BOULDER, CO (March 19, 2026) — In this month’s episode of NEPC Talks Education, Christopher Saldaña interviews Dr. Ain Grooms, professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison; Dr. Joshua Childs, professor at the University of Texas at Austin; and Dr. April Peters, professor at the University of Houston. Their joint research examines the design and implementation of equity-centered principal pipelines. In this month’s podcast, they offer insights into building and sustaining educational leadership systems that genuinely center equity.

All three researchers emphasize that developing equitable principal pipelines requires districts to reflect deeply on their local histories and use that knowledge to design leadership development systems that advance student outcomes, particularly for students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and English language learners. Peters notes that especially because principals substantially influence student outcomes, districts must actively support them. She invites districts pursuing equity-centered principal pipeline design and implementation to think carefully about who is responsible for supporting school leaders, what those support structures look like, and how they connect to the broader goal of student success.

Childs emphasizes that principals cannot be understood apart from the larger ecosystem in which they work, which includes students, families, community members, and central office divisions. He identifies several significant challenges facing school leaders today, including a shortage of experienced administrators, the emotional and mental health toll of leadership, and the lasting erosion of community trust in schools that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Peters and Grooms address the shifting political context that has complicated equity-centered work in recent years. Facing budget cuts, heightened scrutiny, and hostile policy environments, districts have had to become increasingly flexible about how they pursue equity goals. Grooms describes how some partnering districts are responding by reimagining their community engagement plans, and actively bringing in voices that are otherwise rarely included when decisions are made about hiring principals, setting budgets, or closing schools.

All three guests offer encouragement and practical guidance for educational leaders looking to pursue the work of creating equity-centered principal pipelines. Peters counsels leaders not to go it alone, to plan proactively for political opposition, and to hire people with genuine equity commitments at their core. Grooms reminds listeners that equity work is a long, ongoing process. Throughout, the researchers express genuine optimism, pointing to the resilience of equity-committed scholars, the dedication of practitioners they have observed across districts, and the promise that well-designed principal pipelines will ultimately benefit the students and families those systems are built to serve.

A new NEPC Talks Education podcast episode, hosted by Christopher Saldaña, will be released each month from September through May.

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