The dissertation analyzes one course offered by the Rio de Janeiro MunicipalEducation Department (SME-RJ) to principals working in the municipal schoolsystem in 2020. Qualitative in nature, the research uses as its main source thecontent analysis of the course s pedagogical material, the documentary analysis ofthe information available on the platforms of the SME-RJ and its partner institute,focusing on the training proposal and its operationalization, complemented byinterviews with a tutor, a course participant, and a central-level manager. The aimis to understand the decision-making processes that motivated the choice andoffering of the course and to provide a detailed description of the process of itsimplementation, considering the target audience and the context in which thecourse was implemented. In addition, the study examines the structure andexecution of the training, the contents of the course teaching materials and theirreferences, the sequence of teaching organization, the activities and dynamicsapplied, the defined objectives, and the forms of evaluation adopted. Based onthis, the suitability of the proposal to the needs and challenges of schoolmanagement in the municipal network of Rio de Janeiro is discussed. Despite therelevance of offering in-service training to all school managers, the study showsthat the training offered to managers-supported by international references andcorporate business concepts-faced the challenge of linking the concepts workedon with everyday school life. The analysis indicated that the training of schoolmanagers in Brazil needs to go beyond technical and administrative preparationfocused on strategic planning and goal achievement, aspects that do not accountfor the complexity involved in the daily life of public schools-spaces marked bysocial inequalities, political tensions, and diverse pedagogical challenges. Finally,the study points to the need for complementary continuing education that iscontextualized and evaluated to strengthen the performance of educational leaders.