While we're on the subject of principals, Fordham just released a study looking at the authority principals have to execute their leadership. The authors, Steven Adamowski, now the superintendent of Hartford schools and his former AIR colleagues Susan Bowles Therriault and Anthony Cavanna frame their findings as an autonomy gap--with principals' hands essentially tied in their ability to carry out the functions they view would have the greatest impact on student performance.

The authors interviewed 33 principals, from both traditional public and charter schools, and asked them to rank the importance of job functions relative to the degree of autonomy they have in executing the function. Not surprisingly, the principals cite their greatest frustration in staffing and budgeting. For example, 93 percent of principals surveyed said that the ability to transfer staff was important, but only 23 percent said they had much ability to do so.

It's worth noting that the principals surveyed weren't interested in overseeing a fiefdom--they could clearly care less for micro-managing things like building repairs and student dress. Overall despite their limited ability to maneuver, effective principals are those who have learned to work the system.