Interview with a Principal
List the ten most important tasks / duties performed by a principal.
In the interview conducted with the principal, she suggested there are more than ten important tasks a principal must perform, but in general she was very forthcoming and helpful. She pointed out that the ten mentioned are not necessarily in any particular order, because when comparing one principal's tasks in a small rural elementary school (with 86 students) to the principal's duties in a big city middle school with 1,200 students, there are vast differences in the priorities and duties of both principals.
First Important Task: Basically, she described a principal's main job as having to do with supervising teaching so that real learning is taking place. The principal must be responsible for the implementation of the curriculum, which are the nuts and bolts of what students are expected to learn while in school. She said that the principal must have a leadership role when the curriculum is being developed but the principal does not single-handedly develop curriculum. She noted that not every principal would agree that the primary responsibility of a principal is to oversee the success with which teachers have vis-a-vis the curriculum.
"But for my school, of all the management and accountability issues I deal with, I feel that overseeing and guiding the teaching of the agreed-upon subjects within the curriculum is number one. When children leave my school for their next step in their educational careers, I want them to be confident in their own capacity to learn more and to use what they learned here."
Are the best practices being used in the classroom? This is an important part of the responsibility of the principal -- making sure (through managerial strategies) that what the curriculum presents is being deftly taught in the classroom. Since the role of the principal has changed over the past few decades -- from operational and fiscal duties along with hiring and firing staff and teachers -- to one of overseeing teaching and learning, many principals have found enjoyment in actually being more in touch with the classroom, the principal explained during our interview.
Second Important Task: This is a debatable point, the principal admitted in the interview, but today a principal is duty bound to make sure reforms (and updates in curriculum that are introduced and mandated by state or federal guidelines) are properly implemented. "When it comes to student achievement, the buck stops here," she explained. She said that teachers have a moral, social, and contractual obligation to follow the path that has been laid out for learning, but if a teacher fails to present the material correctly, or otherwise is not competent to carry out the curriculum / plan for learning, it is the principal's duty to either re-train that teacher or replace the teacher.
She said the controversial legislation, "No Child Left Behind," is an example of a federal law that schools were required to adhere to; and albeit not every teacher or administrator agreed with the statutes, it was her job "…to make sure what was mandated actually got done." In any event, her second most important task, in her opinion, is to build a cohesive community within the structure of the school, to engage teachers in "…shared decision-making" so they have a stronger sense of commitment to reforms, initiatives, and changes in curriculum.
Third Important Task: Along with making sure the curriculum is properly conveyed to the students (through teaching competencies and observations of the teaching processes and strategies by the principal) an important duty of the principal is to make certain that student and teacher staff have a high morale and a belief that what they doing is pivotal for the students' future. The principal must be able to create a "shared vision within the school community," she explained. Within that context, the principal must assure that the school is clean and well-lighted; that it is safe (especially in large urban areas where crime and unemployment make the streets and sidewalks places of concern for students coming to and leaving from school); that all the equipment is functioning well; that the building is warm in the winter and as cool as possible during the warm days; and that there is a sense of strong purpose and commitment.
One way to assure a good spirit within the teacher and staff community is for the principal to be in close contact with staff, be a good listener, and take criticism seriously.
Fourth Important Task: This is a very crucial part...
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