What Does a Public School High School Principal Do?

Roles and Responsibilities of a Public School High School Principal

Mary Starr Johnson-Gerard, Ph.D.
The role and responsibilities of public school high school principals vary from public school to public school and from state to state. Generally public school high school principals have earned a master's degree or have an Ed.S or Ph.D. in the field of Educational Administration or Educational Leadership. Public school high school principals are responsible for a variety of administrative duties related to the daily operation of the high school which includes: 1) facilitating the development, implementation and evaluation of educational programs and goals, 2) supporting and supervision of faculty and staff, 3) allocating and managing resources, 4) implementing student discipline procedures, 5) supervising extra-curricular activities and 6) maintaining positive communication with families and communities.

Public School High School Principals and Educational Program Goals

Public school high school principals are responsible for facilitating the establishment of educational program goals and for monitoring that these goals are implemented according to public school policies and procedures. They work with teachers to define how student achievement goals will be assessed and achieved. If students are not making adequate academic progress, they are responsible for developing strategies to correct for this.

Public School High School Principals and Supervision of Personnel

Public school high school principals are responsible for ensuring faculty and staff are qualified and competent in meeting the expectations of their positions. They may directly supervise key administrative staff and monitor the supervision of staff not under their direct supervision. A public school high school principal establishes a personnel performance appraisal process that is completed on at least an annual basis. Hiring and firing decisions are based on individual employee performance.

Public School High School Principals and Managing Resources

Public school high school principals are responsible for ensuring that the fiscal resources allocated to their high school are appropriately administered. Typically a public school high school principal is not responsible for the determination of resources. This decision is made at the School Board level. The high school principal is typically required to put together a budget proposal that is reviewed by the Board prior to the finalization of the school district budget.

Public School High School Principals and Student Discipline

Public school high school principals are responsible for ensuring that the policies and procedures for disciplinary action are implemented appropriately. Large public high schools may have one of more specific staff persons who are assigned the duties of implementing the disciplinary procedures.

Public School High School Principals and Extra-curricular Activities

Public school high school principals typically work more than 40 hours a week due to their responsibilities regarding extra-curricular activities. It is important for a public school high school principal to show students, parents, and community members that they value all student activities not just academic. They show this support by attending activities outside of school hours.

Public School High School Principals and Community Relations

Public school high school principals are responsible for establishing positive public relations with the community at large. Public high schools continually need to renovate, build and offer expanded opportunities for students. Funding for these enhancements must come from communities agreeing to take on the cost of these enhancements via taxation and fund raising activities. A successful public school high school principal knows being out in the community and showing their support of community projects is essential for creating a collaborative relationship with their community.

Related Articles

What Does a Board of Education Do? https://publish.associatedcontent.com/cms_queue.shtml

Published by Mary Starr Johnson-Gerard, Ph.D.

I am a Ph.D. Educational Psychologist with over 35 years of experience in the fields of human development, behavior, and learning. I have hands on experiences as well consultative experiences in all areas. I...  View profile

To comment, please sign in to your Yahoo! account, or sign up for a new account.