Lehigh to Implement Residency Program for Aspiring School Leaders

Lehigh University is partnering with the Allentown School District to implement a principal residency program that is designed to bolster clinical experiences for aspiring school leaders and better prepare them for managing daily workloads and long-range initiatives.  

Led by Craig Hochbein, associate professor of educational leadership at Lehigh, the Residential Experience for Aspiring Leaders (REAL) program will pair participants with Lehigh educators, trained mentors and a clinical supervisor to help ASD in developing a pipeline of academically and clinically prepared school leaders.

“Principalship is a difficult job that entails a lot of moving parts,” said Hochbein, who has conducted extensive research in how principals allocate their time. In addition to running an educational organization that develops students’ literacy and numeracy, he said, principals also have to deal with other complex issues, such as absenteeism and bullying.