Dr. María Thompson still remembers her first Summer Leadership Institute.

It was 2009, and she was a brand-new middle school principal who showed up to the UCLA campus for ACSA’s professional learning event for principals.

“I walked in excited, but also carrying the weight of responsibility that comes with leading a school community for the first time,” she recalled. “That experience fundamentally shifted my approach to site leadership.”

It was so transformative, she decided to “pay it forward” to other principals. For 15 years now, Thompson has been a team leader at the institute, and she will return again this summer for ACSA’s 2026 Summer Leadership Institute, which will be held at the University of La Verne.

“It is one of the most meaningful professional commitments I make each year,” said Thompson, who now serves as director of Human Resources in Rowland USD.

As a team leader, Thompson shepherds a group of around 10 principals with similar levels of experience through the week-long, in-depth leadership training. New principals receive tools, language, and community during one of the most critical transition years of their careers. Veteran principals benefit from reflection, refinement, and re-energizing their leadership practice.

It’s in these small groups, Thompson says, that the real leadership work happens. “Participants share situations they cannot always process publicly, such as personnel dilemmas, community tensions, instructional challenges, and political pressures,” she said. “The conversations are candid, reflective, and solution-oriented.”

Being a principal in 2026 is not for the faint of heart — polarized communities, student mental health needs, staffing shortages, and closing achievement gaps are all part of the job.

“Principals are navigating extraordinary complexity right now,” Thompson said. “The Summer Leadership Institute addresses these challenges by blending practical tools with collaborative problem-solving. Participants examine real case studies, share current dilemmas, and leave with actionable strategies.”

She added: “There is also a consistent conversation around sustaining oneself as a leader and avoiding burnout while remaining visible and steady for staff and students.”

One way leadership is sustained is through connection. Institute attendees build a network of colleagues who will support them, challenge them, and move forward with them in their careers.

“The relationships formed in those groups last well beyond the Institute. I still connect with principals I met years ago,” Thompson said. “Those small groups create what I call a ‘leadership circle’ of trusted colleagues you can call when you need perspective, advice, or simply reassurance that you’re not alone.”

When Thompson reflects on the many summers she’s spent guiding site leaders, she says the most memorable moments are the shifts that take place during the week: the new principal who arrives overwhelmed and leaves grounded in confidence, or the veteran who was there to “check the box” but leaves re-energized and inspired.

“My goal every year is that participants leave feeling competent, connected, and confident, and that they know they are part of a strong leadership community committed to serving students at the highest level,” Thompson said. “If you lead a school — or aspire to — this institute is not optional. It is essential.”