Deborah Netolicky talks with Dr Amanda McKay (formerly Heffernan) about principals’ identities, work, wellbeing, and wardrobes. Amanda, a former public school principal, is a Senior Lecturer in Educational Leadership at Monash University whose work focuses on principals’ work and lives, and on how we can better attract, support, and keep school leaders within the profession. She has a particular interest in leadership in complex school settings, including those in rural and remote areas, and the skills and knowledge that are needed to successfully lead those schools. She is author of numerous publications, including the award-winning book 'The Principal and School Improvement', and co-Editor of the 'Journal of Educational Administration and History'.

Join the conversation on social media.

- Amanda: @chalkhands on Twitter and Instagram.

- Deb: @debsnet on Twitter and @theeeduflaneuse on Instagram.

- The Edu Salon: @theedusalon on Twitter and Instagram.

Want to know more?

- Book: ‘The Principal and School Improvement: Theorising Discourse, Policy, and Practice’

- Report: ‘Autonomy, Accountability, and Principals’ Work: An Australian Study’ https://researchmgt.monash.edu/ws/portalfiles/portal/324416419/314450604_oa.pdf

- Article: Women leaders judged by wardrobe choices: https://www.monash.edu/news/articles/hanger-management-women-leaders-judged-by-wardrobe-choices

- Article (paywalled): The Punk Rock principal https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/00220620.2019.1582476?journalCode=cjeh20

- Editorial: Educational Leadership and Policy: Precarity and Precariousness https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00220620.2021.2006880