Welcome to AACTE PRESENTS: Preparing & Sustaining School Principals, the podcast shedding light on the often-overlooked heroes of schools and universities – our principals. In our final episode of the series, we delve into preparation and the transition from teacher to assistant principal and principal roles with insights from Jennifer Castor and Don Kotnik, both recently minted school leaders. They share experiences, emphasizing the importance of communication, problem-solving, visibility, and vulnerability. They reflect on how their experiences relate to the Wallace Foundation’s 2023 report, A Culturally Responsive School Leadership Approach to Developing Equity-Centered Principals, exploring the challenges and skills needed for effective, equitable educational leadership.