There is a principal and an assistant principal in each of the five elementary schools in our district. I wanted to share with you what the roles are for each position, how those two administrators work together, and how they each contribute to leading a successful school, but in different ways. As a principal, I have final responsibility for our school, North Elementary, and its 680 students and 60-plus staff members. But I could not effectively lead the building without the assistant principal, Dan Jeffers. I’m sure the other principals in our district would say the same about their own schools.

A major responsibility that we share is to be available and responsive to the needs of our students and their parents. Both Dan and I spend a large part of every day talking to students and parents, especially if there is a concern. With two of us, it increases the chances that at least one of us can be immediately available to a parent who calls or visits and needs to talk to us.

There are other times when the roles of a principal and assistant principal overlap. Conducting staff evaluations, creating building schedules to optimize students’ learning time and supporting the teaching staff are responsibilities we share.

The assistant principal is specifically responsible for making sure there is a substitute for any staff member who may be absent from school, for part of a day or all day. He coordinates all the testing programs in a school and spends many hours making alternate schedules for testing weeks and training staff members on proper testing procedures.

Student discipline is another area where the assistant principal assumes much of the responsibility, speaking to students and parents about student choices as necessary during the school day (and, when necessary, into the evening). Other duties include planning safety drills, keeping discipline data, leading school committees, conducting training sessions for new substitute teachers, planning assemblies, and more.

While the assistant principal takes on the duties listed above, it allows the principal time to be directly involved with the study of student achievement data to improve instruction, to meet with teachers who have student concerns and to support the teaching staff in all areas of their job. This is all done, ultimately, to increase student achievement.  I spend a great deal of time meeting with parents to help struggling students. I also provide professional staff development to improve classroom instructional practices. I manage the school budget, support the food service and custodial staffs, and conduct staff meetings and building leadership team meetings. Also, each principal is part of the district leadership team.

While both roles are very demanding, they are extremely rewarding. Most principals and assistant principals begin as teachers. As an administrator, you are given the gift of impacting not just your classroom of students but an entire building of students. The absolute best part of the job, though, is getting to know all 680 students in the building and their families.

Diane Stacy is the principal at Fairfield North Elementary School. She can be reached at stacy_d@fairfieldcityschools.com.

Published in the Fairfield Echo, May 15, 2008.