The Kentucky Association of School Administrators’ Principal for a Day program is underway across the Commonwealth, bringing elected officials into Kentucky public schools for a firsthand look at the opportunities, successes and challenges shaping public education.
Running from the beginning of the school year through mid-November, Principal for a Day is designed to build lasting relationships between school districts and the elected officials who represent their communities. Participants may include state and federal legislators, mayors, county judges and other locally elected leaders.
This year’s program has already welcomed Rep. Ryan Bivens to Hart County High School and Rep. Kimberly Moser to Kenton County Schools. During Principal for a Day visits, elected officials spend time alongside school leaders, engage with students and educators, and see the daily work involved in creating safe, effective learning environments for Kentucky’s children.
“Strong public policy begins with firsthand understanding,” said Dr. Rhonda Caldwell, KASA chief executive officer. “Principal for a Day allows elected leaders to see both the exceptional work taking place in Kentucky’s public schools and the challenges school leaders navigate each day. Those honest conversations build trust, strengthen relationships and help us work together on solutions that put Kentucky’s children first.”
The program is intended to create connections that extend beyond a single visit. By opening their schools to elected leaders, local administrators can establish themselves as trusted resources and provide valuable context when decisions affecting students, educators and communities are considered.
Principal for a Day visits can be tailored to each school and official. Participants may shadow a principal, visit classrooms, speak with students and staff, attend meetings or take part in other activities that offer an authentic view of school leadership.
Public education policy is strongest when it is informed by what happens inside schools—not only by data, hearings or debate. Principal for a Day places decision-makers alongside the people responsible for turning policy into practice and creates space for candid conversations about what students need, what schools are accomplishing and where obstacles remain.
For Kentucky’s public school children, that connection matters. When educators and elected leaders understand one another’s work, they are better equipped to make practical decisions, confront difficult challenges and protect the conditions students need to learn and succeed. That is the purpose of Principal for a Day: turning firsthand understanding into stronger public leadership on behalf of every child.
Kentucky Association of School Administrators