Job Details

Elementary, middle, and high school principals, which report to the district's superintendent, are responsible for directing the overall operation of their school. This involves various daily tasks such as maintaining leadership, handling problems and other issues as they occur, and maximizing staff and student success.

School principals perform a wide variety of tasks, which on any given day include the following:

• Direct school operations: Includes managing staff, teachers, and other personnel.
• Scheduling and development: Establishing class schedules and activities while developing and maintaining curriculum standards.
• Security: Implementing policies and procedures that keep students, staff, and visitors safe and secure.
• Managing a school's academic performance: Letting staff know what the school's goals are and making sure they're achieved on time.
• Overseeing hiring decisions: While teachers typically have a summer break, school principals typically work throughout the year, during which time they usually make hiring decisions.
• Evaluating teacher performance: Principals observe teachers in their classrooms and assess their performance.
• Meeting with parents and teachers: During these meetings, principals discuss how students are progressing with their coursework, as well as their overall behavior.
• Reporting: Includes state-mandated test scores (for public schools) and other student achievements.
• Budgetary concerns: A school only has so much money to go around, and principals are responsible for managing its budget, including maintenance and school supplies.

School principals also need different experience and certifications, which can vary by state, city, and district. Some standard requirements include:

• Classroom teaching certificate: Educators receive this certificate upon completion of an educator preparation program.
• Teaching experience: Most schools require that principals have a certain amount of experience (e.g., two years) teaching students in the classroom.
• Principal educator preparation program: After completing the program and passing the required exam, individuals will be prepared for a successful career as a school administrator.

SKILLS

What Skills Does a Principal Need?

• Management: Principals must juggle many different aspects of a school, including looking after its operations, focusing on students' needs, supporting staff, disciplining students, and modeling behaviors that the other staff should follow.
• Communication: With so many responsibilities, principals need to effectively communicate with students, teachers, and parents about what's going on and what remains to be done.
• Critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making: Principals are responsible for making decisions that significantly impact their school's operation, so they need to be able to weigh the pros and cons of any decisions they're considering.
• Patience and active listening: Principals must be able to patiently listen to other people's perspectives, whether involving a student, teacher, or parent.
• Interpersonal: Principals must deal with a wide variety of issues between students, parents, and staff. Strong interpersonal skills are a must to ensure everyone feels heard.
• Leadership: Parents, students, and other teachers look to their principal for leadership when it comes to the daily operation of a school.
• Risk management: Every decision a principal makes can positively or negatively impact teachers, students, and parents. Therefore, they need to assess the pros and cons of different scenarios before they commit to a decision.