Growing up, the urban school principal was more than just an administrator. The principal was a role model, a mentor, a life coach to students and a child psychologist to parents. The principal was the purest definition of an educator.
In school, the principal ran a tight ship. The Principal was aware of everything that occurred in the building. The principal was the first person in the building greeting students and teachers to make sure every staff and student got a good start to the day. The principal could also be seen walking the halls monitoring student and teacher behavior inside the classroom making sure students were engaged in learning and teachers were making the lessons engaging. At the end of the school day, the principal would remind students to be safe, do their homework, and come to school on time. The principal would then stop by each teachers classroom to find out how the day went and if there were any needs or concerns. The end of the day is when the principal began the work he/she was supposed to do during the school day.
Today’s urban school principal is overwhelmed by central office bureaucracy, state and district demands, union regulations, and the affects poverty and crime have on children in the community who attend the neighborhood school. These demands have taken principals away from being a presence in the school and community. Today’s urban principal is spending more time away from the building, less time dealing with teaching and learning, less time with students and teachers, and less time being a partner in the community. Today’s urban school principal has been reduced to a bean counter and paper pusher.
The school principals we need must be allowed to focus on learning and instruction. They must be freed to work with teachers and support staff to ensure that struggling students are getting the additional support to improve deficit areas and to maintain or increase academic proficiency for students on grade level. The principal also needs to mentor first year teachers and make sure veteran teachers continue to enhance their pedagogic and instruction skills. A principal is only able to do this if he/she is in the building walking around conducting observations and monitoring student progress.
Finally, the school principal we need must be able to connect with the community. It is well known that schools that thrive have the support of the community. Schools not only had the support of parents, they also had the support of local businesses. Unfortunately, the deterioration of a majority of urban communities has eroded the relationship between the school principal and the community. Many principals have not fostered a relationship with the community because they fail to understand how a strong relationship with the community will aid in promoting a commitment to academic achievement. Additionally, the principals we need must be able to develop relationships with parents. Getting parents involved in the educational process is crucial to promoting a commitment to academic achievement.
If the education is going to be turned around, one of the crucial components to a successful turnaround will be removing principals from some of the bureaucracy and allow them to that focus on improving learning and instruction, making sure students are engaged and teachers are providing engaging lesson plans, and fostering relationships with parents and the community.
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