Purpose: Principals play a pivotal role in teachers' professional growth, which impacts student outcomes. The purpose of this paper is to understand the perceptions principals have about effective elements of professional development (PD) and the role they play in facilitating the growth of teachers, and how this affects student learning. Design/methodology/approach: Q methodology was utilized to investigate the subjective views of public school administrators about PD. A post sort survey was used to interpret demographic and perceptual data. The Q sorts were factor analyzed to reveal statistical correlations among the administrators. Focus group interviews representative of each emergent factor were then conducted with eight of the 34 principals who sorted the statements. Findings: In total, 31 of the participants loaded on one of three factors. Though there were perceptional differences about which PD elements are effective, all of the principals expressed a desire to take an active role in teachers' professional growth. These distinct viewpoints of PD included the themes of sustainability and collaboration. Originality/value: School leaders are commonly named as the most important influence on teachers and their practices. PD is among the significant strategies that principals employ to impact teachers. Thus, studies that provide insights into how school leaders perceive PD are crucial to the in-service development of school teachers.