What Do Principals Do?

I’ve been a school business manager for most of my children’s life (my eldest is now 26). Each have asked me the question, what do principals do? It’s not an absurd question. Through the eyes of a pre-teen trying to interpret their environment, it’s quite normal. During a typical school-day they are most likely to see their principal in their public figurehead role. Speaking at assemblies, visiting classrooms, ushering dignitaries into new buildings, and other public occasions. But surely, they do more than this?

Any Principal having held the role for several years can attest, it’s not all beer and skittles.

To start the conversation, we need to define the primary role of the principal. Ask one hundred people for their response, and I can guarantee you will receive 100 different answers. Each stakeholder (students, parents, staff, the school board) will prioritise a different aspect of the principal’s role. This will be in line with their own feelings and expectations. Yet, we know that a principal cannot be all things to all people.

So, let us distil this down to the “in a nutshell” definition. The principal manages the ongoing academic and operational success of the school.

You can have great teachers, but if you don't have a good principal, you won't have a good school.

Eli Broad - Tweet

Now this is a very broad-brush definition. It does not really supply any detail to what principals do. So, let us explore some stakeholder feelings to shed further light on the duties of a principal.

Stakeholder Perceptions and Expectations

Stakeholder	Perception/Expectation	Fair, Maybe, or Not Fair	Reality
Student	The Principal will always provide a cheery smile and greeting when walking past me	Fair	Regardless of the Principal's mood, a reassuring smile and greeting is almost always mandatory
Student	The Principal will know my first name	Maybe	In smaller schools this is quite fair but once enrolment numbers head north of 500 this becomes less possible.
Student	The Principal always has time for a quick chat	Not Fair	The Principal can't be available to every person 24/7 but should be able to accommodate appointments.
Parent	The Principal remembers who I am and who my children are.	Maybe	Again, this depends on the size of the school and how close the community is
Parent	The Principal will always listen to my complaint and respond in my favour	Not Fair	There are always three sides to a story in schools. The Principal should follow through the appropriate channels regarding a parent complaint, but it may not result in the outcome parent's expect.
Parent	The Principal will ensure that my child is enrolled as soon as possible.	Not Fair	Processes designed by the Board usually govern the priority of enrolment placements. The Principal oversees the systemic outworking of these without favour.
Parent	The Principal should be able to meet with me	Fair	Obviously the timing is not usually at the behest of the parent, but invariably a Principal will accommodate an appointment to speak with parents.
Staff	The Principal should know my first name	Fair	The Principal should take an active interest in which staff are engaged by the school.
Staff	The Principal should make time to visit my class	Fair	Obviously, this would be a relatively ad-hoc scenario, but visiting classes and observing staff and students in action should be a high priority of any Principal.
Staff	I should have the Principal on speed-dial when taking students out on a camp or excursion	Maybe	Usually other senior staff are the initial contacts for camps and excursions. Again, in a smaller school this may fall to the Principal.
Board Director	I should be able to call the Principal at my leisure to discuss matters pertaining to my students	Not Fair	Board members have no special treatment when it comes to matters un-related to the Board. Even if it did relate to Board matters, these should go through the Chair to be added on the next meeting agenda.
Parent	If I run into the Principal at a social event I should be able to discuss any school matters with her	Not Fair	Outside school, the Principal should be able to carry on her own life. School matters should be discussed and addressed at school.

This table outlines some of the expectations and feelings placed upon Principals – fairly or not. But, to understand the expected role and duties of a principal we need to go back to their employer – the School Board.

Quite literally, the only person the board employs are the principal. Before doing so they define the principal’s role, and duties, through the Position Description. This document is a good starting point to gauge what principals do.

The Principal's Position Description

In the Position Description we start to find key phrases and terms the board views as important.

Establishing a management vision for the school
Uphold the Mission, Vision, Values, Educational Philosophy and Goals of the College in all operations.
Support and ensure high quality teaching and learning.
Developing and leading a school executive team that will cultivate and strengthen a positive teaching, learning and working environment for all staff and students at every level of operations.
Making operational decisions which support the whole school vision and ensure the smooth day to day operation of the school.
Ensure the School’s regulatory and legal obligations are met

This is not an exhaustive list, but it does touch on the main themes. It shows that the principal manages the full oversight of the school.

Are All Principals Created Equal?

Certainly not, and thankfully not.

Each principal brings their own personality, idiosyncrasies, preferences – and faults – to the position. They are as human as you or me, but the task of running a school successfully requires a tremendous amount of energy, intellect, and leadership skill.

While we call them principals, they are effectively CEOs. The buck stops with them. They need to develop the systems, structures, and teams to bring about success. And they need to manage all this while juggling the expectations and feelings placed on them by all stakeholders.

It is not an easy job, and it is not for the faint-hearted.