As a former teacher and principal, I found this letter to the NYT VERY interesting.....

NYT Monday, March 20th.,

To the Editor:

Re “To Fix Schools, Go Get the Principal” (column, March 12):

When the academic conversation starts to focus on principals in the effort to improve education, we are on the right path, as David Leonhardt suggests. He is correct when he says that “principals can make a real difference” and that “overlooking them is a mistake,” but there is a missing piece in his analysis.

Chicago’s mayor, Rahm Emanuel, is absolutely correct when he says that “principals create the environment” and that “they create a culture of accountability.” He adds, “They create a sense of community.”

But the principals and administrators I have encountered were more focused on judging and assessing teachers as opposed to helping them! Judgment that is disconnected from help becomes onerous and creates a dysfunctional community. Might hiring principals with extensive classroom experience help?

Judging and assessing teachers (and students) should be a means to an end, not the end itself.

LARRY HOFFNER, NEW YORK

The writer is a retired New York City public high school teacher.