On a steamy morning in July, about 200 educators from around the country pored over model algebra and English lesson plans at the Relay Graduate School of Education’s 12-day summer intensive program for principals in New York City. Their task: to identify why these lesson plans succeed and how principals can replicate them in their schools. The purpose: To allow principals to step away from the pressures of their schools and focus on how they can help students learn. Participants flipped through bulky white binders, scribbling notes on worksheets or tapping them into laptops. The room was silent, save for an occasional whisper, a cough, or a buzz of a phone reminding its owner of responsibilities at the office. After 12 minutes of reading and