An article in the Washington Post is reporting on the continued efforts of the Obama administration to clean-up the American education system.  Reportedly, school systems are being inticed by dollar signs to make major changes in failing or struggling schools. According to Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, school systems have four options to improving: turnaround, restart, shutdown, transformation.  Essentially all of these options are similar in that they require a new face in the area of local management.  In other words, with the exception of shutdown, all options require the dismissal of the school principal. Being a principal is a thankless job.  These folks work untold number of hours and put up with untold abuse from all directions.  They don't enjoy the close student-teacher bond they once had and even among peers the pressure prevents any real commraderie.  Being a principal is like any other position, it requires time, patience, and training to become good at it.  The extraordinary pressure that is being placed on principals is unprecedented and undeserved.  Surely there is a way to encourage school reform and personal reform simultaneously.