Principal Job Description - Salary, Education and Career Guide for Becoming a Principal

The school principal plays an essential role in running a school. It's one of a number of key education administration jobs. Principals work in elementary, middle and secondary schools. Principals have a wide range of responsibilities relating to students, parents and teachers.

Job Description

The principal is responsible for the recruitment of new teachers. Once teachers are at the school, the principal tries to help teachers improve their skills by:
  • keeping track of educational objectives
  • looking at learning materials
  • visiting and observing classroom teaching sessions.
Principals evaluate teachers through appraisals, which are often linked to promotion and pay. Principals are responsible for the academic tone of a school, and they work with teachers to develop objectives and educational standards that set that tone. Answering the staff's questions about policies and procedures is also part of the principal's role.
 
School principal jobs are also about the students' well-being. In academic terms, this means making sure that educational programs meet national and state standards, but the job of looking after students consists of much more than the academic program. The school principal must also consider the emotional welfare of students by dealing with issues such as:
  • abuse
  • cultural diversity
  • economic hardship
  • overcrowding
  • single-parent families.
Working with the community is a sizable part of the principal's job. Parents and teachers participate in setting goals for schools, and principals have to make this happen through forums where all concerned parties can voice their opinions.
 
Principals also handle many other administrative tasks. These may include:
  • ordering and allocating resources and supplies
  • planning for each year
  • preparing budgets
  • public relations
  • running summer school
  • school fundraising
  • supervising repairs to school buildings.

Salary Guide

The job itself carries a lot of responsibility and is quite demanding. Many principals work year-round and often exceed a 40-hour work week. Elementary school principal salaries averages $82,414 a year. Vice principals earn a median salary of $67,735.

Education and Training

Those who apply for school principal jobs are often teachers who have already completed the relevant state licensing requirements as well as a bachelor's degree. To advance their careers, they need to get a master's or doctoral degree in education leadership or education administration.

Prior Work Experience

Many teachers start out as assistant principals, giving them time to learn on the job and complete the necessary qualifications. Principals may need to continue their professional development once in the role.

Career Advancement

Principals can advance by moving into comparable positions at larger schools, or by becoming school superintendents or presidents of educational establishments.
 
The demand for education administrators is expected to grow in line with that for other professions, at about 12 percent through 2016. With enrollment expected to grow slowly in this sector, there's a likely limit to the number of new positions available. However, rapid population growth in the West and South means more opportunities in those areas.

Related Associations and Groups

Just like with teachers, a number of associations and groups are available to assist school principals, including:
  • National Association of Elementary School Principals
  • National Association of Secondary School Principals.
 
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