There are few leadership positions more challenging than high school principal, especially if the school has a history of underperformance, reports USA Today. Molly Howard is the 2008 Principal of the Year selected by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and MetLife. Her Jefferson County High School in small-town Louisville, Ga., has increased graduation rates, raised test scores, and believed enough in students—80 percent of whom live in poverty—to eliminate remedial courses. Howard, 52, spoke to USA Today corporate management reporter Del Jones, and here are excerpts from that interview…

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