Brief Report of Interview of principal
By Sandie Albritton
The day with the principal began like most days with her, she was late. I realized she was trying to juggle parenting with being a school administrator. I was amazed at all the mundane tasks she was required to deal with on a daily basis. She spent time returning calls as well as answering email. She stated that the email was the most time consuming. She receives 100’s of emails daily and has to filter the ones that require a response.
During my shadow, she shared with the number of new personnel we would have at our school this year. She is concerned about the 7th grade due to the fact that they have 10 new teachers. The grade level has a total of 11 core teachers. She asked me for suggestions on how we could insure a smooth beginning for these teachers. I suggested a “tea” before school actually begins for these teachers to meet and get to know one another. She agreed.
She also shared with me the importance of touring the building daily. She stated that she looks for lights out, and problem restrooms. She noted that the gym had several lights out and needed to be fixed. We also toured the new addition to the school. She checked each classroom for furniture and computers. During the tour, she discovered that the projector in the connections computer lab had been installed backwards. She stressed the importance of touring the building to find any areas of concern. She wants to be on top of any issues.
Later during the shadow, she had to meet with a special education teacher in regards to changing assignments. Conversation diverted to personal issues with teacher’s mom. She showed genuine care and concern for the teacher’s home life. The teacher was impressed that she remembered all the trouble she was having. “It’s a very difficult time for you. I understand how you feel since my mom passed away so recently.” She truly had empathy for the teacher. She agreed with teacher to change grade levels for the next school year. The teacher seemed relieved as was evident by her body language becoming completely relaxed.
I asked her what is the hardest part of her job? She stated that having to discipline a teacher. “It breaks my heart to fuss at a teacher but, as the leader, when one of the ducklings gets out of line; they must be brought back in line.” She then shared with me that she was a counselor for several years before becoming an assistant principal and then principal. She feels that the counseling background is good for an administrator to have. She also told me that the laws relating to special education is one of her strengths. Her daughter has Cerebral Palsy and receives special education services. “With the growth we have seen in the special education identification process, it’s a good thing I understand the laws involved! “ She is extremely lucky in that regard. She not only sees the school side of special education but can easily understand how a parent may feel.
Overall, my shadow with her was extremely informative. It was nice to see what goes on in the allusive administrator’s office. It certainly changed how I view administrators. I had NO idea of the amount of minutiae they deal with daily!