5.4.1 Support From Principals

Today, our main topic is Administering Schools. I want you to know my prejudices in terms of this topic because I have prejudices. Remember the rules of the class, you're required to know my prejudices, you are not required to agree with them. You are required to know them. My prejudice about administering schools is that the number one person in the school is the principal. The principal makes more of a difference than anyone else in the school. You take the very same faculty with one principal and the school would perform very differently than that same faculty with a different principal. Because one principal will have the knack of creating unity and high morale and urging the teachers forward and will do the kinds of things that will create the environment for good education. Now, lets look at
some of the kinds of things that go into the issue of administering schools. Now, as I said, the role of the principal is to be the key instructional leader. The principal provides support. Now that is support for the parents, support for the kids, support for the teachers. This is emotional support as well as providing resources. You see, if I as a teacher feel that the principal is behind me I am willing to do a lot of things that I am not willing to do if the principal is not behind me. If the principal isn't behind me I'm going to draw into my shell and keep my head down. Do the minimum. If the principal is behind me, I can fly. I will try things with confidence. So the support that the principal gives makes a huge difference.

Principals are responsible for the tone of the school. There are uptight schools where the whole school is uptight and there are loosy-goosy schools where they are chaotic and then there are schools which have kind of a relaxed atmosphere, my favorite. A relaxed atmosphere but a purposeful atmosphere. That's the kind of tone that I want. Very relaxed so that people feel free and comfortable to do their thing but are accountable. That's the atmosphere that I would like. Now, within that statement of that kind of atmosphere there are still a lot of different styles that principals have. Some principals are more concerned with details than others and there is lots of room for individual style for both teachers and principals. We don't have to be cookie cutters. But even within those differences of style, you can still help people learn how to be relaxed and comfortable in whatever that style is. If I know that I have a principal who is sort of a management freak and likes to get everything down in tables and know things well in advance then I know that I need to get things in early to this principal, I need to know the kind of detail I need to make this principal happy, and I do it. There are other principals who could care less about that and they'll be equally
effective but my job is to adapt to the style of my principal. That's my job as a teacher.

	What is the role of the principal in the system and why is it so important?	Answer Here
	Mr. Hale is the principal of a prominent high school. The school runs fairly smoothly, and he is proud of this fact. When the head of the Social Studies department comes to him to discuss curriculum problems that have happened in her class (schedule behind, not enough details, etc.), he suggests that she give him a few days to think about what she has said and let him form a solution. What should Mr. Hale do to address this problem, and how can he do so without making the SS department head feel that he is ignoring her requests and concerns?	Answer Here