflect on their pressing challenges. Furthermore, I recommend districts invest in mentoring opportunities for novice principals and coaching opportunities for experienced principals. This differentiated support and individualized professional development will meet principals where they are and support them as they learn how to better manage their pressing challenges.