School Leadership Feels Like a Spinning Merry-Go-Round—Here’s How Principals Cope

school leadership – As immigration enforcement fears and civil-liberties debates ripple through classrooms, principals are adapting fast—protecting students, stabilizing staff, and keeping learning at the center.

There’s a particular kind of noise a spinning merry-go-round makes when it’s loose at the joints—loud, a bit chaotic, and hard to ignore.

For principals, the sound is metaphorical, but the pressure is real.. In Misryoum’s coverage of education leadership. Chris DeRemer. principal of Manual High School in Denver. describes how leading a school has long meant juggling instruction. behavior. staffing. and budgets—yet recent political shifts have made that juggling feel more like staying balanced while the ground keeps tilting.

He points to how immigration raids and civil-rights concerns have reshaped day-to-day school life.. His school serves a large immigrant student population, and since January he has seen attendance drop sharply.. Parents and guardians. according to DeRemer. have said they want to keep children home as fear grows that going to school could increase their exposure to harm when enforcement actions occur in the city.. Even when schools remain safe physically. the emotional climate can change quickly: students come in carrying uncertainty. and hallways that once felt predictable now feel fragile.

The impact doesn’t stop at students.. Misryoum understands that leadership is also about protecting adults who protect students.. DeRemer describes staff members reacting to the wider rhetoric coming from Washington—worried about both students’ physical safety and their mental well-being once they leave home.. That matters because schools run on trust: teachers need to believe that the structures around them will support students and allow them to teach without constant alarm.. When fear enters the building. the “hidden workload” rises—more check-ins. more vigilance. more time spent responding to anxiety rather than lesson plans.

Then comes another layer that many principals never expected to manage alongside curriculum and staffing: the fear that values-based decisions could bring scrutiny.. DeRemer notes ongoing professional development focused on better supporting queer students and employees.. Each session. he says. has carried a question mark—what happens if the conversations are challenged. or if institutional decisions draw unwanted attention.. In his view, the answer cannot be withdrawal.. The programs, he argues, must not disappear; they should be reinforced—because student well-being cannot pause while politics plays out.

Misryoum sees a consistent theme in school leadership during turbulent periods: the job becomes less about single tasks and more about setting conditions.. A principal’s work can’t only be managerial in the narrow sense.. It has to create a climate where students and staff don’t feel they have to “look over their shoulder” during school hours.. Safety here is both physical and psychological—feeling seen. protected. and able to succeed without fear that identity or advocacy will become a problem to manage every day.. That kind of environment is difficult to build and easy to lose. which is why leadership decisions—training choices. communication patterns. and support systems—carry heavier stakes.

There’s also an education-policy angle that extends beyond one school or one city.. When broader political actions generate instability, attendance patterns can shift, learning time can fracture, and chronic stress can undermine engagement.. Attendance declines aren’t just statistics; they affect class discussions. assessment readiness. and the ability for teachers to spot who needs help early.. Over time. even strong schools can end up fighting against delayed learning and missed supports—especially for students already navigating language barriers. disrupted family routines. or uneven access to services.

In response, DeRemer emphasizes a return to the center of the work.. His merry-go-round metaphor is direct: when you sit closer to the center. you feel more stable and in control. even if the motion continues.. Misryoum translates that into a practical leadership principle—prioritize daily contact with students and staff as much as possible.. Under pressure, schools can lose their bearings when leaders become trapped in crisis response alone.. Staying near the “center”—the relationships that make learning possible—helps leaders keep perspective. maintain morale. and avoid letting fear define every decision.

That doesn’t mean the spinning stops.. DeRemer acknowledges that raids, political attacks, and fear tactics don’t disappear.. But he argues the challenge becomes “more manageable” when leaders keep their values anchored.. For Misryoum. this is the hard editorial truth behind school leadership headlines: principals are increasingly managing the collision between policy and lived experience.. The job now includes defending what schools are supposed to do—teach. support. and protect—while navigating a public climate that can make every supportive choice feel contested.

In the end, the merry-go-round is still moving, and the noise still rises and falls.. Yet the lesson DeRemer offers—to get to the center—lands as a reminder that school leadership is ultimately about purpose.. In classrooms and hallways. where students need stability most. that purpose is what keeps learning from being carried off the ride.