r/Principals

I've always wondered this and it seems like its a pain point for a lot of teachers who have been in it for decades and then a young administrator comes in trying to call the shots. In my 3rd year of teaching, I learned my principal who had been in education for 20 years only had 2 years of teaching experience, so its just an interesting thing to think about

Teacher shortage is nothing new and we know a lot of it is due to insane behaviors we’re seeing in the classroom, but do principals want out just as bad?? Are principals happier than teachers? I’m curious

I am finding more and more fieldtrips, days where students are being pulled out for sports, or taken out for other CTE class work. Yet we are under a microscope for even raising standardized tests scores for math and English higher. How do expect this when kids are being pulled out so much? I am a HS math teacher of 18 years and am just about done with continuing to be blamed if we do poorly on the state standardized exams. We did well last year but I'm worried with the increased absences. Am I just working in a corrupt district or is this common? I am all for CTE but I feel like we as math teachers should have less pressure for test scores if students are being removed so frequently.

Hi everyone,

Posting on an alt account for safety.

I’m an educator of a charter school where we entered the year with an interim principal. Our previous principal left somewhat unexpectedly (2 months prior to the new school year starting) and those in charge were left scrambling.

While a new principal was hired, someone with a Chief title took over and became interim. We also had one member of admin quit, leaving us with some pretty incompetent APs. Their decisions have completely cratered the progress the school has made in just a few months.

One of the most befuddling moves admin ls have made was to reduce the culture aids from 8 to 2 AFTER being informed enrollment would jump 40%! This has caused a lack of manpower and fights have gone up.

Additionally, they do not provide any discipline whatsoever. Any major issues they have to deal with are simply “conversations” and then students are sent back to class with no repercussions. Students have come to understand that a visit to the principals office won’t result in anything and in turn take advantage.

Cherry on top? Admin clearly just doesn’t care. Teachers feel unsupported and when concerns by other staff members are brought about, there’s an attitude given. Some of them even leave early at least twice a week.

Teachers are fed up, some are planning to quit en masse at the end of the semester or before it and it just feels like a dire situation all around.

My question is what do we do? Some staff members want to summon the head honcho and air their grievances but are afraid of retribution from the admin team as they have made it very clear they try to squash dissent. Please help!

there’s a lot of doom and gloom on here (understandably so) but for someone who is contemplating this career path, any principals who like there job? Why do you like it? How did you get to where you are? How long have you been doing it?

Do principal or AP roles that bring joy still exist? Surely a positive experience exists somewhere

I am applying for vice principal positions soon but I'm nervous about an accommodation I will be requesting if/when I get the job.

The short version is this:

- I take a medication that has a side effect that is sedating. I cannot legally and safely drive after taking it. That sedating effect lasts 9-10 hours, on average.

- I know principals and VPs/APs/ADs often have very late nights with supervising sports events, even on weeknights, then are expected to be at work the next morning greeting students

- I would request (and my doctor is willing to provide documentation to support) an accommodation where if the event I am supervising lasts beyond XYZ time, I will be permitted to arrive ABC hours late to work the next day. For example: if my event ends at 9, I get home and take my meds at 9:30. My normal report time is 6 am. I would need to come to work at 8 am instead.

How reasonable is that request?

In exchange, I would voluntarily take all weekend events possible, since those would not impact my work start time. Also, aside from these situations I am relentlessly punctual. I am often there 15 minutes prior to contract time.

I know every building or district is different, but how would your building or district respond?