The Partnership for 21^st Century Skills, formed in 2002, combined earlier initiatives and created a model to help define the skills students will need to gain from their education to make them successful in this century.

As the name suggests, P21 consists of a number of partners with major stakes in education. These include businesses with ties to education, educational leaders and policymakers. The goal of P21 is to advocate for policies and practices that put 21^st century readiness at the core of K-12 education.

Responsibilities of today’s principals run the gamut from coping with the results of school levies to integrating the latest in online learning. As school chief administrators, they hear parental objections to parking restrictions and teacher worries about outdated technology. The backdrop of day-to-day concerns includes a constant worry about school security, changing state and national standards and trends in student assessment.

None of it’s easy, especially when the primary concerns – helping students learn and getting them ready to make wise decisions for college, career and life in a democracy – can almost get lost in the shuffle.